Minister to attend International Indigenous Forum

Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson will take part in an International Indigenous Forum being held in Vancouver, Canada on October 24 and 25.

The Forum is being sponsored by Canada’s Departments of Justice and Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and will include panelists from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

Margaret Wilson said the Forum will focus on how to inspire indigenous cultures and ensure they achieve success through good governance and economic development.

“It is particularly timely given the government is currently looking at ways of helping claimant groups set up cost-effective and fully accountable, transparent and representative governance entities to receive settlement assets.”

A key Crown policy is that claimant groups must develop and endorse such a governance entity to receive the settlement assets before the Crown will introduce settlement legislation.

“Experience has shown that establishing governance entities can be a time-consuming process for both the claimants and the Crown, and I will very interested in learning from the overseas practice,” Margaret Wilson said.

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