Appendix 1:
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio Budget Statements 2015–16:
outcomes, objectives and deliverables

Program 1.1: Foreign affairs and trade operations

Objectives:

• To protect and advance the national interest through engaging in effective advocacy in Australia and overseas that promotes Australia’s foreign, trade and investment, tourism, development and international security interests.
• To deliver accurate and timely policy advice to ministers and other key clients that addresses the challenges of an evolving international environment.
• To promote a whole-of-government approach in pursuit of Australia’s interests abroad, including through leadership at overseas missions and coordination of the overseas diplomatic network.
• To ensure the security and protect the dignity of the diplomatic and consular corps serving in Australia by delivering a quality service and upholding Australia’s obligations under the Vienna Conventions.

Deliverables:

• Australia’s foreign, trade and investment, tourism, development, and international security policy interests and international standing are advanced through:
  • strengthened key international relationships, including a strong alliance and economic ties with the United States, and high-level political and economic engagement with Japan, China, India, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia and other countries of South-East Asia;
  • enhanced engagement with Pacific island countries, including deepening our partnership with Papua New Guinea, supporting normalisation of relations with Fiji and supporting capacity building in the Solomon Islands;
  • a stronger partnership with the European Union and key European countries, and continued close ties with New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada;
  • sustained engagement with South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Turkey to meet shared challenges and to promote global and regional stability, security and prosperity;
  • strong participation in the United Nations and other multilateral fora, advocacy of human rights, gender equality and promotion of sustainable development and effective international action on climate change and other environmental outcomes;
  • contribution to enhanced regional architecture through the East Asia Summit (EAS), dialogue with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey and Australia);
  • promotion of high-quality public diplomacy, international media and cultural visit programs which improve understanding of Australia and Australian Government foreign and trade policies; and
  • measurable influence on the agenda of key multilateral tourism fora to align with the Australian Government’s priorities under Tourism 2020 and strengthen bilateral tourism relationships with important tourist markets such as China and India.
• Australia’s trade and investment opportunities are maximised, including through:
  • negotiating, finalising and implementing Australia’s free trade agreement (FTA) agenda and exploring opportunities for FTAs with other trading partners;
  • enhancing Australia’s commitment to regional trade negotiations, including the Trans Pacific Partnership, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and PACER Plus;
  • effective participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO), including working with other WTO Members to conclude the negotiations of the Doha Round, leadership of the Cairns Group of agricultural exporting countries, and to promote and defend Australia’s interests through means such as WTO dispute settlement; and
  • implementing the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation, negotiating the Trade in Services Agreement, and negotiating the Environmental Goods Agreement.
• An enhanced environment for security and development, including through:
  • effective whole of government efforts to promote international stability and development;
  • promotion of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and counter-proliferation and arms control efforts, including as chair of the Australia Group;
  • participation in counter-terrorism programs and activities, including in South Asia, South-East Asia, the Middle East, eastern and West Africa, and in the Global Counter Terrorism Forum; and
  • contribution to whole of government efforts bilaterally and regionally to counter people smuggling and human trafficking, including through the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime.
• Australia’s international and portfolio responsibilities are met through:
  • effective coordination and sound advice to Ministers, members of parliament, government agencies, state and territory governments, business, non-government organisations, media and members of the public;
  • sound advice on compliance with international legal obligations and contribution to the development of a strong international legal framework;
  • effective leadership of, and provision of advice and support to, other government agencies at overseas missions in line with the Prime Minister’s Directive on the Guidelines for the Management of the Australian Government Presence Overseas and service level agreements;
  • quality service to the diplomatic and consular corps in Australia, including the processing of agrément, visas and accreditation; provision of airport facilitation, tax concessions, and reciprocal working agreements; consideration of mission, post and office establishment; and management of privileges and immunities in accordance with the Vienna Conventions; and
  • administration of the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation National Interest Account.

 

Program 1.2: Official Development Assistance

Objective:

To promote Australia’s national interests by contributing to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.

Deliverables:

• The Australian Government’s aid policy, Australian aid: promoting prosperity, reducing poverty, enhancing stability is shaping the way we deliver our official development assistance. It focuses on two development outcomes: supporting private sector development and strengthening human development.
• Investments will be focused on priority areas:
  • infrastructure, trade facilitation and international competitiveness;
  • agriculture, fisheries and water;
  • effective governance through policies, institutions and functioning economies;
  • education and health;
  • building resilience through humanitarian assistance, disaster risk reduction and social protection; and
  • gender equality and empowering women and girls.

 

Program 1.3: Official Development Assistance—Multilateral Replenishments

Objective:

• To assist developing countries by contributing to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction through contributions to multilateral organisations.

Deliverable:

• Australia’s aid program objectives will be advanced through our work with multilateral organisations. Their reach, leverage, specialisation and other strengths play a critical role in helping Australia to meet its international development objectives.

 

Program 1.4: Official Development Assistance—East Asia: AIPRD

Objective and deliverable:

• To continue to assist Indonesia in reconstruction and development in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

 

Program 1.5: Payments to International Organisations

Objective:

• To advance Australia’s foreign, trade and investment, development and international security interests through participation in international organisations.

Deliverables:

• Australian membership of international organisations and international treaty secretariats through payments of assessed and voluntary contributions.
• Effective participation in the United Nations and its specialised agencies, the World Trade Organization and other multilateral fora in support of Australia’s foreign, trade and economic, development and international security interests.
• To assist developing countries reduce poverty and lift living standards through sustainable economic growth by providing contributions to UN and other international organisations.

 

Program 1.6: New Colombo Plan—transforming regional relationships

Objective:

• Australia’s interests and bilateral relationships are enhanced through enduring people to people, institutional and business links with the Indo–Pacific region.

Deliverable:

• Full implementation of the New Colombo Plan in 38 Indo–Pacific locations, fostering closer people to people and institutional links and contributing to an overall increase in the number of Australian undergraduate students undertaking study and internships in the region.

 

Program 1.7: Public Information Services and Public Diplomacy

Objective:

• To project a positive and contemporary image of Australia and promote a clear understanding of government policies and objectives and engagement with the Indo–Pacific region through the department’s public diplomacy, cultural and media activities.

Deliverables:

• Promotion of people to people links and a contemporary and positive image of Australia as a destination for business, investment, tourism and study and support for the Government’s international policy goals.
• Advancement of Australia’s national interests through new approaches which engage audiences on contemporary Australia and facilitate networks, collaboration and connections between people and institutions to build understanding, trust and influence.

 

Program 1.8: Programs to Promote Australia’s International Tourism Interests

The functions captured by this program are the responsibility of other portfolio agencies (Austrade and Tourism Australia).

Program 2.1: Consular services

Objective:

• To support and assist Australian travellers and Australians overseas through high-quality consular services, including accurate and timely travel advice, practical contingency planning and rapid crisis response.

Deliverables:

• High-quality consular services to an increasing number of Australian travellers and Australian citizens living overseas, including notarial services and assistance with welfare issues, whereabouts enquiries, arrest or detention matters, deaths, medical emergencies and payment of travellers emergency loans to Australians in need.
• High-quality travel advisory services, including issuing accurate and timely travel information on travel destinations, promoting this information through the continuation of the Smartraveller campaign and effectively managing an online travel registration service.
• Effective consular contingency planning for major events or high-risk scenarios, including through regular reviews of procedures and available resources, training of staff, and coordination with other government agencies and foreign governments.
• Coordination of whole-of-government responses to large-scale crises involving conflict, civil unrest, natural disasters or terrorist incidents.

Program 2.2: Passport services

Objective:

• To provide Australians access to secure international travel documentation through the delivery of high-quality passport services.

Deliverables:

• High-quality passport services to Australians, including processing new passport applications, registering lost or stolen passports, issuing emergency passports, and detecting passport fraud.
• Maintenance of security standards, promotion of web-enabled services, and adherence to the client service commitment of passport issue, while effectively managing an increasing workload.
• Ongoing implementation of the National Security—Improved Passport Integrity and Strengthened Issuance Systems program.

Program 3.1: Foreign Affairs and Trade Security and IT

Objectives:

• To ensure a secure Australian Government presence overseas for personnel, assets and information by sustaining and improving physical and operational security.
• To strengthen information and communications technology (ICT) capability at Australia’s missions overseas and DFAT offices in Australia.

Deliverables:

• Strengthened physical and operational security mitigation measures commensurate with the evolving international security environment.
• Protection of official information through effective management of ICT systems, security vetting processes, and security training to ensure high standards of security awareness and vigilance.
• Continued progress in moving the department’s ICT systems infrastructure to a common platform that can be more efficiently integrated and supported, and implementation of key elements of the Government’s ICT Reform Program and ICT elements of the Government’s national security policy and objectives.
• High-quality overseas ICT services to other government agencies.
• Ongoing implementation of the International Communications Network—upgrade program.

Program 3.2: Overseas Property

Objective:

• To ensure a secure Australian government presence overseas through the effective management of the Commonwealth’s overseas owned estate and of the contracts for the leased estate.

Deliverables:

• Efficient and effective management and delivery of a substantial construction and refurbishment program in the overseas property estate, including:
  • completion of the Jakarta chancery; and
  • commencement of planning to construct a new chancery in Washington DC.
• Efficient and effective management of the overseas property estate to meet the Government’s requirements and maintain conditions and service capabilities.
• Effective management of outsourced property contract arrangements.