Appendix 7: Inquiries by Parliamentary Committees

The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee reported on the department’s proposed expenditure (Estimates Reports) in March and June, and tabled its Scrutiny of Annual Reports in March.

During the review period, the department made submissions to 10 parliamentary committee inquiries, as follows:

Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

• Bougainville: The Peace Process and Beyond, referred to Committee 14 December 1998

• Australia's Trade and Investment Relationship with South America, referred to Committee 31 March 1999

• Australia's Efforts to Promote and Protect Freedom of Religion and Belief, referred to Committee 28 April 1999

Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee

• Inquiry into Nuclear Weapon and Ballistic Missile Proliferation in South Asia, referred to Committee 28 May 1998

• Inquiry into Australia in relation to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), referred to Committee 26 June 1997; readopted 26 November 1998

• Inquiry into East Timor, referred to Committee 30 November 1998

• Inquiry to Examine Developments in Contemporary Japan and the Implications for Australia, referred to Committee 31 March 1998; readopted 26 November 1998

Joint Statutory Committee on Public Works

• Replacement Nuclear Research Reactor, Lucas Heights, NSW, referred to Committee 17 February 1999

• Australian Embassy, Berlin – Refurbishment of Heritage Buildings as a Chancery and Apartments, referred to Committee 17 February 1999

Joint Statutory Committee on Public Accounts and Audit

• Audit Report No. 44 1997–98, The Australian Diplomatic Communications Network – Project Management, referred to Committee 14 May 1999

Joint Standing Committee on Treaties

Departmental officers also appeared before the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties in respect of the following reports:

• Fifteenth Report, presented in June:

• The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption
• Denunciation of ILO Convention No. 9
• Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
• The Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances
• Amendment to the Basel Convention
• Films Co-Production Agreement with Ireland
• Amendment to the Agreement between Australia and New Zealand on Social Security
• Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement with Pakistan
• Headquarters Agreement with the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna
• The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction
• Fifth Protocol to the General Agreement on Trade in Services

• Sixteenth Report, presented in June:

• OECD Convention on Combating Bribery and Draft Implementing Legislation

• Seventeenth Report, presented in August:

• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

• Eighteenth Report, presented in March:

• Final Report on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment

• Nineteenth Report, presented in March:

• The Fifth Protocol to the General Agreement on Trade in Services
• International Telecommunications Union Final Acts of the World Radiocommunication Conference–Partial Revision of the Radio Regulations
• Implementing Arrangement with the European Atomic Energy Community Concerning Plutonium Transfers
• Treaty with the Government of Poland on Extradition
• Amendments to the Schedule to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
• Agreement on Medical Treatment for Temporary Visitors with the Government of New Zealand

• Twentieth Report, presented in March:

• Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and their Destruction
• Agreement on Mutual Recognition in relation to Conformity Assessment, Certificates and Markings between the European Community and Australia
• Protocol concerning the Peace Monitoring Group for Bougainville
• Development Cooperation Agreement with Indonesia
• Agreement between Australia and Ukraine on Trade and Economic Cooperation
• Agreement between Australia and Malaysia concerning the Status of Forces
• Agreement relating to the Movement of Nationals between Australia and France
• Agreement to Amend an Agreement on Health Services between Australia and the United Kingdom

• Twenty-first Report, presented in June:

• Treaty on Extradition between Australia and the Republic of South Africa
• Treaty between Australia and Sweden on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters
• Agreement between Australia and New Zealand concerning the Status of their Forces
• Agreement between Australia and the United States of America concerning Acquisition and Cross-servicing
• Agreement between the United States of America and Australia concerning Defense Communications Services

• Twenty-second Report, presented in June:

• Agreement on Investments with Lithuania
• Agreement on Investments with India
• Trade and Economic Relations with Fiji
• Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Conformity Assessment, Certificates and Markings with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway
• Amendments to the World Health Organization’s Constitution

Current Inquiries (Treaties)

• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

• Amendments to the Schedule of the International Whaling Convention

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