Canberra has been officially accredited as an "advanced welcoming city".
Multicultural Affairs Minister Tara Cheyne said the ACT government was committed to ensuring everyone in Canberra felt welcome regardless of where they came from and this was recognition of that.
Canberra is part of the Welcoming Cities Network, which includes cities, shires, towns or municipalities committed to inclusion.
A city can become accredited as being "welcoming" through measurements of its cultural diversity, inclusion policies and practices.
An "advanced welcoming city" is one "celebrating success in initiative and policies that foster economic, social and cultural inclusion" and "are projecting their reputation as a leader of the sector and are prominent members of the network".
The ACT government has been a part of the network since 2019 and over the past two years it has been recognised as an "established welcoming city".
"We provided extensive evidence against each of the indicators under the leadership, social and cultural inclusion and economic development categories of the Welcoming Cities Standard," Ms Cheyne said.
"The accreditation is a testament to the strength of our partnerships with the community and our joint and collaborative hard work to make Canberra an inclusive and welcoming place for everyone."
Welcoming Australia chief executive Aleem Ali said the ACT was the second jurisdiction in Australia to be accredited at the advanced level.
"This accreditation celebrates the Canberra's success in fostering economic, social and cultural inclusion. An advanced welcoming city is a national leader and vital member of the Welcoming Cities network," Mr Ali said.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
