This lack of consolidated data infrastructure, particularly that of integration mechanisms 4 necessary for data to be shared and compared, 5 has led to the underrepresentation of certain communities in current data, hindering the development of anti-racism initiatives that respond to community needs. First Nations communities, 6 people from refugee and migrant backgrounds,7 and children8 are underrepresented in current data. For instance, there is little publicly available quantitative data from complaint handling agencies specifically from First Nations individuals.9 A lack of data integration mechanisms has also led to a lack of policy to facilitate research on structural issues, such as racial profiling. 10 Inadequate cultural safety and accessibility protections in current data collection practices also prevent the full representation of people who are negatively racialised in data, as people are reluctant or discouraged from participating in data collection exercises due to privacy and confidentiality concerns, and low English literacy and numeracy in some groups. 11 Establishing mechanisms for improved data infrastructure, to support accuracy, consistency, inclusivity, transparency, accessibility, and ethical data collection and management, was a key priority for many consultation participants and those who made submissions on a national antiracism framework. Many participants argued that better and more consistent collection of data on cultural diversity broadly and across institutions and services, would provide a more accurate picture of Australia’s diversity and who is Australian, as well as racial inequity. In their September 2020 Issues Paper, If We Don’t Count It…It Doesn’t Count! Towards a Consistent National Data Collection and Reporting on Cultural, Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity, FECCA argues that current Australian data collection and reporting on cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity, particularly in relation to human services planning and delivery (including health, mental health, aged care, disability, and social services), is inadequate. This is seen in the areas of administrative data (reporting on service delivery), survey data, as well as social and medical research.12 Focussing on people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, FECCA argues that the variables or criteria deployed to identify individuals’ backgrounds are extremely narrow in their scope and are applied inconsistently. FECCA recommended that the Standards for Statistics on Cultural and Language Diversity (1999) be reviewed to better understand culturally and linguistically diverse populations and identify their specific needs, including allowing selfdeclaration of ethnicities, to accurately represent communities’ evolving identities. Selfidentification is key to the adoption of an intersectional approach as it recognises the agency of people in describing their own identities, as well as the multiple, overlapping factors that play into identity. This focus on intersectionality creates a more meaningful way of capturing data – one that recognises the dynamic, fluid, and changing nature of identity. Participants in the scoping process for a national anti-racism framework advocated for mandated annual reporting of data on racial or cultural backgrounds by government service providers, departments, and agencies. This is a recommendation also made in the FECCA Issues Paper, which proposes mechanisms to mandate the collection and reporting of data on cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity, dependent on the context, to ensure national consistency, completeness, and comparability. National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report 2022 | 87