Multilateral policy, development, legal and environment

Programs 1.1, 1.2, 1.9 and 1.12

Overview

In the aftermath of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, we galvanised the UN Security Council (UNSC) to facilitate the swift passage of Resolution 2166. The resolution helped ensure access to the crash site for investigators, paving the way for the victims’ repatriation and underpinning efforts towards accountability.

In the final six months of our UNSC term, we worked with the Australian Federal Police to secure the passing, during our November 2014 presidency, of the first ever resolution to strengthen UN policing, Resolution 2185.

We were a driving force in the High Level Review of UN Sanctions, which will improve the global implementation of sanctions by ensuring fairness and consistency in the application of sanctions procedures.

We led on the policy and implementation of UNSC and Australian autonomous sanction regimes. We implemented expanded autonomous sanctions in response to Russia’s threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Following Fiji’s successful elections, we lifted all remaining sanctions in relation to Fiji. We increased our engagement with Australian business to ensure that sanction laws are administered diligently, but also in a way that facilitates trade wherever possible.

The Great Barrier Reef Taskforce, with the Department of the Environment, advocated successfully that the World Heritage Committee (WHC) not list the reef as ‘in danger’.

Advancing gender equality is an increasingly important priority across the full range of the department’s work. We supported the Ambassador for Women and Girls in her high-level advocacy across 13 countries, and promoted gender equality in the post-2015 development negotiations and the integration of gender issues across all Sustainable Development Goals.

We continued to promote regional cooperation on irregular migration, human trafficking and transnational crime challenges, including through developing a new Bali Process strategy.

We were active in the Universal Periodic Reviews undertaken by the Human Rights Council and led resolutions on National Human Rights Institutions, the independence of judges and lawyers and the death penalty.

In support of the UN’s peacekeeping efforts, Australia contributed $194.6 million to peacekeeping missions worldwide and, together with the Department of Defence and the Australian Federal Police, provided a submission to the UN’s peacekeeping operations review.

We provided legal and policy advice on multiple treaty negotiations including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the US Force Posture Agreement and the Australia–India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. We provided advice allowing Australia to respond swiftly to requests for military assistance to combat Daesh in Iraq, humanitarian assistance in Vanuatu following Tropical Cyclone Pam, and civilian deployments in Ukraine to provide consular and investigative assistance following the downing of MH17.

We advised on means to promote the rule of law and the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea, and worked with other agencies to embed principles from the International Court of Justice judgment into International Whaling Commission decision-making.

United Nations

We supported participation by the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Trade and Investment Minister in high-level forums, including the Leaders’ Week of the UN General Assembly’s 69th session. We funded the Australian UN Youth Representative’s participation in the Australian delegation to the UN General Assembly.

The department worked to support global stability and prevent and resolve conflict. Australia contributed $194.6 million to peacekeeping missions, making us the world’s 11th largest financial contributor. We contributed $3 million to the UN Peacebuilding Fund and $1.65 million to support the UN Department of Political Affairs.

Australia took up seats on the Executive Boards of the UN Development Programme and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) where we worked on initiatives to improve cohesion, coordination and value for money across the UN Funds and Programmes.

Staff in Canberra and Geneva engaged with a range of specialised UN agencies to promote Australia’s interests. We supported visits to Australia by the Universal Postal Union and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

We provided $1.1 million to further promote the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) concept in the region and globally, including through two regional conferences— in Phnom Penh, through our partnership with the Asia Pacific Centre for R2P; and in Jakarta, with the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other partners. We invested $0.9 million in partnerships with the International Crisis Group and the Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum, which deliver research and policy advice on effective approaches to conflict prevention.

The department actively contributed to the work of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on a diverse range of issues including the protection of cultural heritage, the safety of journalists and internet governance. The department’s Great Barrier Reef Taskforce (BRTF) collaborated with whole-of-government partners to advance Australia’s interests in the lead-up to UNESCO’s WHC meeting in Bonn.

The department provided funding to the United Nations Association of Australia for domestic outreach and education activities.

UN agencies

The department’s official development assistance delivered through UN agencies totalled approximately $616.9 million in 2014–15, making the United Nations one of the largest delivery partners for the Australian aid program. Some of this assistance is reported on below and a large proportion through geographic and thematic official development assistance (ODA) programs. (See also Progress against Australia’s development policy and performance framework.) Our funding supported the work of UN agencies to reduce poverty by promoting, among other things, jobs, governance, private sector engagement, women’s economic empowerment, maternal and child health services and primary education.

The department provided an estimated $157.1 million to the UN Development Programme to support democratic processes and economic empowerment. We worked with UNICEF to advance women and children’s rights and wellbeing, providing $75.6 million to assist its work on vaccinations, access to potable water and access to education.

We provided $7.5 million to UNAIDS to raise awareness of the special needs of populations with a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the Indo–Pacific region, reduce stigma and discrimination, and create enabling legal environments to provide recourse for those facing discrimination.

Our assistance to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support its General Programme of Work 2014–19 totalled $55.8 million. This funding also supported WHO’s response to the Ebola outbreak and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. We provided $20 million to the UN Population Fund to improve gender equality and reproductive health, and support the empowerment of women and girls in relation to family planning.

To support private sector investment, women’s empowerment and economic growth in our region, the department also contributed $10.1 million to the UN Capital Development Fund. This support helped deliver 48 financial product innovations with almost five million active savers using financial services in 2014 globally. Sixty-two per cent of borrowers were women.

UN Security Council

Australia concluded its two-year term on the UN Security Council in December 2014. We used our term to support Australia’s core national security interests, including reinforcing our key alliance and strategic relationships, and to enhance our international influence by making a practical, constructive contribution across the council’s agenda.

We brought an Indo–Pacific perspective to the UNSC’s work and ensured countries from our region stayed closely engaged with council decision-making. Our commitment to our term was underlined by the Foreign Minister’s regular engagement, as well as the Prime Minister’s participation in the September 2014 Leaders’ Week.

In the final six months of our term, UNSC membership allowed us to drive a strong international response to the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine on 17 July—an incident in which 38 victims who called Australia home were among the 298 killed. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Australia authored and led negotiations on UNSC Resolution 2166, adopted unanimously four days later, which condemned the downing of flight MH17. (See also Consular services.)

We helped the council overcome its deadlock on Syria to focus on the humanitarian and human rights dimensions of the conflict. The Australian-led Resolution 2165, the first of its kind, in July, authorised cross-border access for humanitarian relief to the people of Syria without the need for approval from the Syrian regime.

We kept the council focused on countering terrorism, violent extremism and the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters in support of our direct national security interests. During our November presidency, we led negotiations on an action plan to accelerate the implementation of obligations contained in Resolutions 2170 and 2178 on countering terrorism and disrupting funding to Daesh and Al-Qaida related entities, including the Al-Nusra Front.

In December 2014, we led efforts to have the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) discussed in the Council. This built on the work done by the commission of inquiry, led by former High Court judge, Michael Kirby, in documenting North Korean mass violations of human rights.

We brought greater global attention to policing in peacekeeping and peacebuilding by securing unanimous agreement to Resolution 2185—the first on UN policing. It established policing as integral to the UN’s peacebuilding work. The resolution also emphasised the role of women’s participation in policing and urged the deployment of more women in UN police missions.

As chair of the Al-Qaida, Taliban and Iran sanctions committees, we worked to update the UN system’s approach to sanctions. During our November presidency, Australia put forward a resolution to provide the UN system with a more effective sanctions capacity. Unfortunately, a UNSC consensus was not achievable and the resolution was withdrawn.

The department worked to increase the transparency of council decision-making through regular outreach to non-Council UN member states and civil society. For information summarising Australia’s term on the UN Security Council, search Australia on the UN Security Council at dfat.gov.au.

Human rights

The department led work on UN resolutions relating to National Human Rights Institutions, the independence of judges and lawyers and the death penalty. We supported work to promote and protect human rights in areas such as freedom of religion, freedom of expression and opinion, gender equality and on the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Intersex (LGBTI) persons and people with disabilities. As a member of the LGBTI Human Rights Core Group in New York, Australia contributed to advocacy, outreach and education and promoted the rights of the LGBTI community in relevant resolutions.

Australia was a strong global advocate for the total abolition of the death penalty. We were active on the General Assembly resolution on the moratorium on the death penalty, which attracted a record number of votes in support (117 countries voted yes, 37 voted no and 34 abstained).

In March 2015, Australia joined the Freedom Online Coalition, a group of countries committed to working together to support Internet freedom. We also joined the International Contact Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief, a cross-regional and interfaith group committed to promoting religious freedom and tolerance, as well as countering radicalisation, extremism and violence perpetrated in the name of religion.

We were an active voice at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and Third Committee on situations of human rights concern, including in North Korea, South Sudan, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine.

The department continued to engage strongly with the HRC’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. In the 2014–15 year, we participated in all 42 UPRs, recommending a wide range of reforms to national approaches to human rights to ensure countries fully respect and implement all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The department held Human Rights Dialogues with Vietnam in July 2014 and with Laos in March 2015. The dialogues are an important mechanism for conveying our human rights concerns and sharing experiences on human rights practices.

Australia supported UN technical assistance and capacity building in countries where human rights protection and promotion could be improved. We contributed $2.65 million to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, $400,000 of which funded a regional office in Fiji to provide technical support and assistance in our region.

In September 2014, Ms Bishop led Australia’s participation in the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. The conference resulted in a document setting out practical measures for promoting the principles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and strengthening UN engagement on indigenous issues.

The department developed an Indigenous peoples strategy to guide, monitor and assess the effectiveness of its work on indigenous issues. The strategy is supported by an operational-level guidance note to assist staff to deliver overseas aid programs that improve outcomes for Indigenous peoples.

Gender equality

The department promoted gender equality through the aid program and engagement with multilateral and regional organisations. We advanced the women, peace and security agenda in the UN Security Council and advocated the central place of gender equality in the post-2015 development negotiations.

On International Women’s Day (2015), Ms Bishop announced a new $15 million partnership with the World Bank to enhance women’s economic empowerment in Southeast Asia over the next four years. This partnership will support women entrepreneurs to access financial services and build their business skills, and will involve working with large companies to improve employment opportunities for women.

The Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja, provided high-profile advocacy in multilateral, regional and bilateral contexts (see video). Her visits to 13 countries, principally in the Indo–Pacific region, focused on improving opportunities for women’s participation in leadership, peacebuilding and the economy, and on encouraging new national and international commitments to end violence against women and girls and support survivors.

The ambassador co-hosted the inaugural Pacific Women Policy Makers’ Dialogue in Tonga, which developed recommendations for the promotion of women’s leadership across the Pacific. Her participation in Pacific Women’s Parliamentary Partnerships Forums held in Tonga (July 2014) and Fiji (April 2015) contributed to stronger regional approaches to parliamentary twinning arrangements and agreement on a set of priorities to strengthen legislative measures to end family violence. These activities are part of the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development Program.

The ambassador also co-hosted the inaugural Indian Ocean Rim Association Women’s Economic Empowerment Dialogue in Malaysia (August 2014). At the Australian-funded Pacific Women Business Leaders’ Dialogue in Fiji (November 2014), Ms Stott Despoja led work to promote regional private sector responses to violence against women.

Gender equality and women’s empowerment was either a principal or significant objective in 55 per cent of the department’s aid investments, some $2.4 billion. Most of these investments were in education and health care. Targeted investments were focused on ending violence against women, promoting women’s economic empowerment and enhancing women’s role in decision making, leadership and peacebuilding.

As part of the 2015–16 Budget, Ms Bishop announced the establishment of a Gender Equality Fund to accelerate support for gender equality in the Australian aid program. The fund will support investments aimed at advancing gender equality and fostering innovative work by private sector and non-government organisations, particularly women’s organisations.

The department provided $25.7 million to UN Women to improve the lives of women. We used our position on the UN Women executive board, including as vice president in 2014, to highlight challenges faced by women in our region and the importance of addressing violence against women.

Work is continuing on developing the department’s gender equality strategy. The strategy will include departmental foreign policy, economic diplomacy and development activities, as well as the corporate and human resource approach to promoting gender equality.

Climate change

We saw an increasing emphasis on climate change policy internationally in 2014–15. Key countries announced their intended post-2020 emission reduction targets, and negotiations intensified in the lead-up to the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris in December 2015, which will finalise a new global climate change agreement.

At the 20th UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Lima in December 2014, our delegation, led by Ms Bishop and supported by Mr Robb, engaged in negotiations on the new agreement and secured decisions to promote clarity of post-2020 targets. Australia continued to chair the Umbrella Group, a group of 10 countries with shared negotiating interests including the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada. In 2015, the Ambassador for the Environment and other department officials participated in the first multilateral assessment of progress toward Australia’s 2020 emissions reduction target.

The department worked closely with the UNFCCC Taskforce in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in formulating Australia’s post-2020 emissions reduction target. We undertook research to support government decision-making on the target, including economic modelling of the effects of other countries’ emissions reduction commitments.

We participated in a range of multilateral and regional climate change forums, including the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, the G20 and the UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit in New York in September 2014. Bilaterally, a milestone was the signing of an MOU on Climate Change Cooperation with China, following the 6th Australia–China Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Change in November 2014. Under the Australia–China Climate Change Partnership, Australia is providing expertise in measuring and reporting emissions to help China track its emissions more clearly. The department hosted climate change senior officials’ talks with Japan and New Zealand.

Through the aid program, the department continued to assist developing countries to build resilience to climate change. As part of this effort, in 2014, Ms Bishop announced Australia’s commitment of $200 million over four years to the Green Climate Fund, while underlining the fund’s need to work in the Pacific, and $93 million over four years to the Global Environment Facility. (See Environment / climate change.)

The department used its $3 million international climate change administered fund to support multilateral activities, including participation in the UNFCCC, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Climate Change Experts’ Group, and the Australia–China Climate Change Working Group. We helped countries in our region build capacity on climate change. Technical workshops helped Southeast Asian countries prepare their post-2020 emission reduction targets and we funded training for women from Pacific Island countries to increase their participation in climate negotiations.

Commonwealth

The department continued to work with the Commonwealth Secretariat (ComSec) to ensure reforms agreed by leaders at the 2011 and 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) are realised. Our agreed priorities include a one-day leaders’ retreat and ensuring the CHOGM agenda remains focused on a smaller number of priority issues. We are working closely with ComSec and Malta, hosts of CHOGM in November 2015, to deliver on these reforms.

We continue to chair the Executive Council of ComSec’s Board of Governors, which helps to maintain the focus on effective reform and activities through which the Commonwealth can add value.

In 2014–15, the department provided approximately $12 million to various Commonwealth organisations and activities through the Australian aid program. These included the Commonwealth Foundation, election monitoring, the Commonwealth Youth Program and the Commonwealth of Learning. Commonwealth organisations play an important role in promoting democracy, rule of law, human rights and inclusive growth and sustainable development among member states.

People smuggling, refugees, asylum and immigration

The department continued to lead diplomatic engagement efforts in support of Australia’s border protection policies. The People Smuggling Task Force, led by the Ambassador for People Smuggling Issues, Andrew Goledzinowski, guided Australia’s advocacy on countering people smuggling and human trafficking, as well as on Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB), with key international and regional partners. The department seconded officers to the OSB Joint Agency Task Force in support of international policy functions.

We maintained Australia’s close cooperation with regional resettlement partners Papua New Guinea and Nauru, and strengthened bilateral cooperation with source and transit countries across a range of areas, including disruption activities and returns programs. The department finalised an MOU with Cambodia on refugee resettlement in September 2014 and followed up by working closely with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection on its implementation.

Australia continued to promote regional cooperation on irregular migration challenges, including as co-chair of the Bali Process. We developed a new Bali Process strategy, with cooperation measures to combat trafficking in persons, strengthen border management and address the nexus between people smuggling, trafficking and transnational organised crime. The newly established Trafficking in Persons Working Group developed policy guides on identifying and assisting victims of trafficking, for use by practitioners and policymakers.

The department led Australia’s engagement at the Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean in Bangkok, on 29 May 2015, which focused on the need for regional responses, coordinated action against people smugglers, and attention to the root causes of irregular migration in the region. Australia was one of two countries to announce new funding to help address the push factors associated with irregular migration and to assist countries to manage this challenge.

Country information reports

The department published 18 country information reports during the year for decision-makers’ consideration under section 499 of the Migration Act 1958. The reports were prepared with regard to the existing caseload for decision-makers and focused on particular cohorts seeking protection in Australia at the time of writing. The reports drew on the department’s extensive in-country knowledge and other credible sources, including open source publications and interviews with community representatives and locally based organisations.

Payments to International Organisations

The department made payments totalling $320.5 million, consisting of $125.9 million to 30 international organisations and international treaty secretariats, including the United Nations, and $194.6 million to 16 UN peacekeeping operations. (See Appendix 12.) These payments were made in full and on time. The payments to international organisations do not include ODA payments.

Legal

Sea law, environment law and Antarctic policy

The department worked with other agencies to embed the principles of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment on whaling into International Whaling Commission procedures. This will ensure more robust scrutiny by the commission of scientific research proposals.

The department led negotiations with Timor-Leste to resolve our legal disputes and have proceedings before the ICJ discontinued. The department will continue to support the Timor Sea treaty framework.

We advised on means to promote the rule of law and the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes to address tensions in the South China Sea. This included provision of legal advice to inform government policy, and working with other agencies to develop appropriate operational guidance.

The department worked closely with international partners in achieving UN consensus to develop a global treaty to improve the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

We supported operational efforts to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing in the Southern Ocean and Indo–Pacific, resulting in regional partners taking action against IUU vessels.

The department advanced Australia’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean interests, negotiating a MOU with China to strengthen cooperation on science, logistics and governance in Antarctica.

Sanctions

As Australia’s sanctions regulator, we led the development, implementation and administration of UNSC and Australian autonomous sanctions regimes.

We represented Australia in all 15 UNSC Sanctions Committees and chaired the Al-Qaida, Iran and Taliban Sanctions Committees during our UNSC membership. We were a driving force in the UN High Level Review of Sanctions, which will improve the global implementation of UNSC sanctions and ensure fairness and consistency in UN sanctions procedures.

We conducted public consultations on, and implemented new sanctions in relation to, Russia, Crimea and Sevastopol. We implemented the lifting of sanctions in relation to Fiji and implemented amendments to existing sanctions regimes in relation to Burma, Central African Republic, Libya, North Korea, Somalia and Yemen.

We implemented asset freezes against three foreign terrorist fighters—Khaled Sharrouf, Mohamed Mahmoud Elomar and Neil Christopher Prakash, Australian citizens listed by the Foreign Minister for counter-terrorism targeted financial sanctions under UNSC Resolution 1373.

As part of its first evaluation of Australia in a decade, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) found Australia’s implementation of UNSC targeted financial sanctions against counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation financing to be technically compliant (the highest rating). We delivered capacity-building presentations on counter-terrorism financing to countries in the Asia–Pacific region.

The department provided responses to more than 280 informal inquiries and over 780 formal applications from business relating to sanctions permits. We effectively balanced proper administration of Australian sanction laws with our broader trade facilitation objectives.

We worked closely with business, academics and the legal community to build engagement and compliance with Australian sanction laws. We attracted over 400 participants from businesses, financial institutions and universities to public seminars throughout Australia and conducted tailored outreach to individual businesses and sectors particularly affected by the laws.

Transnational crime

The department conducted six seminars with Australian businesses and industry throughout Australia to boost awareness of obligations under Australia’s bribery and corruption laws, and to promote best practice in effective compliance and risk management.

We collaborated with regional and multilateral partners to assist Pacific Island states to respond to the security, social and economic threats posed by transnational crime. With strong Australian backing and financial support, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat commenced a threat assessment for the Pacific Islands region to identify the nature and scope of transnational organised crime, and to provide recommendations for addressing key challenges and gaps.

We continued building on our strong partnerships with countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific to combat transnational crime, leading delegations to ASEAN and Pacific Islands Forum officials’ meetings. We also partnered with the UNODC to enhance law enforcement and prosecutorial capacities to combat cybercrime and wildlife trafficking in Southeast Asia.

The department worked closely with Southeast Asian countries, as well as with Turkey, Iraq and Japan, to strengthen awareness of the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters and to highlight linkages between terrorism and transnational crime. We ensured measures to address the foreign terrorist fighters’ phenomenon were given prominence at the 13th UN Crime Congress in Doha in April 2015, and at the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna in May 2015.

At the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March 2015, we led a resolution aimed at promoting international cooperation on new psychoactive substances and amphetamine-type stimulants, such as ‘ice’. We also shared Australia’s evidence-based approach to drug policies at the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Thematic Debate on the World Drug Problem in May 2015. We partnered with the UNODC, WHO and the Union for International Cancer Control on a pilot project in Timor-Leste aimed at improving access to controlled drugs for medical purposes. Australia resumed its chairing, in January 2015, of the Southeast Asia and China Regional Dublin Group of donor countries supporting counter-narcotics efforts in the region.

We continued working closely with the Australian Federal Police in referring allegations of foreign bribery and other extra-territorial offences, particularly child sex and forced marriage offences, concerning Australians and Australian companies.

International law

The department supported Australia’s interests in a rules-based order and the progressive development of international law. We participated in a global initiative to strengthen compliance with international humanitarian law aimed at reducing suffering in times of conflict. We participated in the Tallinn Manual consultations, which will assess how international law applies to cyber operations.

We continued to support the work of our Permanent Mission to the United Nations on issues considered by the Sixth Committee (Legal), providing legal advice throughout the 27th, 28th and 29th Regular Sessions of the HRC.

The department helped shape the architecture which will govern the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty leading up to the First Conference of States Parties in 2015. We conducted inaugural bilateral legal talks with China and maintained an active program of other plurilateral and bilateral legal consultations.

The department provided policy and financial support to the International Criminal Court, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to support efforts to end impunity for the most serious crimes. We actively promoted universalisation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and facilitated the participation of the Foreign Minister in the Informal Ministerial Network for the International Criminal Court. We campaigned for the successful election of Australian Judge James Crawford to the International Court of Justice.

We provided legal advice to support military, humanitarian, consular, law enforcement and capacity-building activities in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Ukraine, Iraq, Vanuatu and Sierra Leone, and engaged actively with international law academics and practitioners to build their understanding of emerging international law norms.

Treaties

The department tabled 37 new or amended treaties in Parliament for review by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties. We facilitated the signing of 35 treaties, including the free trade agreements with Japan and China. We enabled consultation with Australian states and territories on treaties under negotiation, consideration and review, and advised government agencies on treaty policy and procedure, including through our annual training seminar for government officials.

Outlook

2015–16 promises to be another busy year across the multilateral system. We will engage on a number of major UN system-wide reviews underway on peacekeeping operations, the peacebuilding architecture and the anniversary of UNSC Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.

We will support ministerial attendance at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2015 and CHOGM in Malta in November 2015. We will conclude new partnership agreements with our key UN development partners.

The department will continue to work with other countries to further international cooperation on climate change, including through negotiations on the new global agreement to be concluded at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Paris in December 2015.

The department will continue to actively promote human rights internationally, including by participating in the HRC’s UPR of Australia in November 2015. The department will deepen its support for international civil society organisations advocating the abolition of the death penalty and continue to advocate abolition strongly in multilateral forums.

We will intensify our campaign for a seat on the HRC for the 2018–20 term, in preparation for the election in November 2017. Australia has not previously served on th HRC. Our candidacy is grounded in our strong human rights record and our credentials as a constructive, pragmatic and engaged multilateral player.

We will continue to lead diplomatic engagement efforts with bilateral, regional and multilateral partners to address irregular migration challenges.

We remain committed to the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2166 which supports a full, thorough and independent international investigation into the downing of MH17 and we will work with the international community to secure justice for the families of the victims.

As the lead government agency on sanctions, the department will continue to work proactively with business and other stakeholders to ensure Australian sanctions are effective and trade facilitative.

Australia is working closely with international partners in the lead up to the April 2016 UN General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem to promote responses to drug use which balance public health and law enforcement approaches.

We will continue to promote adherence to international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea. The department will co-lead, with the Department of Environment, the development of the Government’s 20 Year Plan for Antarctica, and negotiations on a new global UN treaty to improve conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. We will continue to support the Timor Sea treaty framework and defend the arbitration brought by Timor-Leste under the Treaty on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea.