NT treaties must achieve ‘highest levels of self-determination’ for First Nations, commissioner says

The NT treaty commissioner, Tony McAvoy SC, says treaties between First Nations and state must focus on enabling ‘self-government’. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP

The Northern Territory should establish a forum for First Nations people and develop a territory-wide agreement as the first steps to negotiating treaties and supporting the self-determination of different Indigenous groups, the NT treaty commissioner has said.

The recommendations were made in the final report from the NT treaty commission, released on Wednesday, which followed four years of consultation with Aboriginal people in the territory, which kicked off with the signing of the Barunga agreement in 2018.