Ministerial forum on Multicultural Affairs - Communiqué

Multicultural Affairs Ministers across Australia met on Friday 19 March 2021 to discuss issues of national significance and to reflect on the values that bring us together as a nation.

The Hon Alex Hawke MP, Federal Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs chaired the Forum, which was attended by Ministers or their representatives, from each State and Territory.

The Forum took place during Harmony Week, signalling the importance of inter-governmental cooperation to maintain Australia's social cohesion.

The Australian Human Rights Commission's Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan briefed the Forum on his proposal for a National Anti-Racism Framework.

Ministers agreed to:

• deepen cooperation in relation to the safe, effective and culturally appropriate delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, particularly through the provision of effective information campaigns, both in English and community languages;
• strengthen cooperation across jurisdictions and working in partnership with multicultural peak bodies, community and faith leaders, to counter pandemic misinformation and to distribute accurate, authorised and targeted health information to CALD communities, in English and in community languages, including in accessible audio and visual formats;
• engage in regular dialogue between governments in order to strengthen Australia's social cohesion;
• strengthen government engagement with all communities to improve social cohesion and tackle racism and discrimination;
• examine models for a National Anti-Racism Framework and areas for inter-governmental cooperation and collaboration;
• continue to work together to strengthen the availability and quality of interpreting and translation services; and
• convene future Ministerial Forums on Multicultural Affairs on a biannual basis.

MINISTERIAL Attendees