Text Box 5.4: Significant inquiries and reports relevant to land justice and
cultural heritage since 2016 (cont.)
Rio Tinto, Communities and Social Performance Commitments Disclosure (October 2022):
following Rio Tinto’s destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters in 2020, this Report shares
Rio’s progress on the actions taken to improve Rio’s cultural heritage approach and Indigenous
participation and leadership.
Parliament of Australia, Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Affairs, Inquiry into the application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples in Australia, Report (Nov 2023): this Inquiry was essentially the
continuation of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee Inquiry (mentioned
above) which was interrupted by the 2022 federal election. The Joint Standing Committee
adopted the terms of reference and all submissions to the Senate Committee Inquiry were made
available to the Joint Standing Committee. In addition, the Joint Standing Committee received
50 submissions and 11 supplementary submissions, and conducted seven public hearings.
This Joint Standing Committee report is an important piece of work capturing the history
of the fight for human rights by First Nations Australians since colonisation, including the
development of UNDRIP – and Australia’s 2007 opposition and then 2009 endorsement of it.
The Joint Standing Committee report also outlines the extent to which UNDRIP principles or
articles are being implemented across Australia.
The Joint Standing Committee report makes important recommendations regarding the
implementation of UNDRIP, including by responding to the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee,
Inquiry into a Process to Review Bills for their Impact on First Nations Territorians is due to
report back to the Legislative Assembly by May 2024.
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Women in Native Title: Native Title Report 2024