News Stories - 6 October 2006
Australia’s concern over North Korea’s possible nuclear test
Australia has expressed grave concern to North Korea regarding its intention to test a nuclear weapon.
On Mr Downer’s instructions, acting Departmental Secretary Mr David Spencer called in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Ambassador Chon Jae hong on 4 October to register Australia’s grave concerns at North Korea’s stated intention to test a nuclear weapon.
North Korean Ambassador Chon was told that a nuclear weapons test would make North Korea less secure, not more. A nuclear test would be a grave setback to efforts to peacefully resolve the threat to stability posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. It would be totally inconsistent with the North Korean government’s oft stated claim that it wants a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, and would undermine stability in the region.
We said Australia would respond to a North Korean nuclear test by implementing new restrictions on the bilateral relationship.
Australia would also strongly support international actions to respond to the DPRK’s outrageous actions in the UN Security Council and other international fora.
The only reason that the six-party talks have not met for almost a year is that North Korea has placed conditions on its return.
Rather than engage in provocative behavior, which jeopardizes the six-party process, North Korea should return immediately and unconditionally to these talks, which remain the best way to resolve the nuclear issue.
Mr Downer has expressed his outrage that a country that has to rely on the international community to feed its own people devotes so many of its scarce resources to missile and nuclear weapons programs.
Extradition of Julian Moti
Mr Moti, an Australian citizen, is wanted for prosecution in Australia for child sex offences allegedly committed in Vanuatu and New Caledonia, contrary to the child sex tourism provisions of the Commonwealth Crimes Act 1914. Mr Moti was appointed as Solomon Islands Attorney General on 21 September.
The Australian Government is seeking Mr Moti’s extradition from Papua New Guinea (PNG) in accordance with PNG’s Extradition Act.
Following a request from Australia, PNG authorities arrested Mr Moti on 29 September, pending receipt of a formal extradition request.
A formal extradition request was lodged with PNG on 4 October.
The extradition request is not politically motivated. The investigation into the allegations against Mr Moti commenced in January 2005 and a warrant for Mr Moti’s arrest was sworn on 11 August 2006, well before the Solomon Islands Government announced the appointment of Mr Moti as Attorney General.
The allegations against Mr Moti were investigated and handled by Australian law enforcement agencies in the same manner as any other criminal law case.
Mr Moti was not charged with offences against Australian law until the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions had assessed the brief of evidence compiled by the AFP and advised that Mr Moti could be charged.
Previous proceedings against Mr Moti in Vanuatu in relation to these allegations were dismissed before Mr Moti faced trial for these offences.
As a result, the previous proceedings in Vanuatu do not prevent Mr Moti being prosecuted in Australia for the offences for which his extradition is sought.
This is a case of Australia wanting to extradite one of its own citizens to face serious allegations under Australian law.
Australia discusses protection of the Kokoda Track with Papua New Guinea
Australia is concerned processes are in place to protect the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea from mining, in keeping with its historic importance to both countries.
Prime Minister Howard sent a high-level delegation to Papua New Guinea (PNG) from 24-28 September for discussion on issues related to the protection of the Kokoda Track.
The delegation that travelled to Port Moresby stressed the importance Australia attaches to the protection of the Track and discussed the potential impact on it of minerals exploration and other forms of development.
The Australian delegation was led by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and included senior officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Environment and Heritage, Veterans Affairs and Geoscience Australia.
Australia has formally asked PNG to adopt measures to protect the Kokoda Track, including from mining activities.
PNG officials emphasised the PNG Government’s commitment to protecting the Track.
Rise in Australian exports
Australia’s exports rose by 1 per cent to reach 18.0 billion in August 2006, the second highest monthly level on record.
Manufactured exports and rural exports both rose by 2 per cent, while services exports and resources exports were steady.
Merchandise exports to North East Asia rose 24 per cent in the 12 months to August 2006, with strong growth in exports to Japan, China and Korea and Taiwan. Merchandise exports to ASEAN grew 17 per cent, while exports to India rose 15 per cent. Exports to the EU rose 42 per cent, while exports to the US increased 6 per cent.
Imports rose 1 per cent ($132 million) to $18.2 billion in August. The trade deficit fell $112 million to $208 million in August. This continues the trend of a declining trade deficit over the past year.
News Stories - 29 September
20th Anniversary Ministerial Meeting of the Cairns Group
The 20th Anniversary Ministerial Meeting of the Cairns Group called for the stalled Doha Round of global trade negotiations to resume no later than November. Australia’s “five plus five” proposal to help restart the key agricultural market access negotiations generated considerable interest.
The Cairns Group 20th Anniversary Ministerial Meeting in Cairns (20-22 September) has given a strong call for the resumption of the Doha Round of global trade negotiations no later than November.
Ministers also agreed on a new Cairns Group work program aimed at building convergence on key issues in the agricultural market access negotiations in the coming months.
Technical work will focus on providing greater clarity on the key sticking points of market access flexibilities – sensitive products, special products and the special safeguard mechanism (SSM) for developing countries.
The group will also contribute to further technical work to develop disciplines in domestic support and export competition.
The meeting benefited from participation by Special Guests – World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy, the US Trade Representative Susan Schwab and US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, Japan’s Minister for Agriculture Shoichi Nakagawa and European Commission Ambassador to the WTO, Carlo Trojan.
All agreed with the Cairns Group on the need for the resumption of negotiations as soon as possible.
There was considerable interest in Australia’s “five plus five” proposal as a means to moving the negotiations forward in the most difficult area, market access for agricultural goods.
This would see an average tariff cut that is 5 per cent greater than that proposed by the G-20 group of developing countries, and an extra US$5 billion cut in payments by the United States for domestic support of its agricultural sector.
The meeting agreed that Pakistan will host the next Ministerial Meeting of the Cairns Group in April next year.
Australia calls for an increased NATO force commitment in southern Afghanistan
NATO needs to increase its force commitment in southern Afghanistan, where the Taliban-led insurgency is most active.
Australia welcomes NATO’s commitment to Afghanistan, including the announcement that it will extend its mission to cover the whole of the country. It would give the NATO deployments to Afghanistan still greater potency – where that potency is needed most – if the restrictions, known as ‘caveats’, on how and where NATO troops can be used, were removed.
Non-caveated deployments include those of Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In particular, NATO troops deployed in northern Afghanistan could be usefully redeployed to the south, where the Taliban-led insurgency is currently most active.
This is where the Australia Defence Force (ADF) Reconstruction Task Force (RTF) is deploying and will be operating before the end of the year.
The deployment of a 400-strong ADF RTF – currently underway to Oruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan – demonstrates that Australia is firmly committed to the international effort – in partnership with the Government of Afghanistan – to restore security and stability in Afghanistan.
The success of this effort is critical. Afghanistan must never again become a safe haven for terrorists, who can threaten not only Afghanistan but the broader international community.
Australia’s deployment to Oruzgan forms part of the expansion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) into southern Afghanistan. ISAF is led by NATO.
Afghanistan is NATO’s first-ever out of area operation and Australia’s first-ever deployment to a NATO-led operation.
Australia announces new position to protect high seas biodiversity
On 22 September, Australia announced a new position on fishing practices, including bottom trawling, which have destructive impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems in areas beyond national jurisdiction. The position includes a call for an immediate interim ban on bottom trawling in unmanaged areas of the high seas. United Nations General Assembly discussions on this issue commence on 2 October.
Australia is seriously concerned about the impact of a range of fishing activities on vulnerable high seas ecosystems, such as seamounts and cold-water corals.
We want to tackle this issue in a transparent and science-based way. As such, Australia is advocating stronger governance and management of all fishing practices which have destructive impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
At this year’s United Nations General Assembly, we are calling for:
- an immediate interim prohibition on bottom trawling in all unmanaged areas of the high seas; and
- regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs), existing or currently under development, to regulate fishing practices, including bottom trawling, which have destructive impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems. In the absence of such regulation by an agreed date, an interim prohibition should apply.
As part of our proposal, RFMOs will need to show, using the best scientific evidence available, that fishing activities will not cause significant damage to vulnerable ecosystems. This must be backed by strong compliance and enforcement measures.
We will be working closely with a number of countries to build support for our proposal at the United Nations General Assembly.
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