News Stories - 19 Sep 07
APEC Economic Leaders Week
Australia’s hosting of APEC Economic Leaders Week has helped promote future economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and made an important contribution to responding to the global challenge of climate change. APEC achieved significant outcomes in a range of areas.
The APEC Economic Leaders Meeting was held in Sydney on 8-9 September, preceded by the APEC Ministerial Meeting on 5-6 September, under the theme, ‘Strengthening our Community, Building a Sustainable Future’.
The Sydney Declaration by APEC Leaders will help shape a more effective international global climate change approach which for the first time engages both key developed and developing economies in contributing to a global goal.
Leaders set key principles for future action, including: comprehensiveness; respect for national circumstances/flexibility; and the important roles of technology and forests and land-use.
These principles should be central to international efforts to develop a future climate change framework. The Sydney Declaration will be a key input to the UNFCCC meeting in Bali in December, and the US Major Economies Meeting (MEM) in September.
Leaders also set a bold climate change action agenda, a regional goal of reducing energy intensity by at least 25% by 2030, a regional goal of increasing forest cover in the region by 20 million hectares by 2020, and the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Network for Energy Technology (APNet) to strengthen collaboration on energy research.
Leaders pledged the political will, flexibility and determination to bring the WTO Doha Round negotiations to an early and successful conclusion.
Leaders committed to providing individual and collective leadership to improve the business environment.
This responded to the calls from the business sector expressed at the APEC Australia 2007 Business Summit held on 5-6 September in Sydney.
Leaders also issued a report which details a comprehensive range of concrete measures to accelerate regional economic integration, including:
- practical and incremental steps to examine the prospects for a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP); and
- a commitment to a new emphasis on structural reform/behind-the-border issues, which reflect the recognition that as tariff barriers decline other barriers such as competition and regulatory policies become more important; and
- measures to take forward the protection of IPR in the region, investment liberalisation, the strengthening of regional financial markets and the promotion of good governance.
Leaders and Ministers acknowledged that economic prosperity required regional stability and so reaffirmed the importance of APEC's human security agenda.
They agreed to cooperate in areas covering counter-terrorism, health, food safety, emergency preparedness and energy security. To further enhance APEC’s ability to respond to the needs of its members, Ministers endorsed several measures to strengthen APEC as an institution:
- a 30 per cent increase in membership contributions;
- establishing a policy support unit to boost the Secretariat's analytical and research capacity; and
- taking forward a proposal to appoint a fixed-term Executive Director to provide greater continuity and leadership.
In support of these outcomes, Mr Downer announced that Australia would provide $10 million over three years to seed the establishment of the Policy Support Unit, as well as a further $4.5 million over three years from AusAID for capacity building activities.
Leaders also agreed to extend the membership moratorium for a further three years in order to consolidate APEC's current reform agenda.
The strong outcomes from the APEC Economic Leaders Week reflected the sustained work Australia has undertaken throughout the year to bring together key elements of APEC’s disparate policy agenda, including from eight ministerial meetings.
In addition to APEC meetings, there were a series of high-level visits, including Heads of State or Government from Canada, China, Russia and the United States.
These visits resulted in a number of significant bilateral outcomes, including a $45 billion agreement to supply China with LNG, an Australia-US Treaty on Defence Export Cooperation, and an Australia-Russia Treaty on Nuclear Cooperation.
News Stories - 13 Sep 07
New climate change action in the Asia-Pacific region
Australia will commit $70.7 million in new funding for initiatives in the Asia-Pacific to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Government has now committed around $3.5 billion to addressing climate change.
On 2 September 2007 the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, announced funding for three initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region to help combat climate change. The funding includes:
- $5 million to establish an Asia-Pacific Network for Energy Technology (APNet);
- an additional $50 million to further support practical climate change action through the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (AP6), taking our total contribution to date to $150 million; and
- $15.7 million to help countries in our region increase their forest management expertise.
APNet will improve linkages between researchers in the Asia-Pacific region on emerging low emissions energy and energy efficient technologies, accelerating their development and contributing to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
The additional funding for the AP6, which will include support for projects under the Australia-China Joint Coordination Group on Clean Coal Technologies, will help stimulate further private sector investment in large-scale clean energy technologies.
A new initiative, the $15.7 million Asia-Pacific Forestry Skills and Capacity Building Programme, will assist regional countries in improving the ability of their forests to capture and store carbon dioxide and developing the technical capacity to manage their forests sustainably.
The new programme will complement action being taken under the Australian-led Global Initiative on Forests and Climate, to which the Government has already committed $200 million.
Australia-Russia Nuclear Agreement signed
Australia and Russia have signed an Agreement on Cooperation in the use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes.
On 7 September the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, and Head of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom), Sergey Kiriyenko, signed a new nuclear cooperation agreement during the APEC meeting in Sydney.
Australia and Russia already have a bilateral safeguards agreement – concluded in 1990 and still in force.
The 1990 Agreement allows processing (e.g. enrichment) of Australian uranium in Russia for third countries, but does not allow for use of Australian uranium in Russia, for example, in nuclear reactors.
Use of Australian uranium in Russian reactors requires an expansion of the 1990 Agreement.
The new Agreement will build on the strict safeguards conditions contained in the current agreement with Russia, and Australia’s other safeguards agreements.
It will also include broader scope for cooperation in areas such as peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
Opening up the expanding Russian export market to Australian uranium exports will benefit Australian uranium producers and consolidate Australia’s position as a secure supplier of energy resources.
Russia’s electricity needs are expected to increase considerably over the coming decades. Meeting this increasing demand through the use of very low greenhouse gas emitting technologies such as nuclear will have clear environmental benefits.
Australia leads by example in the application of strict safeguards. Having the world’s largest low-cost uranium resources gives Australia substantial leverage in promoting non-proliferation objectives.
Indonesian Forests Partnership to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions will be cut by around 700 million tonnes over 30 years under a new agreement between the governments of Australia and Indonesia.
The Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership was announced on 9 September by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, and the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull.
It is the largest greenhouse abatement project to flow so far from the Australian Government's Global Initiative on Forests and Climate, and an example of Australia's practical and cooperative international approach to addressing climate change.
The Partnership aims to preserve 70,000 hectares of peat land forests in Indonesia's Kalimantan region, re-flood 200,000 hectares of dried peat land and plant up to100 million new trees on rehabilitated peat land for conservation purposes.
It has the potential to reduce greenhouse gases by a greater amount than Australia's total annual emissions. Australia will contribute up to $30 million to the Partnership, which aims to raise up to $100 million in funding over four years by working with other countries, international non-government organisations and the private sector.
The partnership has already attracted financial backing from BHP Billiton, which has joined as a founding partner and will focus its contribution on the protection of forested peat lands of high conservation value.
Mr Downer and his Indonesian counterpart, Dr Hassan Wirajuda, signed a declaration of intent to establish the Partnership on 9 September in Sydney, in the presence of Indonesia's President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Kalimantan contains one of the world's largest intact areas of forest and six per cent of global land-based biodiversity.
It also contains a large proportion of Indonesia's peat lands, which store at least six times as much carbon per hectare than forests on mineral soils.
The Global Initiative on Forests and Climate was launched in March in 2007 by the Australian Government.
Part of the Government's $3.5 billion climate change strategy, it aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from global deforestation, support new forest planting, promote sustainable forest management, and encourage action by other countries.
Australia-China Strategic Dialogue established
Australia and China have announced the establishment of an annual bilateral Strategic Dialogue.
During his visit to Australia for APEC week, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister John Howard announced the establishment of an annual Australia-China Strategic Dialogue.
The first meeting of the Strategic Dialogue will take place between Australian and Chinese foreign ministers during the next bilateral visit in 2008. The new Dialogue will enable more in-depth bilateral engagement and generate greater understanding between Australia and China on the full range of regional and global strategic issues of mutual interest. It will complement the high-level dialogues Australia has with China on trade, economic, consular and human rights issues.
News Stories - 6 Sep 07
Mr Downer’s visit to East Timor
Mr Downer visited East Timor on 30 August to meet members of the new government, led by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, and announced a $214 million four-year enhanced assistance package.
During his 30 August visit to East Timor, Mr Downer met President Jose Ramos-Horta, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, Foreign Minister Zacarias da Costa, President (Speaker) of the Parliament Fernando “Lasama” d’Araujo, and Fretilin Secretary-General Mari Alkatiri he welcomed the peaceful conduct of East Timor’s presidential and parliamentary elections and looked forward to working closely with Prime Minister Gusmao and his government.
Mr Downer announced an enhanced package of assistance to East Timor, estimated at $214 million over four years, comprising:
- $24 million to build a technical and vocational training system within East Timor;
- $75 million for improved health, water and sanitation in rural areas;
- $75 million to improve economic management and help East Timor deliver its capital works program; and
- $40 million to strengthen East Timor’s legal system.
He reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to support stability and security in East Timor, and discussed the security situation and future role of the Australian-led International Security Force (ISF) with the East Timorese leadership and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG), Atul Khare.
He reiterated the importance of all parties working together constructively and refraining from violence to enable East Timor to move forward in addressing its challenges.
Aid to Afghanistan boosted
Australia will significantly increase its aid to Afghanistan by providing an additional $115 million over two years to improve economic development, governance and security.
Australia’s new aid package to Afghanistan will reinforce the progress being made by Australia’s militarily-led reconstruction effort in Oruzgan Province – one of the neediest parts of Afghanistan. It will improve the delivery of essential services such as health and education, strengthen agricultural production and help build security and stability in Afghanistan and adjoining areas of Pakistan.
The additional commitment will strengthen the capacity of both the national and provincial-level governments in Afghanistan to deliver services and help fill the vacuum which has been exploited by extremists and drug traffickers. The new aid package will include approximately $20 million to be used to help boost governance and security in the tribal areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan.
The package will also include approximately $15 million to be spent on the border regions of both countries in assisting refugees and internally displaced persons to return home safely and increasing border management capacity. Australia recognises the vital importance of serious and sustained international support for the Government of Afghanistan in building a stable and prosperous future for its people.
Australia remains committed to helping defeat the Taliban insurgency and preventing Al Qaeda re-establishing a terrorist safe-haven in Afghanistan.
With some 970 Australian Defence Force personnel deployed and as a substantial donor, Australia is making a vital contribution to bringing security and development to the people of Afghanistan.
Australia will remain steadfast in its support for Afghanistan and will continue to work with our international partners to prevent the country from again becoming a haven for terrorists.