Australia’s largest general insurer has launched its third reconciliation action plan (RAP) for the 2019-2022 period and confirmed its support of Uluru Statement from the Heart.
IAG’s RAP has achieved Elevate status from Reconciliation Australia, recognising the insurer’s proven track record of embedding RAP initiatives throughout the organisation, while taking a leadership position to advance national reconciliation.
“In developing our new RAP, we considered the complex challenges and issues affecting our indigenous communities, and what role we could play in addressing them,” said Peter Harmer, IAG managing director and CEO.
One issue IAG seeks to address, as outlined in its new RAP, is indigenous incarceration. As part of this advocacy, IAG secured a partnership with Just Reinvest, to explore with local First Nations community members whether a community-led justice reinvestment approach is appropriate in Mount Druitt.
“We know the incarceration rate for First Nations people is one of the highest in the world and this has a significant impact on individuals, families, and the wider community,” Harmer said. “We want to play a role in supporting initiatives that have the potential to reduce the number of young Indigenous people in the criminal justice system.”
IAG also expressed its support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart in its latest RAP.
“We believe it is important that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are given the opportunity to have a voice on decisions that affect their communities, so we are standing behind the Uluru Statement from the Heart,” Harmer said. "It is a significant document, representing the consensus views of over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and we encourage further discussion about how the Uluru Statement could be enacted by Parliament.”
Karen Mundine, CEO of Reconciliation Australia, congratulated IAG on delivering a successful Elevate RAP.
“You have today demonstrated your strong leadership in the insurance industry by delivering a RAP that sets out how IAG will work with communities to reduce incarceration rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” Mundine said. “IAG is a fine example of how RAP partners can play an active role in driving tangible and collaborative community actions towards reconciliation.”
