Delegation from Represented by
Commonwealth of Australia California State University, Chico
Position Paper for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
The issues before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) are: The Elimination of Government Corruption and the Promotion of Transparency; Implementing APEC’s Human Security Agenda; and The APEC Plan for Sustainable Economic Growth and Cooperation. The Commonwealth of Australia, as a strong supporter of APEC and keen to the problems plaguing the region, is eager to discuss these topics with the hopes of moving towards outlining their possible solutions.
I. The Elimination of Government Corruption and the Promotion of Transparency
Australia finds the negative implications of corruption in government and the absence of transparency in the private economic sector deeply concerning. Australia reaffirms its support for Paragraph 19 of the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development issued in August of 2004, recognizing corruption to be a threat to sustainable development. It is Australia’s firm belief that failure to improve upon these conditions results in a wide array of consequences, including a deterioration of democratic rule of law and a distortion of markets that impedes international trade while contributing to terrorism and transnational crime. This realization compelled Australia to strengthen its stance against corruption by signing and ratifying the United Nation’s Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Australia was an active participant in the initial development of UNCAC, considered the first binding instrument to present a comprehensive challenge to government corruption on a global scale, and considers this tremendous achievement a milestone event in pursuit of a ‘culture of transparency.’ Australia is optimistic that APEC nations will continue their efforts toward early ratification and implementation of UNCAC, and that APEC states who are not UN member states will work to achieve ideals espoused by UNCAC. In conjunction with Article 15 and Article 16 of UNCAC, requiring states criminalize bribery of public officials including foreign officials and those of international organizations, APEC states agreed to combat all forms of bribery and to refuse entry and subsequent residence to those officials and individuals found guilty of public corruption in the APEC Course of Action on Fighting Corruption and Ensuring Transparency issued following the 16th APEC Ministerial Meeting held in November of 2004. Acknowledging that the elimination of corruption and establishment of a transparent private sector must be multi-faceted, the Australian government has lent its expertise and support to a wide range of projects, many of them developed and implemented in collaboration with our regional neighbors and the international community. Australia has endorsed the ADB-OECD (Asian Development Bank/Organization for Economic Cooperation and development) Anti-Corruption Action Plan for the Asia Pacific and actively supports the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Officials in International Transactions. In compliance with the latter, Australia has implemented legislation criminalizing bribery of foreign officials and instituting penalties effective in deterring repetition of such conduct. The legislation is further strengthened in that it applies to Australian citizens regardless of whether they are residing in-country or overseas. Australia is also adamant in efforts to ensure transparency, specifically in the Asia Pacific region. A lack of transparency enables transnational crime to flourish and creates an environment conducive to terrorist activities and trafficking of persons. Australia is a founding member of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), and remains a willing participant. Australia’s domestic legislation is molded to the 40 Recommendations of the FTAF and was recently modified to comply with the Special 9 Recommendations on Terrorist Financing. Domestic legislation has proven so effective that Australia received a score of 8.50 (out of 10.0) in Transparency International’s (TI) 2002 Bribe Payers Index (BPI), indicating that Australian firms are less likely than those from other industrialized states as well as those from developing states to bribe foreign officials. Though Australia recognizes the concerns expressed in the Australia Phase II Report on the Application of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and the 1997 Recommendation on Combating Bribery in International Business Transactions regarding the prosecution of bribery crimes, Australia also notes that we remain adamant in the investigation of such crimes and would further remind the international community that in existing international agreements facilitation payments are distinguished from bribery payments. The primary element in the alleviation of government corruption is the establishment of good governance. Australia, recalling A/RES/58/222 establishing the Decade for Eradication of Poverty and A/RES/60/157 which recognized the right of development for all states, notes with concern that a lack of good governance leaves states vulnerable to transnational crime and fosters domestic corruption. Australia’s development aid (distributed through AusAID) is primarily geared toward the establishment of good governance. Key projects include Australia’s ongoing financial and operational management of several regional programs aiding countries in the development of effective law enforcement and adequate legislative infrastructure. Between 2004 and 2005 Australian development aid dedicated to the support of good governance programs was $A 674 million, and accounted for approximately twenty percent of total ODA. These capacity building projects are currently assisting officials in Indonesia, Cambodia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Naru and the Philippines. Australia considers good governance a core aspect of eliminating corruption and promoting transparency. Australia is eager to secure the future of the emerging market economies in our region through the promotion of good governance. It is only through the establishment of good governance that a state can ensure transparency in the private economic sector and maintain a public sector free of corruption. Australia does not believe the implementation of UNCAC can be fully realized until good governance is developed throughout the Asia Pacific region.
II. Implementing APEC’s Human Security Agenda
The Commonwealth of Australia, committed to the realization of a secure environment in the Asia Pacific region, firmly supports the recent achievements of the Counter-Terrorism Task Force (CTTF) in their continuing efforts toward the implementation of the APEC Human Security Agenda, established in Santiago, Chile. Australia is furthermore pleased with the progress achieved thus far in the implementation of the Secure Trade in the APEC Region Initiative (STAR) and reaffirms its support of the STAR III recommendations that APEC, through collaboration with other international organizations, adopt specific trade security measures including the program proposed by the World Customs Organization (WCO) Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade. For this very reason, Australia looks toward the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as an example of how human security facilitates the creation of a secure economic system can be created to further implement the APEC Human Security Agenda, which is so very vital to the prosperity of the region and the bedrock for which the existence of APEC is possible. Australia, recognizing that poverty reduction can dramatically improve human security in any region, has intensified its efforts to provide direct humanitarian assistance throughout the region. Programs deriving from this effort include funding for basic policing and strengthening judicial capabilities as well as establishing within each APEC nation the capacity to adequately monitor imports and exports. Australia, in establishing such programs, has reaffirmed its commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 1373 to implement the Nasonini Declaration on Regional Security in the Asia Pacific. In addition to poverty reduction, the relationships between major powers currently engaged in Asia are fundamental in shaping regional security, and therefore human security. Terrorism continues to threaten stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia, a region with very little history of security cooperation, which is even more reason for Australia to provide capacity-building assistance to the regional nations. Australia fully supports the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), currently the region’s primary venue for defense dialogue, though also notes with dissatisfaction the failure of this forum to effectively enable the development of preventative diplomacy and conflict management. Australia remains open to programs that might extend dialogue regarding regional human security beyond the diplomatic confines of ARF, and would be especially open to establishing regular meetings between the region’s defense ministers. Australia’s commitment to the human security agenda is further supported by The Australia Group, which was established in 1985 to help combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The Australia Group is credited with helping to strengthen global security and fight terrorism. Our rapidly growing region has much to lose in the war on terror, and much to gain from establishing a secure economic environment. The commitment and the efforts of the Commonwealth of Australia remain focused on safe travel, securing trade, emergency preparedness, health security in the region, as well as energy security as they relate to human security. Australia is ready and willing to take the appropriate action to ensure that these issues and concerns are met. Australia portrays this by its steadfast and well recognized commitment and involvement as a leading member of humanitarian organizations with the International Red Cross (IRC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), as Australia annually is distinguished as a very large contributor in both volunteers and donations. In keeping in accordance with the principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Australia takes pride in its membership of Amnesty International (AI), as one of its leading advocates of human rights in securing the future for the peoples of the Asia-Pacific region and working to further improve their plight. The government of Australia believes that it is only through the pursuit of practical and effective efforts to promote human security that it shows real commitment to the welfare of individuals and society.
III. The APEC Plan for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development
The Commonwealth of Australia acknowledges with urgency the necessity to further develop existing APEC strategies facilitating sustainable economic growth and development and emphasizes the importance of good governance in developing such a strategy. Australia is acutely aware of the Asia Pacific region’s rapidly expanding population and notes further that our region is home to several emerging and as (of) yet vulnerable market economies;….. it is imperative that APEC States make a concerted effort to confront the challenges generated by such conditions so as to maintain the current momentum of economic growth. Australia recalls and reaffirms its support for those initiatives developed in collaboration with our regional partners during the 1996 and 1997 Ministerial Meetings on Sustainable Development hosted by the Philippines. The Australian Government has been diligent in its efforts to implement policies that enable sustainable development through the incorporation of sound environmental practices. This effort is exemplified in Australia’s consistently punctual and concise reporting to relevant United Nations bodies regarding economic growth and development. The Economic Aspects of Sustainable Development in Australia was submitted to the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) granting the international community a thorough explanation regarding Australia’s National Plan for Development and highlighting its international cooperation in this most important matter. Australia has identified three elements comprising the core of sustainable development: the establishment of good governance, the development of infrastructure capable of improving access to essential social services like health care, and the provision of adequate support for entrepreneurial endeavors. The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) has molded its ongoing regional programs to these three tenets; financing for those initiatives targeting good governance exceeded $461.5 million AUD in 2002-2003 and has since been substantially increased. The status of human security in the Asia Pacific region, and Australia’s own national security, is dependent upon the establishment of good governance and capacity building as aspects of sustainable development; realizing such, AusAID has pursued regional projects with renewed intensity. Australia has contributed in excess of $3 billion AUD regional initiatives for poverty reduction, health awareness, and the improvement of access to education. Following the ideals espoused by the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, A/CONF.151/26 (Vol. I), and further elaborated upon in the Statement of Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests, A/CONF.151/26 (Vol. III), Australia has been an active member in several regional groups dedicated to alleviating the challenges posed by climate change and confronting the environmental implications characteristic of rapid economic development. Australia is optimistic that collaborative efforts currently being pursued within APEC, the South Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) will enable Asia Pacific States to continue their current pace of economic progress while at the same time ensuring the future implementation of environmentally sound policies by all States. Australia deems the realization of freer trade to be an imperative element in the pursuit of sustainable development; the government has already formed beneficial bilateral free trade agreements with New Zealand and the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian States) Free Trade Area and is in the process of developing similar agreements with several other countries in the region. Freer trade is especially important in the Asia Pacific region as a substantial percentage of the most vulnerable sectors of the region’s population are dependent upon agriculture, the sector of trade most affected by trade barriers, as their primary source of income. Australia intends to continue efforts, both domestically and internationally, to develop and implement policies for sustainable development. Australia envisions APEC as essential in this pursuit, and considers the organization a viable forum for developing further good governance initiatives and facilitating freer trade.
Delegation of the
Represented by
Commonwealth of Australia
California
State University, Chico
Position Paper for the Economic and Social Council Plenary
The topics to be discussed by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) are: Crimes of Sexual Violence as Tools of War and Genocide; Access to Essential Medicines and Health Care; and Review of the UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty 1996 – 2006. Each of these topics has the potential to threat the well being of the global community and the Commonwealth of Australia is eager to participate with our fellow Member States to achieve meaningful, pragmatic solutions.
I. Crimes of Sexual Violence as Tools of War and Genocide
The Commonwealth of Australia is pleased to participate in the improvement of the existing international legal framework for the protection of the rights of women and the girl child. For centuries, it was believed that rape was an effective and acceptable weapon to be used in combat and only in recent years has a legal framework been created to condemn and prevent these crimes. According to Amnesty International, rape is a form of torture that is carried out in various manners in order to intimidate, humiliate, solicit information, attack a society’s honor and perpetrate ethnic cleansing. Due to increases in this form of violence, Australia believes it is crucial that laws be enacted to more effectively punish these acts and make funds available to assist those who have suffered the agonizing consequences of such crimes. Australia believes all Member States should work more diligently to end these atrocities by refining existing international laws which help condemn and minimize the occurrence of these acts. Australia is a firm advocate for the integration of women into the peace building process through greater participation of formal peace processes, such as leadership in peace-keeping forces and representation in international bodies which will aid in addressing violations to the rights of women and girls including sexual violence, people trafficking and systematic rape. The Rome Statute declares that rape and any other form of sexual violence committed by a combatant in a war is a crime against humanity and a war crime. However, The International Criminal Court has restricted the power to punish this crime by only considering rape a crime against humanity, thus limiting its penalty. Australia, as an adamant supporter of the ICC recognizes this limitation needs to be rescinded. Australia stands firmly behind these landmark decisions but cannot stress enough the importance of helping women and their communities who have been victimized by this terrible crime. The Commonwealth Office for the Status of Women, based in Australia, has helped to educate women on their legal rights when they have been victims of rape and we are strongly committed to aiding these women. Australia has played an integral role in helping end rape by creating the International Violence Against Women Survey and the Sexual Assault Information Development Plan. Australia has developed a $16.5 million AUD campaign to help establish the National Initiative to Combat Sexual Assault Against Women (NICSA) which aims to increase community awareness on the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault through the use of national multimedia resources. Until the global community acts cohesively, illegal activities of combatants will continue to undermine international law and because of this, Amnesty International has helped raise awareness regarding the issue of impunity for perpetrators of rape and sexual violence in war. As a result of unreported instances and women’s fear of retribution or rejection from their community, many individuals are not prosecuted and go unpunished. Some nations have gone so far as to create legislation that prevents prosecution of crimes committed during armed conflict. These shameful occurrences systematically undermine peacekeeping principles and allow for laws are granted to protect the perpetrators of sexual assault. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was created as an international tool to help end violence against women and work toward equality for all women. CEDAW is often known as the international bill of rights for women and we applaud that distinction. The Commonwealth of Australia was happy to see the United Nations Commission on Human Rights pass Resolution 1994/45, creating a special report on violence against women to investigate its causes and consequences. The resolution was extended by the General Assembly in A/RES/03/45, affirming that violence against women constitutes a violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and that violence against women impairs their enjoyment of those freedoms. Currently, Australia is collaborating with other governments and NGO’s to alter the historical perspective of acceptance regarding violence against women and children. Australia, reiterates the call of S/RES/1325 which calls on the secretariat to provide the military personnel of other Member States with training guidelines and materials on the protection of rights and the particular needs of women and also calls on all parties in armed conflict to refrain from using gender based violence as a tool of war. Australia has provided its military personnel with training materials and a hotline with which to report instances of gender based violence and it has been shown that this program is an effective best practice template which could similarly be applied by other nations. As a party to the Pacific Women’s Network Program: Violence Against Women Initiative, Australia works in close collaboration with this organization to supply a variety of types of aid including legal advisory services and counseling clinics. The Australian delegation believes that still more must be done to combat sexually exploitative crimes as they are a grotesque and daily reality for millions of innocent women and girls throughout the world.
II. Review of the United Nations Decade for Eradication of Poverty 1997 –2006
Confirming A/RES/58/222, the Commonwealth of Australia remains committed to the Decade for Eradication of Poverty and finds it to be of the utmost importance for deliberative actions in the betterment of the world. Australia recalls the United Nations Millennium Declaration and the commitments we have made to eradicate extreme poverty and to halve the proportion of people whose incomes are less than one US dollar per day by the year 2015. Australia further acknowledges that the eradication of poverty is a global challenge and stresses the importance of A/RES/60/157 which reiterates the right of development for all nations. Poverty reduction cannot be achieved without sound, integrated approaches to development financing, mobilization of resources, facilitation of direct foreign investment, the pursuit of trade liberalization and continual increases of managed Official Development Assistance (ODA). Australia considers the Monterrey Consensus a crucial guide to poverty reduction given its emphasis on the importance of trade liberalization, especially in agriculture which is the most disparate sector of trade. Australia is the leading member of the Cairns Group and continues to actively seek liberalization in all agricultural trading practices. Reform in this area is imperative as sustainable development cannot be achieved in rural and developing areas without fair trading practices. Trade barriers implemented by developed nations cost developing nations twice the amount they receive in yearly aid. Reduction of trade barriers and the elimination of subsidies will significantly contribute to the eradication of poverty. Australia further supports A/RES/60/184 as well as the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round of Trade Negotiations in their quests to facilitate development through international trade. Moreover, Australia recognizes ODA is an integral facet of poverty eradication. Australia, through the AusAID program, is unrelenting in efforts to increase ODA, and has established goals to increase overseas allocations of aid to $4 billion AUD per year by 2010, doubling our 2004 ODA levels. In addition, Australia stresses the importance of good governance and we have developed a strategy emphasizing improved economic and financial management, increased public sector effectiveness, strengthened law and justice, development of civil society, and strengthened democratic systems. The World Bank estimates that if developing countries were to integrate into the global economy through essential trade reforms, approximately 300 million people would be lifted from poverty by 2015. In response to this Australia has nearly doubled its support for governance programs to the amount of $674 million AUD and encourages all capable Member States to provide funds on a commensurate level. In the Solomon Islands, East Timor, and other neighboring States, Australia has helped improve budget systems, strengthen police forces, and provided expertise in the establishment of human rights commissions, all of which add to the efficiency of ODA and enable sustainable development. Aware that debt relief is a significant component in poverty eradication that must not be ignored, Australia supports multilateral debt relief proposed through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative allowing countries confronting an unsustainable debt burden to receive necessary debt relief provided they establish a record of reform and sound policies. Australia recognizes the need for shared responsibility between creditors and debtors to prevent unsustainable debt situations and further supports the conclusions of the G8 Finance Ministers’ Meeting on Development held in London on 10-11 of June 2005 as well as those of A/RES/60/187. Debt relief is a monumental step in redirecting resources toward poverty eradication and instrumental in achieving the MDG’s. Finally, the Commonwealth of Australia emphasizes the United Nations Development Program reports indicating the Pacific region is off track in achieving almost every MDG and is actually losing progress in some areas. The Pacific is ahead of only Africa in terms of development and poverty reduction rates. Australia remains committed to aiding regional neighbors in their plight and we are especially dedicated to the reconstruction of East Timor. For the benefit of our neighboring Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the Commonwealth of Australia wholeheartedly agrees with the Mauritius Strategy as a framework for all SIDS and resolves to continue our support until poverty eradication is achieved. Australia reaffirms the policies and urgency expressed in A/RES/59247 on the Implementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty and calls upon Member States to actively implement its recommendations for increases in development aid, the liberalization of trade, and debt relief so that poverty eradication, as aspired to in A/RES/50/107 can finally be realized.
III. Access to Essential Medicines and Health Care
The right to an adequate standard of living including food, clothing, housing and medical care is guaranteed by Articles 22 and 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Australia is committed to the fruition of those ideals. Many gains have been made in lengthening life expectancies, reductions in infant mortality, and the inoculation of children against diseases such as smallpox; however, in countries with extreme poverty, three out of four people still die before age fifty and approximately ten million children die annually without having reached age five. Sadly, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is only partially responsible for these outrageous rates, rather it is diseases such as tuberculosis, once considered controlled, that have reemerged to plague developing nations. Astounding statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) show roughly ten percent of global health resources are available to developing nations though they carry ninety percent of the disease burden. This trend cannot continue if Member States hope to achieve the Millennium Development Goals set forth in A/RES/55/2. Providing access to health care and essential medicines is an investment in development and fulfills a vital human right. The Commonwealth of Australia recalls A/59/422 and A/58/427, the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on The Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health, which point out “that one of the most striking features of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) is the prominence they give to health.” It further states that special attention must be paid to the reinforcement of MDG 8 to ensure that vertical health interventions strengthen health systems. All Member States have a vested interest in health care initiatives in order to develop healthy, self-sustaining, economically sound populations in all Member States. In compliance with these statements health policies supported by the Commonwealth of Australia are comprehensive, focusing on all levels of prevention, control and treatment of diseases as addressed in Article VI, Parts 53-54 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation from the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The Commonwealth of Australia, in accordance with the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, reiterates the importance of integrating healthcare into strategies for sustainable development, and further recalls the Declaration of the Alma-Ata which states that the promotion and protection of the health of the people is essential to sustained economic and social development and contributes to a better quality of life and to world peace. In 2005-2006 the Commonwealth of Australia provided $36 million AUD to international health programs managed by the WHO. In addition, Australian funding continues to target regional health concerns and has included $20 million AUD toward the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria while promising an additional $30 million AUD over the next three years to that program and $4 million AUD to UNAIDS with a further $1 million to be dispersed to the Asia-Pacific Leadership Forum. HIV/AIDS is a challenge for the world, especially in the vulnerable Asia-Pacific region where treatment programs are on the verge of regression. Australia plays a leadership role in combating HIV/AIDS in the Asia Pacific region through our national Global HIV/AIDS Initiative and has committed $600 million AUD from 2000 to 2010 to combat this growing pandemic. In concordance with the WHO and the Global Fund our AusAID program has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Clinton Foundation which endeavors to decrease the cost of HIV/AIDS medication and tests and bring quality healthcare to the world’s children, especially those residing in rural areas. Australia has entered into partnership with the Clinton Foundation in accordance with The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) which advocates the use of generic drugs in the case of emergencies, a fitting classification for the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Finally, The Declaration of the Alma-Ata, signed in 1978, calls for primary health care methods, and technology to be made universally available; unfortunately, this call for action has yet to be acknowledged by all Member States. In the furtherance of Economic and Social Council Resolution 2004/255 which calls for promotion of the application of science and technology to meet the MDG’s, Member States must implement the prescribed recommendations by continuing to focus on improving access to health resources. The Commonwealth of Australia urges developed Member States to provide leadership with technological and financial assistance for the purpose of increasing access to basic health care, reductions in the burden of disease carried by poverty stricken nations, and the development of healthy populations that can function in the international community and further support the eradication of poverty.
The Commonwealth of Australia believes that issues surrounding crime and corruption are of grave importance for every member of the global economy. While it affects us all, when crime and its rewards are allowed to run unchecked, it can especially impede upon many smaller countries’ efforts to survive, let alone prosper. Illicit funds distort markets and hinder long-term economic growth and stability in the markets where they are hidden. The Commonwealth of Australia fully supports A/RES/59/242, Preventing and combating corrupt practices and transfer of assets of illicit origin and returning such assets to the countries of origin and A/RES/58/4, The UN Convention against Corruption, as these have created a strong base from which to address this problem. We believe implementation measures on a national basis must be pursued first in order to align effective global strategies to combat the transfer of illicit funds. Australia is an active founding member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is the basis from which accepted international anti-money laundering practices are derived. Australia fully supports the FATFs Forty Recommendations and Special 9 Recommendations on Terrorist Financing because they highlight the importance criminalizing money laundering, requiring stricter customer identification, reporting suspicious financial activity, and increasing cooperation at the international level. The FATF, not only establishes standards and policies against money laundering but also periodically evaluates its member’s progress in areas that are essential to the promotion of a sound international financial environment. In a recent evaluation of Australian anti-money laundering and counter-terror measures, the FATF found a “comprehensive” system in which “…mechanisms for international cooperation and information sharing are working well.” Australia has been a major supporter of anti-corruption legislation, reforms and practices and was one of the first countries to enact comprehensive legislation both against corruption and terrorist financing. We have enacted national legislation which makes it a criminal offense to hold and/or make available assets that are owned by terrorist organizations, and makes is possible to quickly prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law. Suspects are placed on a Consolidated List, and through the use of LinkMatchLite software, which allows asset holders to quickly find and monitor suspicious accounts. The implementation of domestic legislative actions which ensure that financial crimes are strictly enforced is the most crucial step in illicit transfer prevention. Regional cooperation is essential in this fight, and Australia is party to numerous conventions, organizations and agreements such as the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the joint Asian Development Bank/Organization for Economic Co-operation, and Development Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific. In 2002, we co-hosted the Conference on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing with the Republic of Indonesia, an important regional ally and global partner. We believe that such meetings are extremely important in building regional cooperation and help provide a solid foundation with which to thwart groups that engage in illegal financial activities. To implement these strategies, Australia emphasizes the successful creation, training and management of Financial Intelligence Units (FIU) in all Member-States, which is the main focus of the Egmont Group. Our FIU, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), is assisting many countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific in strengthening their FIU’s. For example, Australia provided a multitude of technical support for the creation of Indonesia’s FIU. Units such as these, are able to coordinate and focus their efforts on specific targets, and we believe their success will be enhanced by increasing the open transfer of information and intelligence between parties. AUSTRAC’s focus includes overseeing compliance and regulation of the Financial Transaction Reports Act of 1988. There are 43 Member States that AUSTRAC has Memoranda of Understanding with, which creates a vast network to combat money laundering. With our interest in the development of the Asia Pacific region, Australia has sought to assist and encourage Pacific Island countries to enact appropriate legislation to deal with money laundering through the Pacific Islands Law Officers Meeting (PILOM), the South Pacific Forum, and the Forum of Economic Ministers Meeting. Australia currently ranks in the top ten on the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index and is committed to helping other nations eliminate the transfer of illicit funds. The implementation of tightened controls and regulations on international financial transactions must start with domestic regulation, and Member-States that are unwilling to take the necessary steps undermine the success of multilateral efforts to combat this problem. Australia cannot expect other countries to take action to protect mutual security if we are not prepared to lead by example. It is our duty to assist those that are unable to comply and to show that the necessary initiatives can be taken, given our leading position in illicit fund deterrence.
Integration of the markets of developing states into the global economy is a topic that has become increasingly prescient as globalization continues to connect diverse economies. Australia fully endorses A/RES/55/2, the UN Millennium Declaration which states that “We are committed to an open, equitable, rule-based, predictable and non-discriminatory multilateral trading and financial system.” Australia further supports A/RES/59/243, Integration of the economies in transition into the world economy and A/RES/59/240, the Role of the UN in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence, both of which highlight the ways in which globalization can better serve the interests of both developing and developed economies alike. There are many ways to incorporate developing nations into the global economy, but all discussions must fundamentally realize that economic growth is the driving force behind development. Through such things as migration, trade, debt relief, and foreign direct investment we can accelerate this process. Australia has seen the value of increasing migration of skilled professionals to boost the workforce. We have implemented initiatives such as promoting the Trade Skills Trading Visa which allows us to fill critical labor shortages with foreign nationals as an efficient way to quickly boost the economy and provide expertise that can be transferred to the domestic workforce. Australia is committed to the IMF/World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative which provides substantial multilateral debt relief for all. With cumulative contributions thus far of over $77 million AUD, Australia emphasizes the need to direct savings from debt relief into poverty reduction programs and capacity building projects for vital domestic institutions with intent of promoting good governance. Australia is permanent member of the Paris Club, a group that promotes debt reduction by rescheduling and reducing service charges, and believes that HIPC’s must continue to work within established frameworks in order to foster significant economic benefits through debt reduction and investment. Foreign direct investment will stimulate economic growth as it creates new job opportunities, provides technical support, and attracts new sources of capital that can help propel local economies into periods of long-term growth. Security and stability in developing countries is vital to attracting investors, and Australia’s aid programs to countries such as Papua New Guinea reflect our commitment to good governance. These are all significant ways to propel economic growth, but are inadequate without further promoting the liberalization of international trade and finance. Australia continues to adopt open market policies which translate into greater percentage of it’s GDP being gained from global trade. An increase in trade creates massive benefits for all Member-States and developing countries particularly by allowing access to a broader range of products at lower prices, generating jobs, increasing income, and creating infrastructure. International trade creates competition which stimulates innovation and development. Global trade liberalization through the World Trade Organization (WTO) plays the most crucial role in integrating the markets of developing Member-States and Australia cannot emphasize enough the importance of the Doha Round of negotiations. At the Hong Kong Ministerial last December, Australia supported the developing countries by contributing an additional $4 million AUD, in addition to the $32 million AUD already donated, to Aid for Trade activities from the Doha negotiations. We must help developing states compete, and our Government’s Trade Policy Training Courses are training negotiators from Asia and Africa to better meet their countries goals in the WTO. Removing tariffs and other non-tariff barriers (NTB) to trade opens the global market to include all Member-States, specifically those that struggle to develop. Trade liberalization encourages productivity and efficiency and is the surest way for all nations and economies to alleviate poverty. Since July 2003, Australia has taken steps which we believe should be followed by all developed countries, to allow tariff and quota free entry for all goods from developing countries, with absolutely no exclusions. As a component of liberalization, Free Trade Agreements (FTA) are an important method with which to significantly reduce barriers. Australia currently has FTAs with the United States, Singapore, Thailand, and New Zealand, and is currently in talks with Indonesia, China, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Japan and the Association of South East Asian Nations. By building bilateral trade agreements, there can be progression towards multilateral agreements and hopefully one day, they will create a truly free global trading system. Programs of aid, debt relief and investment are important, but the liberalization of trade will create the most substantial gains in the promotion of development.
Macroeconomic policy is directly linked to beneficial international trade and the promotion of development. Australia’s solid economic management—reflected in strong growth, low inflation, low unemployment and low interest rates—has provided a stable business environment that should serve as an example to the world of what can be accomplished with ample reform. We support the Monterrey Consensus which calls for sound macroeconomic policies that aid development efforts and promote free trade. Developed countries have an obligation to the world to liberalize trade and allow developing countries to increase bolster their economy through the sale with their domestic goods, with the ultimate goal of poverty reduction. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) plays a critical role in linking sound trade policy to development goals. The recent UNCTAD XI created The Spirit of Sao Paulo, a declaration that has promising implications for trade reform that will make for substantial increases in trade liberalization. The WTO must continue to play a strong role through negotiations such as the Doha Round. Each and every Round’s conclusion has brought decreases in tariffs on the international market, and based on the successes of the Hong Kong Ministerial, this Round will be no different. First and foremost on Australia’s agenda is the liberalization of the global trade markets by eliminating all tariffs and other NTBs. NTBs are nothing more than backdoor protectionism that deteriorates the multilateral trading system, and must cease if developing countries are to be able to compete, specifically with regards to agriculture, textiles and simple manufacturing, all of which are at the core of many developing economies. Subsidization is an example of the protectionist practices that are crippling the developing countries growth and economic assimilation. Australia’s top priority is to improve the global markets for agriculture commodities by decreasing and eliminating both tariffs and Amber box subsidies by developed nations, namely the United States and European Union. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimated that from 1999-2001, the average European cow earned $2.20 USD in subsidies per day, which is more than roughly 1.2 billion people in the world have to live on a daily basis. Since agricultural products are generally one of developing countries largest exports, it is no wonder they are unable to compete. Australia lauds the pledges of the U.S. and the E.U. to cut Amber box supports by 60% and 70% respectively. As the chair of the Cairns Group, which is a group of agricultural exporters from both developed and developing countries that push to eliminate agricultural tariffs, Australia is striving to bridge the wealth disparity gap between nations and hold developed nations accountable to the commitments they have made. Our agenda is in line with that of the Group of 20, which we will chair this year as we strive to maintain leadership in the reduction of domestic support mechanisms. The economies of developing countries must make the transition, and aid should be used accordingly, to enhance developing infrastructures so that they are able to compete in the global trading system. Australia is promoting a multitude of legislative and advocacy frameworks in order to accelerate this process. The promotion of good governance, elimination of debt, and strengthening of the trade resources framework are the core principles of Australia’s aid program. In A/RES/55/2 Member-States agreed “To adopt… a policy of duty and quota-free access for essentially all exports from the least developed countries.” Australia has granted preferential access to markets for developing countries and promotes education and infrastructure projects to allow for more equal participation in the global economy. Regional and bilateral liberalization can lay the foundation for a multilateral trading system, which will foster growth. Our Closer Economic Relations agreement with New Zealand is an example of such an agreement that exemplifies a comprehensive, liberalizing free trade agreement that works toward multilateral liberalization. We promote the growth of trade domestically by offering Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) through Austrade, the Australian Government’s trading financial assistance program, which encourages small and medium size businesses to develop export products in order to promote international trading. Recipients can receive up to 7 grants per eligible and each one cover up to 50% of expenses minus $15,000 AUD. This creates an incentive to develop industry and is an important template that can be applied in other Member-States. Support and differential treatment must be given to developing countries to strengthen their position and promote development.
The Commonwealth of Australia California State University, Chico
The issues before the General Assembly are: Alternate approaches for Improving human rights; crime prevention in developing states; and the right of people to self determination. The Common Wealth of Australia is eager to discuss these topics, respecting democratic procedure, and is hopeful that this conference, under the United Nations, will create peaceful and long lasting solutions to the issues before us through the exercise of international cooperation and collaboration.
I. Alternate Approaches for Improving Human Rights
The Commonwealth of Australia, in reaffirming its support for the Charter of the United Nations and its call to confirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, and in the equal rights of men and women, firmly believes that peaceful and cooperative dialogue is the most effective way to address the improvement of human rights throughout the global community. Understanding that progressive and constructive discourse must take place both at the highest and lowest levels of government, Australia created the Developmental Cooperation Program (DCP) managed by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), which seeks to address the linkage between governance, poverty reduction, sustainable development, and the promotion and protection of human rights in Australia’s partner countries. Jointly managed by the Chinese and Australian Governments and funded through the DCP, the Australia-China Human Rights Technical Cooperation Program has proven to be an essential facet of the dialogue process and transfer of information. While incorporating projects in fields such as legal reform and capacity building, the program continues to improve substantially in education, police ethics, women and children's rights, the role of civil society, and the implementation of international human rights instruments. Our dedication to the promotion and protection of human rights around the world is acknowledged through our support for A/RES/ 55/ 595 and A/RES/51/601, which reflects our commitment to the advancement of women, as well as A/RES/55/71, A/RES/55/81, A/RES/55/68 and A/RES/55/69, which aim to improve the current international human rights frameworks. The Commonwealth of Australia played a leading role in the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in which international cooperation complements the efforts of Member States to end impunity for the worst violations of international humanitarian law, and we will continue to be closely involved in the development of international human rights laws and related institutions. Australia maintains its reputation for promoting contact and dialogue between regional groups, which has enabled us to achieve a record of active involvement in multilateral consensus building. Australia commends the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights to promote an integrated system-wide approach to the UN’s human rights activities. However, our government recognizes that the United Nations must improve its capacity. The Commonwealth of Australia believes that two principal obstacles face the United Nations’ work for the protection of human rights: lack of enforcement and follow-up, and an insufficient emphasis on responsibilities as the counterpart and guarantor of human rights. These issues both require immediate attention and urgent action from the international community. The United Nations’ methods for the protection of human rights are hindered both in perception and in practice by the participation of governments which either have not committed themselves to core human rights treaties or which are under scrutiny for gross human rights violations. In light of the recent appointment of Zimbabwe to the Human Rights Commission (HRC), exposing an egregious flaw in the purposes and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Australia urges Member States to review qualification requirements and create more sound criteria for members of the HRC. Review of membership qualifications to prevent such situations will strengthen human rights safeguard mechanisms. The Commonwealth of Australia urges the body to consider the following recommendations: First, endorse the proposal of Mexico to decrease the number of HRC members from 53 to 38 in order to improve the HRC’s ability to function more effectively. Second, realizing that if the council is to be credible its members must be seen as defenders of human rights and work toward their better implementation, Australia urges the body to require HRC members to commit themselves by adhering to the highest standards of human rights by issuing, prior to elections, in the form of a statement, an outlined referendum declaring a candidates dedication to the advancement of human rights both domestically and internationally. Third, keeping in mind that the Member States must secure a two thirds vote in the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council, and firmly believing that human rights be treated with equal importance, Australia urges the body to require a two-thirds majority in elections to the Human Rights Council. Noting with regret that women's issues continue to remain at the forefront of human rights violations, particularly in their scale and systematic character, Australia implores this body to take more initiative in condemning acts of gender based violence in specific conflicts. Australia firmly believes that the best approach to improving human rights begins with the improvement of the foundations of a civil society. Government, education, eradication of poverty, and social and economic stabilities provide a more prosperous, protected, and secure environment. Having committed our support for A/RES/55/94, which calls for human rights education and information activities around the world and to adapt and respond effectively to the complex challenge and new threats faced by the global community, Australia welcomes the United Nations Secretary-General’s calls for reform, including his report of 2002, the Strengthening of the United Nations: An Agenda For Further Change, which focuses on better aligning resources with priorities, better serving Member States, and improving coordination within the UN and civil society. The Commonwealth of Australia calls upon all States to protect and improve human rights through the pursuit of practical and effective efforts that demonstrate an authentic commitment to the welfare of individuals and society.
II. Crime Prevention in Developing States
The Commonwealth of Australia remains firmly committed to the prevention of crime worldwide and understands that the potential for crime is increasing in developing States where organization lacks and desperation is widespread. Australia, in full support of A/RES/52/91, A/RES/53/110, and A/RES/54/125, which are aimed at crime prevention and the treatment of offenders, and further believes that effective measures in crime prevention must keep pace with new developments. Australia continues to be a leading example in crime deterrence and believes that all Member States have the potential to realize similar achievements. Our government recognizes A/RES/55/59, which addresses the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice in meeting the challenges of the 21st century, and A/RES/55/60 on the follow up to the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders as indispensable elements in crime prevention. Australia urges all Member States to adhere to A/RES/55/61, which calls for the implementation of an effective international legal instrument against corruption. Australia is a proud contributor to the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute and its endeavor to complete the world’s most extensive International Crime Victims Survey, which provided the first standardization measure to assess the comparison of crimes between States and a catalyst for understanding the nature of these crimes. Australia continues to actively support the work of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in improving the rule of law in developing States. Australia's contribution to the international coalition against terrorism illustrates our belief that commitment to collaboration within the international community in preventing acts of terrorism is crucial. Recently, the Australian Defense Force (ADF) dispatched a Special Forces Task Group to Afghanistan as a contribution to defeating global terrorism. Deeply disturbed by the crime and corruption occurring in the Solomon Islands, the Commonwealth of Australia established Operation Anode under the auspices of ADF’s Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), which devotes considerable attention in assisting the Solomon Islands’ government in restoring law and order. The military component of RAMSI comprises personnel from five troop contributing nations: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga; and having proven its effectiveness, Australia calls upon greater international cooperation among national and regional organizations in assisting with and helping to prevent crime and corruption in developing States. As jurisdictional boundaries become blurred between developing States, it is the duty of surrounding States to provide measures for regional stability and establish best practice guidelines for combating transnational crime. Australia praises the work of the 2003 Regional Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime held in Bali; and as co-chair with Indonesia, Australia fully recognizes the damage people traffickers impose on innocent civilians, the harm they cause States in effectively managing their borders, and the destabilization they force on international refugee protection systems. Australia urges Member States to seriously consider regional cooperation and action as a necessary means in combating transnational criminal activity in all its forms. Australia believes that this grave human rights issue deserves the immediate and constant attention of the international community, specifically for the protection of women and children, the groups most tragically affected by these shameful crimes. With this in mind, Australia is encouraged by A/RES/55/70 which addresses the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, A/RES/55/66 which addresses the necessity of an international effort in working toward the elimination of crimes against women committed in the name of honor, and A/RES/55/63 dealing specifically with the trafficking of women. Recently, Australia announced a $20 million AUD package of measures to combat trafficking in persons, which has now effectively been implemented. Australia also commends the work of the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention in its declaration of drugs and crime serving as impediments to security and development in Africa, and Australia fully supports its Programme for Action 2006-2010. Australia endorses A/RES/55/65 which calls upon the Member States working through international cooperation against the world’s drugs to understand the multidimensional nature of the crisis and promote specialized agencies and organizations in order to strengthen competence and achieve necessary objectives. Australia is in full support of A/RES/57/170, which addresses synergies, responses, and strategic alliances in crime prevention and criminal justice. Cooperation and collaboration are the most effective ways to combat crime around the world, and nowhere is this more necessary than in developing States. Good governance policies exercised by all Member States serve as an essential ingredient in crime prevention in developing States, assisting both global and national interests. Australia calls upon all Member States to improve governance in order fortify the potential to decrease the inequality between developed and developing nations.
III. The Right of Peoples to Self Determination
Australia, in agreement with the Charter of the United Nations and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, considers self-determination to be a fundamental human right and notes with immense satisfaction that this conviction is further reinforced by the two principal human rights covenants, the Declaration on the Right to Development and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. The Australian commitment to the ideal of self determination is amply reflected in our foreign policy, which continues to respect those tenets embedded in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), particularly those reaffirming the right of all peoples to “determine their own political status and freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development,” expressed within Article 1. Australia has actively sought compliance with Article 2 of the ICCPR, constantly striving to “ensure to all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights…without distinction of any kind.” Australia is acutely conscious, however, of the disruptive impact assertions of self determination can have upon sovereign States and therefore must be regarded in a case sensitive manner. Australia adamantly objects to the correlation of a right to secession with the right to self determination, and has adopted a policy stance that is ever mindful of territorial integrity. Such a position is congruent with the Declaration of Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in Accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and to this end is further aligned with General Recommendation No. 21 from the United Nation’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights which blatantly opposes any attempt to construe Article 1 of the United Nations Charter as an authorization for or even encouragement of “any action, which would dismember or impair, totally or in part, the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent States.” It is Australia’s perspective that implicit within the concept of self-determination is the notion that this right exists ‘within the nation,’ and joins the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in recognizing that there is no prior precedence set within any established body of international law that would imply the existence of a right to unilateral secession as an aspect of self-determination. Australia is equally concerned by human rights violations, specifically in regards to the right of self determination, that are the direct result of foreign military intervention, aggression, and occupation, and recalls the request made in A/RES/54/155 that the Commission on Human Rights continue to allot special attention to such matters. The Australian government regards full compliance with the Charter of the United Nations and the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights to be a worthy goal for all Member States, and condones the utilization of smart sanctions and even the utilization of force in those instances where Official Development Assistance and verbal condemnation fail to persuade such compliance. Australian domestic policies have been consistently modified to ensure that all residents enjoy fundamental freedoms; the Australian government has been particularly diligent in its efforts to improve the disadvantaged status of its indigenous population and implores other Member States to adopt this same strategy. In 1994, Australia became the first State to devise and actively seek implementation of a National Framework for Human Rights National Action Plan; this effort was pursued further in 2004 when the previous action plan was modified to reflect the social dynamics of present day. Australia does not consider the protection of territorial integrity to be adequate justification for the ongoing egregious human rights violations committed by Zimbabwe, Burma, Nepal, and others. Australia urges the international community to condemn and halt human rights violations especially as they relate to issues of self determination.
Delegation from Represented by
The Commonwealth of Australia California State University, Chico
As a dedicated member of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Commonwealth of Australia pledges its support in achieving the UNDP’s objectives of fostering democratic governance, eliminating poverty, preventing war and conflict, finding energy and environmental solutions, and eradicating HIV and AIDS. The topics before the United Nation Development Programme are: Assessing the Implementation of the Millennium Development Goals Report (MDGR); Democratic Governance and its Impact on Development; and Reconstruction and Development of Post-Conflict Areas.
Since the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) were declared in 2000 with international consensus in A/RES/55/2, Australia along with participating Member States have been hard at work devising strategies to accomplish all 8 target goals. The principle guidance mechanism for the establishment of a working policy to achieve these ambitions has been the Millennium Development Goal Reports (MDGRs). Over 80 reports have been completed by participating Member States under the recommendation and guidance of the UNDP. The Commonwealth of Australia, in accompaniment with other economically privileged nations, intend to serve as a guiding example of how to use the MDGRs to clearly state the previously accomplished tasks, current works in progress, and outlooks for the future in pursuit of the achievement of the MDGs. Australia looks forward to hosting the upcoming November 2006 G-20 Summit of Finance Ministers in which pressing issues of better aid, debt relief, and fairer trade in relation to the developing world will be discussed. This is one of many forums in which the MDGRs will prove to offer a vital asset in the establishment of an operational framework toward the eradication of poverty. Australia realizes that support of the numerous partners contributing data to policy makers preparing their own countries MDGRs is vital to the process of legitimizing the statistical analysis used in the reports. The World Bank provides an important source of empirical statistical analysis for Member States drafting MDGRs through the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). Other bodies such as the Common Country Assessments (CCA) and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) provide regular reports that lay the rationale for UN operations in developing countries and prioritize steps needed for developmental sustainability in regions prone to poverty. These in-depth policy recommendations from the aforementioned organizations provide hard data and analysis for those drafting the MDGRs for their own countries. The Commonwealth of Australia emphasizes the use of the MDGRs as public advocacy documents designed to raise consciousness, build alliances, and galvanize commitment in the media, private sector, and other segments of civil society toward the achievement of the MDGs. Australia sees the MDGRs as a key component in spreading educational awareness of what the goals aim to accomplish, specifically in countries that receive assistance from programs implemented as a result of the MDGs. This emphasis on education has been manifested in the MDG workshops organized by the UNDP and supported by Australia. Singapore and Croatia have also hosted events to spread information about what individual citizens can do to help in the struggle for gender equality, human rights, equal trade standards, among other pressing topics. The participants ranged from 16-24 years old, a demographic which Australia believes should be a major focus considering that a majority of populations in developing states are often comprised of over 50% young people. This encouraging event will be duplicated in cities and towns worldwide with the full support of Australia in order to encourage civil participation in the achievement of the MDGs. Another action that Australia considers vitally important to the implementation of the MDGs is for donor countries, particularly those in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), to have a more united and proactive approach for completion of the MDGs. Only about 30 cents of each dollar of international aid actually reaches on the ground investment programs according to a report issued by the Millennium Project. Australia sees this as an unacceptable figure that can be countered through financial measures such as the pooling of aid with other donor countries as recommended by the World Bank Report Rising to Challenges; the Millennium Development Goals for Health. Australia believes that this will enhance a more cost effective approach to aid distribution on the ground. Shared responsibility with the recipient governments of developing countries is also a key factor in increasing effectiveness. Australia draws special attention to A/RES/56/201 Triennial policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations System as it underscores the need for national ownership in coordinating operations toward the MDGs. Australia emphasizes trade liberalization in OECD countries as recommended by the Doha Development Round in order to raise export competitiveness in developing countries and thus give them a fighting chance in the world market. An estimated 70% of the labor force in the developing world is occupied in the agricultural sector which makes Australia’s minute 4% rate of subsidization of their agricultural industries extremely encouraging for trade relations and job competitiveness in the developing world. Australia suggests a physical increase in total aid from developing States in order to facilitate a streamline in the implementation process of the MDGs. Australia recommends the International Finance Facility (IFF) initiative which calls for the doubling of development assistance between now and 2015. The IFF would leverage funding from capital markets by issuing bonds backed by long-term commitments to aid and would give OECD countries ready access to much needed funds in order to honor their commitments to the implementation of the MDGs in a more efficient and timely manner. In each of the past 14 years the Commonwealth of Australia has accumulated a federal budget surplus which puts our government in a favorable position to be a leader in contributing substantial aid toward all initiatives aimed at the achievement of the MDGs by the UN stated goal of 2015.
The Commonwealth of Australia is proud to be among the 120 nations representing two-thirds of the world’s population that are actively engaged in the various sectors of capacity building toward democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia avows to assist countries in their pursuit of democratic social order so that an eventual vision of sustainable economic development and prosperity can be realized for all Member States. Promotion of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the strengthening of good governance toward sustainable development is a cornerstone of the Australian approach as advocated in events such as of The 2002 Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship With the United Nations. NGOs serve as a catalyst for communication and action between government and populations. They are easily accessible in engaging social ventures, untested enterprises, and projects involving risks that normally would not be undertaken by governments. Transparency International (TI) in particular promotes transparency in nations prone to corruption by establishing an independent monitoring presence devoted to checks and balances outside control of the governmental sphere. Australia applauds the actions TI and other NGOs in this arena as they are integral in fostering an environment supportive of economic prosperity by promotion of the rule of law as advocated in measures such as A/RES/58/4 United Nations Convention against Corruption. With strict consequences laid out within this resolution, governments are less likely to undermine democratic principles endorsed by the Australia and the United Nations. Australia believes in a country-based rather than international-based management style with emphasis on the engagement of civil society as the most effective means of fostering heightened responsiveness to changing local circumstances and promotion of stronger dialogue and interaction with local authorities. To achieve this vision Australia endorses the Democratic Governance Thematic Trust Fund (DGTTF), a program aimed at fostering innovation in the ability of local administrations and communities to take an active role in development and poverty reduction through the funding of original, dynamic and catalytic governance projects implemented at the country level as expressed by the UNDP’s four year strategic planning framework DP/2003/32. Funding from the DGTTF has established over 280 governance projects since 2001, including initiatives in the support of participatory broad-based constitutional reviews and reforms, the strengthening of political parties, as well as the promotion of sustainable human development in legislative deliberations. The Commonwealth of Australia recognizes that initiatives established by the DGTTF promote transparency at the local and national levels and in turn promote an environment for a more sustainable development. Australia is concerned that the DGTTF has seen a reduction of funding by over half since its inception in 2001 from $15 million USD to $7 million USD and recommends a return to original funding levels in order to continue the strong work accomplished on the ground in the developing world. The Commonwealth of Australia continues to be a strong advocate of the recently established United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF). The UNDEF aims to highlight the global importance of democracy by funding projects that build and strengthen democratic institutions. In 2005-06 an estimated $885 million AUD will be appropriated through the Australian aid programme to provide legal, technical and financial assistance to new and emerging democracies. Currently Australia’s regional focus includes support to the Solomon Islands Parliament; assistance to the Indonesian Government for legal and institutional reforms; support for electoral reform in Papua New Guinea; and support for election processes in Iraq and Afghanistan. The commonwealth of Australia also recognizes A/RES/58/221 Programme of Action for the International Year of Microcredit 2005 as sound policy for a shift in the way loans are distributed in regions with budding democracies. Through Australian supported partnerships between welfare organizations, credit unions and banks, micro loans can revolutionize the way money reaches the impoverished by bypassing the filters of government in international loans and instead benevolently distributing the capital directly to the people. Australia firmly believes in shrinking the size and scale of loans as a cost effective measure to building democratic infrastructure and fostering an environment conducive to the maximization of sustainable development in communities throughout the developing world.
The Commonwealth of Australia reaffirms its dedication to the Preamble of the United Nations (UN) Charter, which states that is the international community’s responsibility to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security. In recent history, the UN has acknowledged through various resolutions, including A/RES/58/235, that peace, security, and development are inextricably linked. With this in mind, Australia calls upon the international community to make a more concerted effort in addressing the issue of long term sustainable peace, and development, otherwise known as peace building, in post-conflict areas. Australia has made great contributions in peacebuilding and peacekeeping involvement through multilateral efforts including the International Force East Timor (INTERFET), the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), and the Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) and Bougainville Transition Team (BTT). Though many of these efforts were in the realm of peacekeeping, Australia commends the UN East Timor Transitional Administration (UNTAET) in what was a vital contributor to the development of long-term good governance through the development of police training programs and coordination, contributions to administration and policy development, and civil society development. Currently, the UN is building more concerted efforts to improve its peacebuilding capacity through the passage of A/RES/60/180 and S/RES/165, which outline the need for a peacebuilding commission, which will make efforts to coordinate resources from various international actors, as well as provide advice and sustained international attention to future peace building efforts. In order for this peacebuilding commission to be successful, it will be necessary for the UNDP to play a prominent role in its operations, to publicly state its support, and demonstrate its willingness to collaborate with other agencies and international organizations under the auspices of the peacebuilding commission. Though peace building is extremely important, the international community has not focused enough on conflict prevention. Currently, the Security Council has at its disposal many tools to prevent and suppress conflict, such as the UN Preventative Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) and the use of arms embargoes and enforcement mechanisms which it uses all too infrequently. The Commonwealth of Australia calls upon the UNDP to request from the Security Council a willingness to take more initiative in using these tools. The responsibility of effective peacebuilding lies not only with various international actors but with the Member States suffering from conflict. Good governance is an indispensable key component of sustainable development and as such, more efforts should be made by Member States to encourage this concept. The Commonwealth of Australia has effectively used short-term aid to encourage long-term development through the use of incentive funds. Aid deposited in incentive funds is only disbursed when governments make progressive government reforms or embark on community projects requested by constituents. In this manner, Australia has discouraged the traditional mismanagement of aid by governments in developing nations in order to foster good governance practices. The traditional exclusion of women from peacebuilding activities has been a heinous mistake and Australia has taken appropriate measures to integrate them as mandated by S/RES/1325. In Bougainville, the PMG made concerted efforts to include women into decision-making mechanisms within the overall peace process. While noting this importance, it is critical for the UNDP to recommend that actions be taken to ensure that the UN Secretariat is taking similar actions in its peacekeeping and peace building operations. Recently, the UN Secretariat issued a call for the Security Council to commission a study aimed at monitoring and reporting cross-border issues in conflict situations. Australia fully supports this initiative and calls on this body to provide its support publicly. Though the issue of reconstruction and development in post-conflict situations is extremely complex, it is in the ability of the global community to take progressive actions in order to ensure that the international system is permeated by peace and stability.
Position Paper for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The matters before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: The Protection of Women and Children Refugees; Refugee Aid and Security in Post-Conflict Zones; and The Promotion of Refugee Law and Refugee Advocacy. The Commonwealth of Australia is committed to furthering the principles outlined in existing frameworks in order to promote the rights of refugees throughout the world.
Australia strongly supports the Charter of the United Nations which states in its Preamble that all parties reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women. Our liberal democratic traditions guide our commitment to promoting equality, justice, and prompt resolution for all individuals affected during periods of internal unrest and widespread violence. Therefore, Australia fully supports the United Nations Millennium Declaration (UNMD), which in part acknowledges that protection must be given to populations such as women and children refugees in times of crisis. Furthermore, we strongly support the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the subsequent Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Our delegation believes that the inclusion of crimes such as systematic rape and other sexual offenses are rightly placed within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Australia has also gone well beyond espousing the principles of protection that women and children refugees require by acting in concert with other responsible partners in the international community to affirm such rights. Many refugees who have resettled in Australia are women and children, some included in the specially designed category of Woman at Risk for those deemed to be especially susceptible to abuse and exploitation. The ongoing situation in the Darfur region of the Sudan highlights the need for a continued commitment to protecting and supporting refuges. Australia fully supports S/RES/1556, which calls for an immediate end to the violence and notes that the civilian population is at high risk. Australia proclaims that this violence in Darfur is having damaging repercussions on women and children refugees especially and notes our sponsorship of draft resolution A/C.3/59/L.48, which condemns the use of child soldiers, female genital mutilation, and the systematic rape of women and girls. Alarmed by the brutal and ongoing nature of the conflict, Australia has continuously authorized increases in humanitarian aid, totaling $40 million dollars so far, much of it going to assist women and children refugees. A prime example of this assistance is the cooperative effort between the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID), private donations, and the non-governmental organization World Vision. This particular partnership will address the health needs of 100,000 people in Darfur and will also help prevent the spread malaria and other potential fatal diseases. Tim Costello, the Chief Executive of World Vision, said “This is a vital program that will help treat and protect some of the most vulnerable Internally Displaced People within the Darfur region – women and children.” Australia appreciates the dangers of earmarking funds to particular emergencies that receive disproportionate attention and has taken steps to ensure that a significant portion of our contributions to the UNHCR are non-earmarked so that the Executive Committee may direct emergency funds to crisis areas as it sees fit. Australia’s overall humanitarian aid budget will continue to set an example for developed nations in the coming years as stipulated in A/RES/58/153, which affirms the need for all capable States to contribute as generously as possible to the UNHCR and notes that the diversification of funding sources for the UNHCR with increased private sector support is desirable. Australia reaffirms the statements of Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Mr. Allen Rock, who recently stated “…the council’s failure to systematically condemn widespread instances of sexual and gender-based violence in specific conflicts also means that actions to address such violence – including improved monitoring and reporting and physical condition – remain unsupported.” To help further the end of providing the necessary protection to women and children refugees, we call for relevant law enforcement agencies with the assistance of INTERPOL to establish a special task force to investigate crimes against women and children in refugee facilities. These inquiries would then be reported to the UNHCR, the Security Council, and any other relevant government agencies in order to prosecute offenders and help prevent future breaches of established law. We will continue to prosecute those who abuse of women and children by complying with the Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking (ARCPPT). We offer Australia’s experiences through the ARCPPT program as a model of cooperation between regional law enforcement agencies to help establish the foundations of this new task force. Australia will also continue to support EC/55/SC/CRP.17, which has created the “ProGres” database computer application that can access the cases of women and children separate from general hostilities. This information when used appropriately with the consent of the women or child guardian will be critical to combating the horrific crimes perpetrated upon those who deserve care, respect, and protection in the face of violence. Australia supports all efforts to further these ends and will continue to focus on refugee assistance in the future.
II. Refugee Aid and Security in Post-Conflict Zones
Article 3 of the UNDHR proclaims that: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.” In light of this, Australia reaffirms its support for A/RES/60/129 which stipulates that all people of concern to the UNHCR must be given protection and assistance and that the Member States in which those people of concern have sought refuge should accept the primary responsibility for ensuring this. Simultaneously, Australia also reaffirms A/RES/60/128, which calls upon the international community to take part in sharing the burden for this protection and assistance since many countries cannot do it on their own. For our own part, Australia has and will continue to proudly fulfill our international obligations in the Australian tradition of mateship. Australia has been one of a small number of countries in the world that has allowed refugees and other persons of concern to resettle in our country, 620,000 in all since the end of World War II and 11,656 people from 2002 to 2003 alone. We are one of the largest financial contributors to the UNHCR with $13,618,383 for 2005, not including another $1,043,519 that was donated privately by generous Australian citizens. In addition to financial contributions the Australian Ministry of Defense has contributed troops in peacekeeping missions such as the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET). Australia notes with satisfaction that UNMISET, along with Australian financial assistance and in cooperation with the UNHCR, made it possible for 225,000 people that were displaced during the conflict in 1999 to voluntarily repatriate to Timor Leste by the end of 2005. Australia notes with further satisfaction that voluntary repatriation is the preferred remedy when displacement occurs. Through this repatriation, Timor Leste can begin to fulfill the other 3Rs of the UNHCR’s 4Rs Programme which also include reintegration, rehabilitation, and reconstruction as is enumerated in A/RES/59/170. Another post-conflict zone where Australia has and continues to provide assistance to is Sri Lanka, providing a total of $21.8 million in aid for the 2005-2006 budget year. Australia is currently coordinating relief efforts with the UNHCR as well as UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to aid the estimated 800,000 people whom have been displaced by that Sri Lanka’s unfortunate civil war. Australia is encouraged that more than 400,000 of those people have now been able to voluntarily repatriate since the cease-fire between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelams in 2002. However, Australia is disappointed by the recent reoccurrences of violence in Sri Lanka, which has led to increases in the displacement of some persons. Therefore, Australia implores both sides to find a mutually beneficial agreement in the ongoing peace negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland. We also call upon the parties to adhere to A/RES/57/183, which urges all to “…observe scrupulously the letter and the spirit of international humanitarian law” in regards to displaced persons and other matters. Australia observes in our Peace, Conflict, and Development Policy report that “Conflicts are inherently fluid: violence can flare and subside several times before peace is finally secured, and their character can change drastically in short periods of time.” Bearing this observation in mind, Australia is fully aware that attempting to remedy any situation involving the displacement of people is a difficult process that requires cooperation among many parties with a unique and multi pronged strategy for each individual case. This understanding has led Australia to be one of the principal proponents of the modalities of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, a body that will assess post-conflict situations in order to address needs as they arise to assist in the path to durable peace and sustainable development. Australia notes that both the UNHCR and the Peacebuilding Commission are similar in many respects including the terms of their objectives for finding durable solutions that lead to a lasting peace, and the terms of operation. However, Australia notes further that according to A/RES/60/180, which recently established the commission on December 20, 2005, that there is no explicit mention for consultations between the two bodies as is done with the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. Australia proposes an open and established dialogue between the UNHCR and the Peacebuilding Commission in the interests of further coordination and efficiency. Australia also suggests that another important prong in the strategy for addressing both refugee aid and security in some post conflict zones is the removal of land mines, which can wreak havoc and disrupt repatriation. Australia has helped in the process of demining in Sri Lanka and eagerly offers our experiences as a guide for future reference. Australia is party to the 1997 Ban on Land Mines and urges all Member States to become a party to that convention. With these and other proposals Australia is confident that the UNHCR will improve the lives of women and children refugees.
III. The Promotion of Refugee Law ad Refugee Advocacy
Australia’s Foreign And Trade Policy White Paper delineates that Australia is an outward-looking country largely of migrant origin, and one of the few in the world to embrace a national policy of multiculturalism. We are a proud nation with almost unparalleled tradition. These values have put us on the forefront of promoting refugee law since the inception of the current international protection regime that was created at the end of the Second World War. As on of the first States to become a party, Australia fully supports the Convention Relating to The Status of Refugees (hereinafter referred to as the Convention). Australia recognizes that although the convention is the fundamental foundation for international refugee law, improvements are necessary. Australia draws attention to our full support for the 1967 update to the convention, the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees as a necessary clarification and expansion of the rights of refugees. Australia endorses the Convention on Stateless Persons, and has been welcomed to the UNHCR’s Executive Committee to help formulate the best practices for ensuring the protection of the rights of refugees. Throughout our history, Australia has given sanctuary to many refugees on a very generous basis, and as a result of our relationship with the UNHCR, has helped to resettle thousands of refugees in 2002-2003 alone. Those seeking asylum in Australia are treated with the utmost respect, dignity, and value, and are interviewed by a delegate from the Department of Multicultural Affairs and Immigration (DIMA) to determine if the claim for refugee status is valid, as in accordance with Article 33 of the Convention. When a person’s refugee status is determined valid, they are provided with a Permanent Protection Visas (PVs). Australia offers services to those people who seek resettlement, such as providing help in learning the English language through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) so that those persons may more fully integrate in the Australian culture and economy. In the event of people smuggling, DIMA offers Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs), which allow persons to remain in Australia for a total of three years with the possibility of obtaining a PV. Those that enter Australia illegally however may be removed, in accordance with the Australia’s Migration Act 1958 and the international Declaration on Territorial Asylum. In conjunction with the UNCHR, Australia and other Member States in the Asia-Pacific region are proud partners in the Asia Pacific Consultations on Refugees, Displaced Persons and Migrants (APC), which through providing a forum for active dialogue between Member States and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), promotes dialogue and explores opportunities for greater regional co-operation on matters relating to population movements, including refugees, displaced persons, and migrants. Australia is deeply concerned with people smuggling and the trafficking of persons and urges all Member States to ratify the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Australia calls upon the international community to strengthen the rule of law within each of their borders in order to prevent the trafficking of persons that are victims of conflict or natural disasters. The egregious acts exert pressure on victim governments and undermine current legal frameworks outlined in the Global Consultation, a measure deserving of immediate implementation, which is well equipped to accommodate the Refugee Convention and Protocols. Australia recalls the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, A/RES/54/167 and A/RES/56/164 both entitled Protection of and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons, as necessary documents that help to establish standards for the international community regarding Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). We note that A/RES/56/164 strongly urges all Member States to provide reintegration and development assistance to IDPs, establishing the crucial principle that IDPs be given the same rights as refugees. We further note that Australia is currently supporting draft resolution A/C.30/60/L.56/Rev.2 in the General Assembly to further clarify the responsibilities of Member States regarding IDPs, and note its endorsement for the work of the Secretary-General’s reporting on the status of IDPs in the world as well as its call for additional consultations on the question of IDP protection and assistance in the 62nd session of the GA. We strongly recommend the UNHCR conduct a full investigation into the dangers of people smuggling in refugee camps the UNHCR helps to administer so that new guidelines may be agreed upon by the Executive Committee to prevent its continuance. Australia anticipates fruitful dialogue in the conference to bring prompt, multifaceted, and multilateral solutions to these issues.
Delegation from Represented by
The Commonwealth of Australia California State University, Chico
Position Paper for the United Nations Children’s Fund
The issues presented before the United Nations Children Fund are: Sexual Exploitation of Girls in Conflict Situations; Promoting and Implementing Landmine Education; and the Effect of Natural Disasters on Children. Australia is excited and eager to be working with this committee to develop and implement further effective measures to improve the lives of children worldwide.
I. Sexual Exploitation of Girls in Conflict Situations
The Commonwealth of Australia believes that sexual exploitation of children is a fundamental violation of children's rights as well as a violation of the broader concept of human rights. Australia is in full compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and reminds the international community of Article 19, Section 1, which requires States parties to take legislative measures that protect children from all forms of physical and mental violence, injury or abuse, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse. History has shown that during times of conflict and economic desperation the environment becomes ripe for crimes, not excluding people trafficking and sexual exploitation. Australia works diligently to remain in compliance with the Sex Discrimination Unit of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Report, and agrees with its findings that power imbalances allow for the dehumanization of others. Australia believes that societies will be likely to traffic, trick, and exploit women and girls to service the sex industry so long as wealthy men find it permissible to continue exploiting young women. Australia completely supports the proposals adopted in A/RES/59/168, which was a follow up to the Fourth World Conference on Women. These proposals, in addition to A/RES/59/167, recognize the importance of men and boys taking joint responsibility with women and girls in the promotion of gender equality. Australia is in full accord with A/RES/58/156, which recognizes the specialized issues of trafficking and sexual exploitation of girls including orphans, internally displaced persons and refugee children, and urges States to take special measures to support these children and the institutions, facilities, and services that care for them. Australia also supports A/RES/59/166, which addresses root factors including poverty and gender inequality, as well as external factors that encourage the particular problem of trafficking in women and girls for prostitution and other forms of commercialized sex. Australia is deeply concerned by the statistics of UNICEF in recent surveys that indicated 30 to 35 percent of all sex workers in the Mekong sub-region of Southeast Asia are between 12 and 17 years of age, and we therefore reiterate our support for Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and call upon States parties to take measures to combat illicit transfer and non-return children abroad. Australia supports the strengthening of prosecution policies for convicted traffickers. Paying special attention to our neighboring south-east Asian region, Australia has signed bilateral agreements with Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Burma (Myanmar) as part of the Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking (ARCPPT) project to provide aid and strengthen national capacities to apprehend and prosecute traffickers. A/RES/59/165 further compliments the work of the ARCPPT, which stresses the need to treat all forms of violence against women and girls as a criminal offense, punishable by law. The Commonwealth of Australia strongly encourages Member States to cooperate in global efforts to prosecute traffickers by establishing regional frameworks such as ARCPPT which follows the principles outlined in A/RES/59/165. Australia embraces the preventative measures brought forward by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), such as education, sensitization, awareness-raising, including information on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS, as well as curative measures, such as health care for survivors of violence, counseling and treatment of STIs. Australia encourages Member States to initiate national programs such as Child Wise, an Australian representative of End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT) International, which is a global campaign existing in over 70 countries committed to ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Australia strongly urges States that have not yet signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child to do so as a matter of urgent priority. Our government urges ratification of the Special Section on the Girl Child which calls upon all States to take necessary measures including legal reforms to eliminate all instances of violence including rape, sexual abuse, and other detrimental actions against girls. Australia wholeheartedly believes that it is of utmost importance that Member States move toward coordinated national plans, programs and strategies for protecting girls. We remain committed to working with the international community to develop programs that counteract the underlying causes of sexual exploitation of girls in conflict situations and to finding peaceful solutions to eliminate this heinous crime against humanity.
II. Promoting and Implementing Landmine Education
The Commonwealth of Australia recognizes the importance of the elimination of the use, stockpiling, production and the transfer of anti-personnel land mines in the global community. We believe that protecting children from landmines requires a significant international commitment as well as the development of child-oriented programs for mine awareness and physical rehabilitation. Australia believes the use of such landmines to be a direct source of violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and emphasizes Article 3, which clearly states that all humans have the right to life, liberty, and security of persons. Australia believes that mine action not only entails mine clearance, but also involves reducing the social, economic and environmental impact of landmines. The impact of these weapons involves the immediate human tragedy and undercuts the overall development of those areas affected by diverting both financial and human resources which could otherwise be employed in providing basic health and education. Australia recognizes the special vulnerability of children in hazardous environments and recalls the United Nations Report on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, which explains the fact that children are more likely to suffer fatal injuries than adults, and those who manage to survive are far more likely to be severely injured and/or permanently disabled. Australia believes that international and regional support are required to implement substantial education, and therefore is in full support of A/RES/58/127 which encourages Member States, international and regional organizations, and relevant non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations to take further action to mainstream a gender perspective and integrate gender and age-appropriate considerations in all aspects of mine-action programming. Of particular importance is the inclusion of programs to reduce the number of child victims and relieve their plight. As a sponsor of A/RES/58/53 Australia renewed its call upon on all Member States and other relevant parties to work together to promote, support and advance the care, rehabilitation and social and economic reintegration of mine victims, mine risk education programs, and the removal of anti-personnel mines placed throughout the world and the assurance of their destruction. Australia supports implementation of the UN Inter-Agency policy on mine risk education, to seek to reduce the risk of injury from landmines through educational activities which raise awareness and promote behavioral change including public information dissemination, education and training, and community mine action liaison. Australia supports Article 2 of A/RES/60/473, which urges all States, and relevant organizations and institutions involved in mine action to provide, as stated in section (c), reliable, predictable, and timely contributions for mine-actions activities. Australia responded early to calls for assistance and has been a substantial contributor to demining programs in the most heavily mined countries in the world. The Australian government has met its pledge of $100 million AUD to mine action activities from January 1996 to December 2005. Australia stands firmly behind public-private partnerships for financial support to implement programs which help raise mine awareness. Our government encourages implementation of programs such as Destroy a Minefield, an Australian initiative that educates people with mine clearance and mine awareness programs. Within the international community, Australia’s funding has focused on four internationally accepted components: institutional support for mine clearance organizations, including technical assistance funding and training; the physical clearance of landmines and the training of indigenous demining teams; mine awareness activities focusing on local communities and school children; and treatment and rehabilitation for landmine victims to help restore mobility and employment opportunities. Australia calls attention to Article 17 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which affirms the importance of the mass media as an important medium of information to children worldwide. Highlighted in section (e) of this article is encouragement for State parties to develop appropriate guidelines for the protection of the child from information and material damaging to his or her well-being. Recognizing that unstable mine-affected States only exacerbate the situation, Australia solemnly affirms A/RES/58/127, which stresses the need to convince those Member States to halt new deployments of anti-personnel mines in order to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of mine-clearance operations. The government of Australia remains determined to achieve a comprehensive and lasting solution to the global landmines crisis. In order for the laudable efforts of the international community to have sustainable results, Australia calls upon A/RES/53/77 (N) Article 1, which invites all States that have not yet done so to sign or, after entry into force, to accede to the Convention. Australia is determined to work strenuously toward the promotion of these principles and believes that only a total ban on anti-personnel mines will help achieve the international goals set forth to protect the future and livelihood of the world’s children.
III. The Effect of Natural Disasters on Children
Australia recognizes that while natural disasters are unavoidable, the consequences and aftermath are manageable. It is imperative that communities affected by natural disasters pay special attention and give adequate care to children before, during, and after the disaster occurs. Due to the vulnerability of children it is the responsibility of the adults, local and national governments, as well as the international community to ensure the safety, livelihood, and health of the affected youth. Australia believes in Principle 8 of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which states that the child shall in all circumstances be among the first to receive protection and relief. We stress the importance of Article 20, Section 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which calls upon all States to provide special protection and assistance to a child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment due to a natural disaster. Although natural disasters have the potential to damage the social and economic infrastructure of all countries, the effects are far more calamitous on children as they are comparatively more vulnerable in a disaster situation. Recognizing the starvation that typically persists in the grave aftermath of natural disasters, Australia expresses its support of A/RES/59/202, the Right to Food, and we encourage all States to implement national plans to combat hunger. During a natural disaster the community response should be coordinated by local Emergency Service organizations. The Commonwealth of Australia proposes all Member States collaborate with state and local territories, local agencies, and non-governmental organizations to create national programs which support disaster reduction. Our government has created the Natural Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP); an initiative which one third of all funding is provided by the government. Such national programs must be aimed at identifying and addressing natural disaster risks on children as a top priority. Through the (NDMP), in partnership with state and territory governments and local agencies our government has been able to work towards reducing the immense toll that natural disasters have the potential to inflict. Australia reiterates the important issues discussed in A/RES/59/27, which supports regional warning systems such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS) which was established in 2005. Australia is in full accordance with the international strategies for disaster reduction suggested in A/RES/59/231, in particular the suggestions of linking regional frameworks with disaster risk management, the recognition of the importance of early warning systems use as an essential element of disaster reduction, and the encouragement of integrating a gender perspective as well as including women in all phases of disaster management. Australia urges all States to recognize A/RES/59/232 as an essential tool in understanding and managing the effects of natural disasters, and we encourage the International Centre for the Study of the El Niño Phenomenon to strengthen its relationship with regional and global organizations that specialize in the study of climate. Australia understands the hardships placed on developing countries during natural disasters and is aware of the immense adversities these States encounter in adhering to pre-determined policies and priorities in child protection. Australia strongly commends the efforts and ideas brought forth in A/RES/59/233, which encourages the Inter-Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction to continue to enhance the coordination of activities to promote disaster reduction and to make available to the relevant United Nations entities information on options for natural disaster reduction, including severe natural hazards and extreme weather related disasters and vulnerabilities. Reiterating the initiatives of the UNICEF report entitled, Care for Children in Emergency Situations: Implications for International Standards, children who move abroad to escape armed conflict or the consequences of emergencies will also often require special care arrangements in the country of destination, and invariably so when they travel as unaccompanied children without a caregiver. Australia calls upon the international community to adopt standards that establish responsibilities, principles, and guidelines in this regard which take into account existing texts of a regional or inter-agency nature. Australia praises the work of all groups and associations represented at the World Education Forum in 2000 who diligently drafted the Dakar Framework for Action, which pledges to meet the needs of educational systems affected by conflict, natural calamities, and instability as well as commitments to conduct educational programs in ways that promote mutual understanding, peace and tolerance, which in turn help to prevent violence and conflict are worthy of much praise and support. Australia is in full agreement with the CRC, especially in its recognition that children are living in exceptionally difficult conditions in most regions of the world, and that such children appropriately deserve special consideration. Australia believes that teachers working with emergency-affected children should be specially trained to understand the effects of trauma on children. Australia believes that for the effects of natural disasters on children to be minimized, both national and international efforts must be coordinated in order to further advance the universal goal of a sustainable future for our global youth.
Delegation from Represented by
The Commonwealth of Australia California State University, Chico
Position Paper for the Follow Up to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction
The issues before the Follow Up to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction are: The Implementation of Early Warning Systems: Monitoring and Prevention of Natural Disasters; The Yokohama Strategy: The Role of Good Governance in Disaster Reduction; and Environmental Extremes and Their Potential for Natural Disasters. Disaster reduction is an issue of grave international importance and the Commonwealth of Australia seeks to continue our legacy of cooperation and leadership in the fields of reduction and preparedness.
I. The Implementation of Early Warning Systems: Monitoring and Prevention of Natural Disasters
The Commonwealth of Australia recognizes that a culture of disaster prevention must be fostered at all levels of government and that the resilience of nations must be further enhanced through people-centered early warning systems, risks assessments, education, and other proactive, integrated, multi-hazard approaches. In accordance with E/RES/2001/35, Australia reiterates the importance of early warning systems as an essential element in developing strategies for a culture of disaster prevention. In 1983, Australia identified the need for a national early warning system and in 1985, Emergency Management Australia (EMA) developed an audible warning system, which could be broadcasted over public media including radio, television, and mobile sirens to alert citizen’s nation-wide of impending disasters. The EMA also supports over 140 natural disaster reduction projects in Australia, the Pacific Region, and internationally. Australia was a proud participant of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) and believes that WCDR report, A/CONF.206/6, which calls attention to emerging risks in the area of natural disasters and highlights the need to compile and standardize statistical information on regional disasters including impacts and losses, must be embraced by the entire global community. Australia fully supports A/RES/46/182, which emphasizes the need for the international community to cooperate and guarantee the safety and sovereignty of all Member States, particularly the developing nations, during times of emergency and humanitarian assistance. Following E/RES/1999/63 the international community is encouraged to provide more funding and technical assistance to support appropriate initiatives and mechanisms for the strengthening of regional, sub regional, national and local capabilities in all Member States to make warning systems a key element in disaster prevention. Australia, in collaboration with Indonesia, has formed the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development (AIPRD) which has encouraged regional efforts to not simply repair the devastation inflicted upon Indonesia by the 2004 tsunami but to prepare for future natural disasters as a regional community. The main objective of AIPRD is to support Indonesia's reconstruction and development efforts, both in and beyond tsunami-affected areas to be implemented through the $1 billion AUD apportioned to meet these goals which will bring the provision of aid to Indonesia to a total of almost $2 billion AUD over five years. In addition to creating a viable disaster-ready infrastructure, the AIPRD is assisting Indonesia in economic, financial and public sector management in order to strengthen Indonesia’s disaster preparedness. Australia is proud of the progress that was made with the recent creation of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS) which coordinates the early warning systems of many Member-States in the region and provides an easier way to share information with all of the nations in the area. This system is a positive step toward the goal of regional cooperation in disaster reduction as stipulated in the Second International Conference on Early Warning. To help with this effort, Australia recently created its own $69 million national tsunami warning system. As the chief economic leader in the region it is our hope that this system can serve as a model for our fellow countries encompassed in the IOTWS. According to A/RES/60/15 the IOTWS needs to be a part of a global and multi-hazard early warning system. Australia encourages all Member States to contribute to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) account for emergency assistance following natural disasters in the Indian Ocean. Launched at the WCDR, the International Early Warning Program (IEWP) brings together United Nations’ organizations in a multilateral effort to address the need to improve our ability to better deal with natural disasters. Australia understands the concern about scientific reliability and the implementation of technology when integrating advances with traditional early warning systems, and we appreciate the implicit need to develop and expand early warning systems technology as it is critical to ensuring the safety of State’s citizens, particularly in developing countries. During the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, many improvements were made to the technology of early warning systems, yet, the Indian Ocean tsunami has shown the world that more development must be made and this progression needs to focus toward regional and international success. Recognizing A/RES/46/182, information on early warning systems must be made available in an unobstructed and timely manner to all Member States regardless of political or economic status.
II. The Yokohama Strategy: The Role of Good Governance in Disaster Reduction
The Commonwealth of Australia, encouraged by recent developments in disaster reduction, is pleased by the call to increase capacities for disaster reduction through economic growth, development, and good governance as outlined in Principle 7 of the Yokohama Strategy. Australia identifies good governance as the practice of transparency, accountability, equality in ways that are responsive to the needs of people, and is composed of efficient and effective administration policies and programs of delivery free of corruption. In early 2003, Australia established the Disaster Mitigation Policy Program (DMPP) within the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in compliance with E/RES/2001/35, which recommended that Member States establish national platforms or focal points for natural disasters. The DMPP facilitates collaboration between State, regional, and international offices in disaster mitigation services to increase awareness and interaction among all levels of government with the goal of disaster reduction. At the State level, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) addresses disaster management and related policy. By instilling cooperation between different levels of government, the COAG is able to advance the principles of disaster reduction in Australia. In May of 2005, the COAG issued a number of recommendations to manage disasters and achieve sustainable development which include a five year national programme for systematic disaster risk assessment and the development of a mitigation strategy for natural disasters at each level of government. Under the Hyogo Framework for Action and supported by the Yokohama Strategy, it is necessary for Member States to develop and strengthen capacities and capabilities for natural disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness. Australia further encourages the formation and implementation of national mitigation programmes in all Member States, as outlined in A/RES/44/236. Australia reaffirms the critical need for the preparation of natural disasters to expand knowledge and efforts past the national stage and interact on a regional and international level. In accordance with A/RES/46/149, Australia endorses the acceleration of communication and cooperation of Member States at a regional and global level for the purpose of disaster mitigation. The most significant contribution made by Australia in the Pacific was the initiation of annual Pacific Regional International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) Disaster Management Meetings. These gatherings have provided a focus for disaster management activities and are now established as an important forum for the exchange of ideas and regional cooperation between country representatives of the thirteen Pacific Island Countries in attendance including Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand, and relevant NGOs, regional organizations, donors, and UN agencies. Australia underscores the importance of good governance within Small Island and Developing Sates with the understanding that poor governance stifles and undermines social and economic development, making countries more vulnerable during times of natural disasters. Australia has increased its support for governance programs in the last several years both in monetary and volunteer aid. Although a vast range of obstacles to good governance exist in every State, there are clear priority areas where assistance will be most effective. The most effective ways to facilitate good governance in developing nations is through more efficient funding of government decentralization processes and community projects through the use of incentive funds. These incentive funds reward excellence in governance reform efforts and are not dispersed until these reforms are completed. A Member State exhibiting good governance will not be over allocating their resources to disaster reduction programmes but will be responding to the immediate needs of their citizens. Australia recognizes that not all Member States are motivated to comply with international standards for good governance which leads to corruption causing difficulties when organizations approach unwilling countries with the intention of helping to implement disaster preparation and mitigation programmes. The organizations must become involved politically to help implement structure into the community which will lead governments to a path of sustainable development. In the Solomon Islands, Australia, acting with the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), addressed the problems of weak governmental structures and failing public services. Participation in the World Conferences on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) is essential to ensure that all Member States fully explore and develop strategies to equip governments with the ability to handle disaster mitigation. The Yokohama Strategy emphasizes the importance of aiding developing countries for they suffer the most from natural disasters and are also the most vulnerable and the least equipped nations in terms of being able to mitigate natural disasters. A/RES/59/311 urges the international community to implement partner initiatives to strengthen the governments of Small Island States to support sustainable development. By taking efforts to prepare developing countries for natural disasters, the international community will be closer to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and ensuring sustainable development.
III. Environmental Extremes and Their Potential for Natural Disasters
The Commonwealth of Australia, deeply concerned by the impending possibility of natural disasters resulting from environmental extremes, recalls A/RES/54/219, which outlines the increasing vulnerability to natural disasters in both occurrence and scale. Appreciating the importance for action, in 1999 Australia presented landmark legislation by producing the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. This act enabled our government to take a direct role on issues of national environmental significance and streamline the government’s assessment of development proposals, promote ecological sustainability, and strengthen intergovernmental cooperation. Australia has also created the Climate Institute (CI) which regulates and assesses change in the climate and environment to monitor environmental extremes. The year of 2005 was the hottest year in the recorded history of the country of Australia and temperatures around the world have been breaking records as persisting climate change continues to cause temperatures to rise and drop. Millions of people have been displaced from their homes and communities after their environments were ravaged by earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and drought, causing approximately $308 billion AUD in damages around the world last year, making it the most costly year in damages on record. Natural disasters impose pressures on public finance with regard to disaster mitigation and response and a considerable economic pressure on the private sector, particularly insurance companies. Australia realizes that the insurance industry plays a facilitating role in redevelopment and compensation and Australia calls upon the international community to support defaulting insurance agencies during a natural disaster. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, A/CONF.151/26, designates in Principle 17 that Member States need to use environmental impact analysis as a national instrument in determining adverse impact on the environment. Recognizing that local government plays a critical role in lowering greenhouse gas emissions at an influential capacity of almost 50 percent, Australia has been supporting the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) program since 1997. Australia has also become a world leader in this program. Thirty percent of all local government participants in CCP are Australian and more Australian city councils have reached heightened measures of accomplishment than in any other country. Member States should not rely solely on unitary efforts but also actively seek participation in multilateral efforts. Australia has collaborated with the international community to form the Asian-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APCDC). Australia is deeply concerned with the World Bank’s estimate that approximately 97 percent of deaths related to natural disasters occur in developing nations. The APCDC provides a catalyst for developing and developed countries in the region to address the challenges of climate change, energy security, and air pollution in a way that is designed to promote economic development and reduce poverty. This partnership is intended to complement and not replace the Kyoto protocol. Australia is currently on pace to reduce greenhouse emissions by 2010 to 108 percent of the levels that they were at in 1990 and identifies the need for every Member State to do everything possible to meet their individual goals in the area of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A/RES/59/233 urges the international community to find ways to lessen the effects of natural disasters that are caused by extreme weather, especially in nations that are still developing and are the most vulnerable. This must be done by finding ways to reduce the use of ozone depleting substances. Motor vehicles are the dominant source of the polluting substances and the international community must do more to increase the use of alternative fuels such as compressed and liquefied natural gas while also raising the quality of the fossil fuels used as a way of reducing greenhouse gases. While these programs require more funding, Australia does not support the idea of a tax on international currency exchanges; sometimes known as a Tobin Tax, to fund systems that help reduce greenhouse gases. The implementation of the Tobin Tax could severely and negatively impact those countries that have open economies by acting as a tax on international trade. Under A/RES/44/236, it is necessary that Member States utilize government and increase public awareness so as to advance community vigilance of natural disasters and increase responsiveness leading to greater sustainable development. Australia is a devout supporter of comprehensive and environmentally effective long-term responses to climate change and will continue to support efforts within the international community that strive to attain renewable energy innovations.
Delegation from Represented by The Commonwealth of Australia California State University, Chico
World Trade Organization Ministerial
The topics before the World Trade Organization Ministerial meeting are: Agricultural Sector Negotiations; Advancing World Trade Organization Transparency; and Promoting the Trade in Services Mandate. The Commonwealth of Australia realizes the importance of all issues on the current agenda and will strive for mutually agreeable terms which respect past legal precedent while working toward greater equality and efficiency in the global market system.
I. Agricultural Sector Negotiations
The global trade in agricultural products, related commodities, and the internationally agreed upon rules which govern them are issues of great importance to the Commonwealth of Australia. Agriculture and the wealth we have derived from it have been and will continue to be critically important issues both for the economic health of our State and our fellow Member States in the international community. If we are to achieve the goals of greater shared prosperity, economic and food security, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we must work cooperatively to ensure that imports, exports, and all forms of food aid arrive where they are required in a timely fashion so as to prevent economic turmoil and possible human suffering. Too often cumbersome tariff and quota limitations restrict wealth distribution resulting in rampant poverty and disease in developing States, due primarily to economic disenfranchisement. Through careful manipulation of the global trading system, powerful countries are able to tactically shift their export and import commodities between boxes or simply not abide by the Total Aggregate Measures of Support (Total AMS) which were capped at 1992 levels. Thus is the peril of a system which must respect national sovereignty and create non-binding legislation that is simultaneously stringent enough to achieve at least some progress toward improved economic livelihood and reductions in State-State conflict as the Charter of the United Nations and other inter-governmental organizations (IGO's) are intended to do. Australia realizes these inherent difficulties in international trade negotiations and we strive to serve as a bridge between the economically developed countries (EDC' s) and the many developing nations. Australia shares a history of social and economic colonialism with most developing States and are thus sympathetic to the needs of those who live in the southern hemisphere and are unfortunately more likely to suffer the effects of poverty, malnutrition and disease. Security through fair food production and trade will only come through effective and cooperative agricultural sector negotiations that involve the entirety of the global community. In these negotiations Australia will continue to call for sweeping actions in order to reduce the distortions which plague international trading regulations. In no other area of trade does domestic support in the form of subsidization and import quotas so strongly distort trade patterns and nowhere else are export subsidies tolerated. While most EDC's have Producer Subsidy Estimates (PSE) well above 50%, in fiscal year 2004 the PSE of Australia was only 4%. As the chair of the Cairns Group and a nation that has reduced our general tariff rate to approximately 5% we believe we have the responsibility and legitimacy to demand strong actions and commitment from our fellow EDC's to make the world a more equitable trading arena. Australia has demonstrated our commitment to the three pillars of the Doha Declaration and supports measures which would more rigorously enforce Amber box, de minimis, and Blue box support regulations as set forth in the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) from the Uruguay Round. Green box support, while not inherently problematic, must continue to be monitored to prevent misuse. Australia is supportive of United States (US) and European Union (EU) pledges to cut Amber box support by 60% and 70% respectively, and a Blue box cap reduction to 2.5% as proposed by the US. However we do disagree with EU policy regarding the necessity for the WTO to consider domestic political situations with regard to international trade in food commodities. While fears of genetically modified organisms and food borne illness such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy are valid, we must maintain a science based approach to safety monitoring and not risk certain countries impeding on global free trade by coercing the sanitation monitoring process and public opinion. Finally we need to act swiftly as a global community to complete the Doha Round so as to allow Member States sufficient time to prepare their proposals for meeting their commitments set forth at the Hong Kong Ministerial. With the end of US "fast track authority" which could come with the scheduled 2007 renegotiation of the US Farm Bill, our attempts at completing the Doha mandate could be hindered. Regardless, the Commonwealth of Australia and our fellow nations in the Cairns Group will continue to demand greater agricultural trade liberalization.
II. Advancing World Trade Organization Transparency
The Commonwealth of Australia is mindful of the important role transparency plays in the World Trade Organization's conduct and its effects on the reformation of the multilateral trading system. Faithful to the Doha Development Agenda as well as the Declaration of Human Rights, our government realizes the vital importance of communication in a civilized, technologically advancing world that intends to meet the needs of every citizen. Australia fully supports the organizations efforts to improve its internal transparency among all Member States as well as its external transparency with nongovernmental organizations, national governmental representatives, civil society and other concerned or affected third parties. As a nation with a Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index status of 9, Australia recognizes that an essential means in expanding transparency is through the improvement of the public's access to WTO documents. Through our national Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) the government of Australia strives to consult all interested and affected parties in matters of global trade negotiations which could unduly affect said parties, in line with current WTO recommendations and national or international laws governing commercial confidentiality. Australia reiterates, in the interest of national sovereignty that we, in line with many Member States, believe that as an intergovernmental organization, the WTO's primary responsibility for consultation with civil society should be dealt with through individual Member State governments. For example, it is the responsibility of Member States to provide details of domestic intellectual property rights and systems so that all Members of the WTO and their constituents have equal access to the knowledge necessary to operate efficiently in the global trading arena. Australia points out that fellow Member States must be cautious of the possibility that through enhanced external transparency, non-governmental persons or organizations can obtain rights and/or access to the dispute settlement system superior to Member governments. This needs to be addressed with care because an overextension of influence from nongovernmental bodies could negatively impact the internal dynamics between Member States, leading to distrust and unfair gains for certain Members. Australia understands that many developing countries fear greater transparency because they have not yet developed effective institutions with which to implement and manage multilateral and bilateral trading agreements. In response, Australia has implemented Trade Policy Training Courses in order to assist developing nations from Asia and Africa in better representing and achieving their trade goals in WTO negotiations. If all nations are able to effectively advocate for themselves and their trade partners, greater cooperation will result and distrust of intergovernmental trade institutions will be lessened. Let it be noted that prompt and congenial communication between Member States should be the primary form of discourse when dealing with issues of contention. Any reforms concerning the improvement of external transparency must require Members to recognize the importance of continuous national communication strategies to improve the WTO's image. This is essential for communicating the global benefits of open markets to all concerned parties, an issue Australia realizes is especially important to developing countries that often lack public information infrastructures. For many years Australia has espoused the belief that securing effective increases in market access will be essential to a deeper integration of developing countries into the multilateral trading system. Too often market access negotiations are deemed to be “Green Room” agreements and thus not representative of the entirety of the represented delegations. By ensuring transparency within the organization and at all intergovernmental levels, Australia's market access offers apply to a broad range of occupations and professions thereby providing broad market access in line with WTO regulation and negotiation transparency expectations. Australia has worked diligently toward reforms in agricultural sectors to enhance market access for developing countries and we see these greater efforts to be beneficial not only to agriculture but industrial products and the service industries. Although the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun was a disappointment, Australia acknowledges the other Members seriously engaged with us in the topic of reform, and we remain focused on bridging the gaps between limited information sharing and economic cohesion. Further, Australia understands the concerns of Members States unsatisfied with the very tentative steps taken at Cancun and stands willing to advance in our own trade strategies and offers to make real progress. Having established the necessity for transparency it is our feeling that the crucial focus of the organization now needs to be on the advancement of meaningful agricultural negotiations. As a recent report from the World Bank stated, two-thirds of the gains in international economic growth from the Doha Round will come from the liberalization of agriculture. In order to achieve cooperation from all Members, despite financial or technological disparities, the organization needs to seriously consider carefully monitored involvement of other nongovernmental parties in the dispersion of accurate and non-politically motivated information regarding global trading regimes.
III. Promoting the Trade in Services Mandate
The Commonwealth of Australia believes steadfastly in the need for greater unity between Member States in both the promotion and monitoring of service trade activities as outlined in the 1994 General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). We realize that the exponential growth of information and communication technologies (lCTs) has effectively shrunk the environment in which global commercial activities take place and thus nations must be more cooperative and willing to abide by regulations and suggestions as put forth in the more recent Doha Work Program. In keeping with the liberalization commitments we have made, Australia has worked to accommodate foreign service professionals in the legal, engineering, finance, telecommunication, environmental and logistics sectors with the belief that our cooperation and goodwill toward developing countries will encourage them to allow our service professionals access to their economies thus enhancing liberalized free trade. Through our revised GATS commitments which are in line with Uruguay Round standards we hope to offer and encourage: domestic/host country legal access and more liberalized federal regulations pertaining to legal advisory services in international and foreign law as practiced by foreign nationals within Australia; strengthen commitments by all Members to enforce and if necessary adopt the Reference Paper on Basic Telecommunications and are willing to make greater commitments through negotiation in the hopes of encouraging further export opportunities; and WTO level legally binding commitments pertaining to a "whole of supply chain" agreement in order to streamline freight logistics services with the goal of further enhancing the status of the Pacific region as a global trading hub. Our opening up of domestic markets to allow Mode 4 (horizontal) service transfers is evidence of our commitment to free trade and the further growth of developing countries by decreasing reliance on inefficient labor market testing as was previously stipulated by outdated Uruguay Round commitments. While many EDC's will only admit Mode 3, commercial presence personnel transfers, it is our belief that the "temporary entry of skilled workers is responsive to the needs of developing countries and reflects our strong interests in improving access for our services professionals in overseas markets" as outlined in our GATS service offer. Having established these goals there are several outstanding issues which must continue to be addressed: that of most favored nation (MFN) status; air traffic and transport services; and miscellaneous services which fall under the jurisdiction of national governments. In regard to the issue of most favored nation treatment, Australia believes that only unconditional treatment is an allowable legal instrument with which to tariff imports as conditional treatment status is counter to the spirit with which the liberalized trading system is intended. The developing countries, most of which need access to the markets of the industrialized nations, often have neither the resources nor the infrastructure with which to negotiate special concessions on international service transactions. As stated in our revised GATS offer, we have offered no new air transport commitments but are willing to modify our previous Schedule of Specific Commitments so as to accommodate those foreign air transport services which provide mutually agreeable terms of operation. Australia realizes that favoritism of certain nations will only create resentment among non-favored nations and thus provide the potential for conflict, which is patently counter to the goals of greater inclusion and equality which the intergovernmental trading system and transnational political institutions were established to ensure and expand. As the international community works to promote service trade and expand market access we will be forced to confront the issue of protecting the intellectual property rights of Member States. As a nation with strong research and development traditions in agricultural, industrial, pharmaceutical, and service sectors we want to protect the hard-won accomplishments of our corporations and scientists. Clearly we cannot sit idly by and allow our national knowledge base to be eroded or illegally exploited by foreign entities. While these assertions appear to be counter to the free market ideals we consistently put forward it is our belief that through the previously agreed upon WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) we can protect our national achievements and concurrently integrate domestic service, industrial and agricultural exports into the global market. TRIPS also helps to guarantee mechanisms exist to ensure that national intellectual property systems are in accordance with widely accepted public policy objectives such as protections against monopolies, facilitated technology sharing, and more pragmatic environmental regulations. Only by providing our domestic industries with outlets for their grievances, accurate knowledge of international market forces, protections for their continued operation and greater inclusion for our developing neighbors can we as global community truly accomplish the goals of equality and opportunity that the WTO was meant to establish.