Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP will lead the Australian delegation attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting between 23-26 June, in Kigali, Rwanda. Deputy Prime Minister Marles will be joined by the Hon Pat Conroy MP, who will be undertaking his first overseas visit as Minister for International Development and the Pacific.

In accordance with section 15 of the Charter of the United Nations Act 1945 (Cth) (the Act), the Minister for Foreign Affairs (the Minister) has previously listed, by legislative instrument, persons and entities upon being satisfied on reasonable grounds.

A historic new deal on fisheries subsidies was agreed at the World Trade Organization early on 17 June at the 12th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva, at WTO Headquarters.

Susan Templeman MP will attend as an observer the first Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on 21-23 June in Vienna.

Australia will provide $50 million in Official Development Assistance to support Sri Lanka meet urgent food and healthcare needs.

Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell, and Assistant Minister for Trade, Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, welcomed the strong outcomes achieved at the 12^th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva today.

The Australian Government notes the decision of the United Kingdom Home Secretary to extradite Julian Assange to the United States.

At Solomon Islands' request, Australia will deliver up to 200,000 paediatric COVID-19 vaccine doses, under Australia's pledge to support the Solomon Islands Government to administer COVID-19 vaccines to protect its citizens.

Minister for Trade and Tourism Senator the Hon Don Farrell and the Assistant Minister for Trade Senator the Hon Tim Ayres met with their counterparts from the Pacific in the margins of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva.

Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell is pleased to announce the conclusion of Australia’s market access negotiations with Timor-Leste as part of its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The Australian Government is working to advance Australia’s free trade agreement negotiations with India and the European Union (EU).

Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell was delighted to meet with United States Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva on 13 June.

Aotearoa New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong, met in Wellington today for the biannual Australia - Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Minister Consultations.

Australia will provide an initial $675,000 to assist Kiribati respond to the country’s severe drought. The funding commitment follows the Kiribati Government’s declaration of a State of Disaster on 13 June.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong will travel to New Zealand and Solomon Islands to reinforce our close friendships and cooperation in our region. This is Penny's third visit to the Pacific since being sworn in last month.

In his opening address, Minister Farrell advocated for a WTO pandemic response, agricultural reform, an agreement to limit subsidies that undermine fish stocks, and a mandate to reform the WTO.

Ahead of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12), the Australian Government announces its $2.9 million contribution to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF).

The Australian Government rejects this week’s court ruling in Myanmar against Australian Professor Sean Turnell.

Australia strongly condemns North Korea's launch of eight ballistic missiles this week – which violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions and undermines the global non-proliferation regime.

The reference to a contractor in the Canberra Times article of 30 May 2022 incorrectly states that the individual was employed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and had access to sensitive information from within the department.

On Wednesday, 1 June, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong will travel to Samoa and Tonga, to renew and strengthen Australia's deep ties of friendship and family.

Today marks one year since Australian citizen, Dr Yang Jun, faced a closed trial in Beijing on national security charges. One year on, Dr Yang is yet to learn the outcome. The Australian Government is very concerned about this delay. 

Professor Anne Orford and Associate Professor Rain Liivoja have been appointed as DFAT’s Visiting Legal Fellows for 2022-2023.

On Thursday, 26 May, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong will travel to Fiji to strengthen our Vuvale partnership and to discuss how we can best secure our region and help build a stronger Pacific family.

On 24 May 2022, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida hosted the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo. Leaders acknowledged progress the Quad had made, and announced further Quad initiatives on health security, climate change, maritime domain awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, cyber, space and infrastructure.

On 23 May 2022, Australia joined the United States and 11 other partner countries in launching the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

“We express our unwavering support for APEC and are fully committed to helping Thailand, as APEC Chair in 2022, deliver a successful host year. 

On 6 May, Australian and Chinese officials held bilateral virtual talks on the Pacific.

The 13th meeting of the India-Australia Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism was held in person on 4 May, 2022.

The First RCEP Joint Committee (RJC) met virtually on 26-27 April 2022, co-chaired by Indonesia and New Zealand. Australia’s delegation was led by Ms Juliana Nam, Assistant Secretary, FTA Policy and Implementation Branch, Regional Trade Agreements Division.

The Australian Government has imposed targeted financial sanctions on a further 147 individuals in response to Russia’s illegal war, comprising Russian senators and family members of President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov.

Australia is deeply disappointed by the signing of a security cooperation agreement between Solomon Islands and China, announced by the Chinese Government.

The federal election has been announced and will be held on 21 May 2022. If you’ll be overseas on this date, it’s important that you plan ahead to ensure your vote is counted.

Further information on options available to Australians voters overseas is available on the Australian Electoral Commission and Smartraveller websites

Australia will provide $2.5 million to boost food security in Sri Lanka through the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The Australian Government and the Government of the Republic of Vanuatu have reached an important milestone, signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the long-term operation of the Pacific Fusion Centre in Port Vila.

Australia will partner with the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence to help strengthen NATO's capacity to address hybrid threats and to counter disinformation.

The Australian Government has decided to impose targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on a further 67 individuals for their role in Russia’s unprovoked, unjust and illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The Australian Government is pleased to host India's Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal during his visit to Australia.

The fifth meeting of the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA) Joint Committee was convened virtually on 5 April 2022.

The Australian Government has now ratified the most contemporary international labour standard to address forced labour, reflecting its longstanding commitment to combatting modern slavery in all of its insidious forms. 

The Australian Government will prohibit the export of luxury goods to Russia, including wine, high value cosmetics and parts for luxury vehicles.

Australia will prohibit the export of certain luxury goods to Russia from 7 April 2022.

I will travel tomorrow to Brussels for a meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers to discuss our coordinated international response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and other global security challenges.

Reforms to benefit employers, workers and countries alike under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme have been announced by the Australian Government.