An Indigenous treaty is a proposed binding legal agreement between Australian governments and Australian First Nations (or other similar groups) that would recognize their sovereignty and provide real as well as symbolic recognition. The absence of a treaty is one of the major challenges facing the treaty debate in Australia, as the concept of what a treaty is or involves remains vague for many people, including government. A treaty acknowledges Indigenous peoples as a distinct political community different from other Australians, and involves both sides committing to responsibilities, promises, and principles that bind the parties in an ongoing relationship of mutual respect, cooperation, and partnership. Treaties provide a framework for living together and sharing the land Indigenous peoples traditionally occupied, and set out continuing treaty rights and benefits for each group. The Victorian Government of Daniel Andrews was the first at state level to pass a legal framework for Indigenous treaty negotiations in 2018, but there have been various moves made to instigate such a process in all states and territories in the 21st century. Many Aboriginal Australians have said that a treaty or treaties would bring them real as well as symbolic recognition, and national debate has occurred for many years on the topic, alongside related matters such as Indigenous recognition in the Australian Constitution, land rights, and programs aimed at reducing disadvantage such as Closing the Gap.