The affirmation is based on the pledge of commitment made by new citizens at their Australian citizenship ceremony.
Citizenship is a unifying symbol in Australia's culturally diverse society.
Affirmation ceremonies were introduced in 1999 as part of the 50th anniversary of Australian citizenship celebrations.
The affirmation proved popular with ceremony participants and the Australian Citizenship Council (1998–2001) received submissions from members of the public who supported the continuation of affirmation ceremonies beyond the 50th anniversary celebrations.
The council recommended that affirmation ceremonies be included in appropriate formal civic occasions hosted by state, territory and local governments and noted that the Centenary of Federation in 2001 would provide further appropriate opportunities for affirmation ceremonies to be conducted.