News Stories & Statements - 22 September 2006

Tenth Anniversary of comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty

Media release by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Alexander Downer, on 24 September 2006.

Today is the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty which I introduced into the UN General Assembly in 1996 – a treaty which would rid the world of nuclear weapons testing forever. Today, near universal support exists for the CTBT. 176 countries have signed the Treaty and 135 have ratified it, the most recent being Ethiopia in August 2006. To enter into force however, the Treaty must be signed and ratified by the 44 States who formally participated in the work of the 1996 session of the Conference on Disarmament and possessed nuclear power or research reactors at that time. 34 of those States, including Australia, have signed and ratified the Treaty; 10 of those countries have not yet done so (the ten countries are China, Colombia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the US). I continue to call on all states which have not already done so to sign and ratify the Treaty as soon as possible.

An overwhelming number of countries, including Australia, regard the CTBT as a vital contribution to disarmament and non-proliferation. The purpose of the CTBT is clear – it is a treaty concerned with ensuring and verifying the end of nuclear weapons testing. In addition to this primary function, the treaty can bring potential civil and scientific benefits. By way of example, data from the CTBT’s worldwide system of monitoring stations is being provided to national and international tsunami warning organizations on a test basis, and permanent arrangements for this will be considered by the CTBT Organisation’s Preparatory Commission in the coming months.

In New York last Wednesday I jointly chaired a Ministerial meeting in support of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Australia is one of the co-ordinating countries for this meeting, which is designed to promote the ratification of the CTBT and accelerate its entry into force. I was joined by the Canadian, Finnish, Dutch Foreign Ministers, the Japanese Vice Foreign Minister and UN Secretary-General Annan’s representative, Under Secretary for Disarmament Tanaka.

The importance that Australia and many other countries attach to the CTBT has not diminished over the last ten years. If anything, it has grown and reflects the strong and widely held view that the CTBT can only enhance international security. We will continue to work for its entry into force and a future free of nuclear weapons testing.

Australia deeply concerned by Thailand coup

Australia is deeply concerned about the military coup in Thailand and urges a return to democratic rule and constitutionally-based government as soon as possible.

Australia is deeply concerned that democratic government in Thailand has been overthrown in this manner and urges a return to democracy as soon as possible.

We have made representations to the Thai Ambassador to Australia and to senior military figures in Bangkok urging a return to democracy and restraint on all sides.

Our relationship with Thailand is important and covers interests in regional security and trade, including a very successful FTA. We are continuing to monitor the situation in Thailand closely.

We are advising Australians in Thailand to exercise a high degree of caution.

Australia implements measures to counter North Korean proliferation finance activities

In order to combat North Korean WMD and missile proliferation, Australia has imposed financial sanctions against twelve companies and an individual connected with involvement in financing North Korea’s WMD programs. The measures were implemented by the Reserve Bank of Australia under the Banking (Foreign Exchange) Regulations 1959.

The sanctions prohibit all financial transactions involving the listed individual and entities.

Australia’s measures support and complement similar action taken by Japan and the United States, and are fully consistent with our obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1695.

Australia will implement similar sanctions against any other companies or individuals who seek to undermine international security and stability by assisting North Korea to continue its ill-considered, costly and provocative WMD programs.

North Korea’s WMD proliferation activities and its misguided belief that a WMD capacity will enhance its security pose significant threats to regional security and stability.

Six Party Talks are the best way for North Korea to address its security, energy and economic development needs, and to normalise its relations with the international community, but the continued North Korean boycott of the talks threatens their viability.

Australia urges North Korea to immediately suspend its nuclear and WMD proliferation activities and return unconditionally to the Six Party Talks. North Korea is the only country placing conditions on a return to Six Party Talks.

Australia increases commitment to combating people trafficking in Asia

The Australian Government will provide A$21 million over the next five years to help combat people trafficking in Asia. This initiative will support the criminal justice systems of partner countries to target people traffickers and secure justice for victims. It will also strengthen linkages to enhance regional cooperation on anti-trafficking.

The Asia Regional Trafficking in Persons (ARTIP) Project is a five-year A$21 million initiative to contribute to the prevention of human trafficking in Asia.

This Project will facilitate a more effective and coordinated approach to people trafficking by criminal justice systems in Asia.

Agreements are now being finalised with initial partner countries Thailand, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Cambodia and Burma.

Elements of the project include: strengthening specialist and general law enforcement responses to trafficking; strengthening judicial and prosecutorial responses to trafficking; enhancing policy, legal, research and outreach capability; and engaging new project and partner countries.

This initiative is in addition to an earlier commitment of over A$17 million for regional anti-trafficking activities delivered through Australia’s aid program since 2000. The recently completed Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking Project (ARCPPT) was an A$11 million three-year project (completed in August 2006) which worked mainly with criminal justice systems in partner countries.

Anti-trafficking activities funded through the aid program support the Government’s 2003 Action Plan to Eradicate Trafficking in Persons and complement Australia’s lead role in the Bali Process.

The Bali Process, co-chaired by Australia and Indonesia, brings together over 40 countries and international agencies from throughout the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Participants are committed to concerted regional action to combat people smuggling and trafficking and have established a framework for future cooperative action.

Australia chairs the Seventh Meeting of State Parties to the Mine Ban Convention

As President of the 2006 Meeting of State Parties to the Mine Ban Convention, Australia will promote an action plan for its universalisation and implementation.

Australia has assumed the Presidency of the Seventh Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention), which met in Geneva from 18-22 September.

The Hon Teresa Gambaro MP, Australia’s Special Representative for Mine Action, led the Australian delegation to the meeting, where she outlined Australia’s strategy for the universalisation of the Convention, including:

- funding a Small States Strategy workshop in Asia-Pacific to promote universalisation and national implementation of the Convention
- providing additional funding for the victim assistance expert attached to the Implementation Support Unit and
- direct engagement with the three signatory States who have not yet ratified the Convention (Indonesia, Poland and the Marshall Islands).

Australia has actively supported universalisation of the Ottawa Convention, particularly in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, as well as provided assistance in mine-clearing activities.

Communique of the 20th Cairns Group Anniversary Ministerial Meeting from 20 to 22 September

We, the Ministers of the Cairns Group, met in Cairns, Australia from 20-22 September, on the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of our Group, to review the current impasse in the Doha negotiations and to discuss how we can contribute to their successful resumption.

The Cairns Group has invested heavily in the Doha Round. We are deeply disappointed at the suspension of talks in July this year, and urge WTO members quickly to re-engage in negotiations.

The goal of fundamental reform of agricultural markets is as urgent today as it was at the founding of the Cairns Group twenty years ago. Farmers world-wide urgently need relief from the costly support and protection in the markets of the major agricultural subsidisers.

The Round cannot be allowed to drift. Further delay adds to the risk that we lose the gains secured to date in the negotiations and the continued momentum for trade reform. The costs of continued delay will be borne by our farmers and our rural communities. While difficult, negotiating gaps can be bridged. We are determined to do all that we can to facilitate convergence and an early return to the negotiating table.

To this end, WTO Members should assess prospects for resumption and take the necessary steps to resume negotiations no later than November.

The failure to conclude an agreement on agriculture modalities is the result of significant gaps in positions in both domestic support and market access. We reiterate our view that genuine and deep policy reforms in both pillars are necessary in this Round to deliver real change in global agricultural markets. The plain negotiating reality should also be clear: modest reforms in these areas will simply be insufficient to conclude a deal on agriculture or to unlock the benefits of the broader Doha agenda.

The EU, US, G10 and others with the highest levels of support and protection must make the necessary improvements to their offers on market access and domestic support, to establish the basis for the early resumption of negotiations. For our part, we will continue to help establish the conditions for a successful conclusion to the Round. To that end, we will continue to work to help build convergence on the substance of the agriculture modalities, in preparation for the resumption of negotiations. Substantial efforts will be required.

This is especially true for market access, where the substantive differences in negotiating positions are most significant. For Sensitive Products we need a transparent and objective market-based approach that is capable of delivering substantial and meaningful improvements to access. A strong outcome on the market access pillar, including for tropical products, is an essential element in securing the development benefits of the Round.

We are resolved, as a matter of priority, to establish convergence on Special Products and the Special Safeguard Mechanism in order to provide greater definition to these instruments, consistent with the mandates and the Group’s objectives.

Urgent work is also required on domestic support. Unless there are effective cuts in trade distorting subsidies we will not achieve an outcome in these negotiations. Levels of overall trade-distorting support must be significantly reduced with meaningful disciplines applied, including to prevent concentration of support on particular products. Adjustments are required to the Green Box to ensure that this category of support is genuinely non or minimally- distorting. The particular issue of cotton should be addressed, taking into account its importance to many developing countries.

The Cairns Group welcomes the decision in Hong Kong to abolish export subsidies according to a phased schedule. Further work is required on the schedule and to elaborate the parallel disciplines in the export competition pillar.

We recognise the importance for developing countries of special and differential treatment in undertaking new commitments. We are committed to achieving a strong outcome to the Doha round for agriculture – in all three pillars – in order to provide the best possible conditions for sustainable development.

We have instructed our officials in Geneva to embark immediately on the attached work program in the Cairns Group across each of the pillars, with a view to preparing the Group’s contributions to resumed negotiations.

We also recognise that important decisions on farm policies in the United States and European Union will be taken in the period ahead. We are committed to ensuring that the voices of our farmers are heard in these debates.

We have welcomed the opportunity for discussions with WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab, United States Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, Japanese Agriculture Minister Shoichi Nakagawa and a representative of the EC Trade Commissioner. We reaffirm our support for the Director General in his consultations and our intention to work with other WTO Members and groups in pursuit of an ambitious outcome to the round on the basis of the Doha mandate, the July 2004 Framework and the Hong Kong Declaration.

We have appreciated the presence in Cairns of the Cairns Group Farm Leaders, the Global Dairy Alliance and the Global Sugar Alliance, and their reaffirmation of strong support for an ambitious outcome to the Doha Round negotiations.

This meeting has also provided us with the opportunity to celebrate the significant achievements of our Group during its twenty-year history, and to re-unite with a number of the founding members of the Cairns Group, who have made an enormous contribution to the evolution of the Group and its objectives.

We thank the city of Cairns for hosting a successful meeting of our Group on its twentieth anniversary. We welcome the offer by Pakistan to host the next Ministerial Meeting of our Group.

CAIRNS GROUP WORK PROGRAM

In addition to our efforts to facilitate the early resumption of the Doha negotiations in November, we have agreed to the following program of work, to help establish the conditions for their successful conclusion.

Contributions to building convergence on modalities:

- We have tasked our officials to contribute to building convergence on some of the key issues of importance to developing countries, including Special Products, the Special Safeguard Mechanism and tropical/diversification products. We will contribute the Group’s ideas in this area and will embark on a program of outreach to other negotiating groups.

- We have tasked our officials to work with other WTO Members to illustrate the importance to the Group of a strong outcome on market access, including on sensitive products.

- We will also contribute to further technical work to develop appropriate disciplines in domestic support and export competition, in advance of a resumption of negotiations. We will continue to advocate the importance of deep reductions in trade-distorting support and early elimination of export subsidies.

Contributions to farm policy reform in the US and EC

- We will set in place a work program in the Group of analysis and advocacy work for upcoming reforms of the US Farm Bill.

- We will advocate the Cairns Group’s priorities on the reform of domestic support of the other major users, including the forthcoming scheduled reviews of the EC’s Common Agricultural Policy

Outreach

- We will seek all opportunities, in Geneva and in capitals, to represent and assert our Group’s interests in the early resumption of negotiations and in a substantial outcome on agriculture. We will work with our farm leaders to build support among farmers in other countries for trade reform, through highlighting the benefits of freer agricultural trade.

- We are committed to continuing an active program of outreach with other negotiating groups to build convergence on issues of common interest.

Archived News Stories 2006

15 September

1 & 8 September

18 & 25 August

4 & 11 August

21 & 28 July

7 & 14 July

30 June

16 & 23 June

2 & 9 June