The peak body for more than 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled bodies will host an Assembly of people with lived experience of the Closing the Gap Agreement.
The face-to-face gathering comes as part of a clause in the Closing the Gap agreement which calls for an independent Indigenous-led review every three years.
"The Review and Assembly are self-determination in action," Pat Turner, Lead Convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, said.
"This is about getting governments to follow through on their commitments and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people [to] drive the change we need."
The Assembly will bring together key First Nations representatives from across the country, sectors, and jurisdictions to provide real-time feedback on where the agreement is failing, working and where urgent improvements can be made.
Built into the Agreement, the Assembly is seen as a key accountability mechanism which provides a platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to directly influence change and policy reforms.
"This isn't politics—it's about accountability," Ms Turner said.
"Every level of government agreed to this process to create a space for genuine input and meaningful change. The Agreement, including this Review and Assembly, was designed to extend beyond the typical election cycle to drive long-term impact and accountability."
Currently just five of the 19 agreements are on track with more data to be released this year, and several jurisdictions have introduced laws which have sent metrics backwards.
Whilst the government has committed to closing the gap and has invested significant funds into remote communities, criticism has been levelled at an inability to pull more levers to prevent states and territories from enacting policies which experts say deliberately harm Indigenous children.
These include proposals to allow judges to circumnavigate the child placement principle, lowering the age of criminal responsibility and the tightening of bail laws.
Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe said the number reveals a "year of betrayal" last month, which Ms Turner said last week the regression of key targets as part of Closing the Gap is "deeply concerning" and needs a coordinated and meaningful approach.
"Poor progress in one area compounds poor outcomes in another. We cannot continue to allow our children and young people to be failed by systems that refuse to change," Ms Turner said.
The independent review is being led by the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at UTS, which will gather feedback through several metrics, including a survey, written submissions, interviews and in-person yarning circles, forums, and interviews.
Jumbunna director, Professor Lindon Coombes, said the foundation of their work was through self-determination for First Nations communities, as well as the "Indigenous values of empowerment and agency of our peoples".
"We are honoured to have been asked to undertake this first independent review because the gathering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories and perspectives is vital to drive the solutions our communities need," Professor Coombes said.
Ms Turner said they needed as many Indigenous people as possible to take part.
"This isn't just about measuring progress – it's about shaping the future and making sure governments stay accountable," she said.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and organisations actively involved in implementing the Agreement are encouraged to have their say by 16 April. More information can be found online.
