The Time Has Come: Indigenous Peoples Worldwide Must Now Exercise Their Human Rights and Take Full Control Over Their Data Sovereignty Rights

Abstract

This article examines the ongoing exploitation of Indigenous Peoples' research data and health data, and the urgent need for Indigenous data sovereignty in Australia. Despite ethical research frameworks, Indigenous Peoples health data continues to be collected, controlled, and used by non-Indigenous institutions, limiting community access and decision-making. Ethical engagement with Indigenous health data is crucial for the success of the Closing the Gap initiatives. Strengthening Indigenous governance over health data, and ethical research practices, is essential for meaningful progress. This paper advocates for policy reforms, Indigenous-led research governance and Indigenous data sovereignty.