Output 3.1—International Policy

Page Index

• Qualitative assessment
• Key results

Qualitative assessment

Methodology

In 2003-04 the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's Office, the Secretary and the departmental Executive continually provided feedback on the quality of the International Division's work. This feedback took a variety of forms, including regular meetings and discussions, and responses to written advice submitted by the division. More formal feedback was also provided through the department's Performance Appraisal and Development scheme.

Feedback

The Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's Office, the Secretary and the departmental Executive provided positive feedback across the range of the division's work on international issues. The feedback complimented our support for the Prime Minister's overseas visits, as well as the briefings given to the Prime Minister on topics raised by high-level overseas visitors.

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Key results

The period from July 2003 to June 2004 confirmed the strong trend towards an expanded and prominent role for Australia in global affairs. The war against terrorism continued to have a key influence in shaping foreign policy decisions, particularly with regard to Australia's engagement in Iraq following the cessation of formal hostilities there in May 2003. The period was notable for major achievements in the trade arena, including the conclusion of bilateral free trade agreements with the United States and Thailand.

The Prime Minister completed his term as Chairman-in-Office of the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, where leaders reaffirmed Zimbabwe's suspension. Australia also stepped up its engagement with the Pacific region, most significantly by leading the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), concluding an Enhanced Cooperation Package with Papua New Guinea and driving reform of the Pacific Islands Forum. The Prime Minister was therefore required to maintain a considerable programme of overseas commitments in the pursuit of the policy agendas outlined above.

By providing expert advice to the Prime Minister and participating in the development of whole-of-government approaches to major foreign policy endeavours, the International Division contributed to government initiatives and outcomes, as described below.

Australia's engagement in Iraq

During the reporting period, the division continued to participate in the whole‑of-government approach to Australia's engagement in Iraq. This included taking part in the standing interdepartmental taskforce on Iraq, and supporting the Secretaries' Committee on National Security and the National Security Committee of Cabinet as they considered issues arising from that engagement.

The division also coordinated the Prime Minister's visits to Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar in April 2004, which provided an opportunity for him to demonstrate Australia's commitment to the international coalition working to stabilise and rehabilitate Iraq. We provided briefings to support the Prime Minister's June 2004 visit to the United States, where he continued discussions with President George W Bush on international security issues.

Memorial ceremonies

The first anniversary of the 12 October 2002 terrorist attacks in Bali, Indonesia, was an important symbolic event for Australia and a particular focus for the Prime Minister. The division provided policy advice and other assistance for the Prime Minister's attendance at the service held in Bali to commemorate the anniversary, and was also involved in arranging the commemorative service held at Parliament House in Canberra on 16 October 2003.

The division also provided support for other commemorative events involving the Prime Minister, including his dedication, in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen and United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair, of the new Australian War Memorial in London in November 2003. At the invitation of France's President Jacques Chirac, the Prime Minister participated in ceremonies held in June 2004 in Normandy to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of D-day. As part of the anniversary, we facilitated the process leading to 10 Australian D-day veterans being awarded France's highest medal, the Legion of Honour.

International trade

The division continued to support the government's substantial agenda for international trade during the year, including by providing advice to assist the Prime Minister in:

• bringing to a conclusion the negotiations on the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement in February 2004, and coordinating the whole‑of-government approach to its Australian implementation
• finalising negotiations on the Australia-Thailand Free Trade Agreement in October 2003, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting held in Bangkok
• advancing a whole-of-government approach to multilateral trade, under the World Trade Organisation's Doha round of negotiations
• furthering economic ties with key Asian partners, through the signing of trade and economic frameworks with Japan, during the Prime Minister's visit to Tokyo in July 2003, and with China, during President Hu Jintao's visit to Australia in October 2003.

The Commonwealth

The Prime Minister continued to play a strong role as Chairman-in-Office of the Commonwealth and Chairman of the leaders' troika on Zimbabwe in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, in December 2003. The division provided substantial policy advice to the Prime Minister that helped him to secure a consensus decision to endorse the continued suspension of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth.

The Pacific region

The government consolidated its active foreign policy approach to the Pacific region during the reporting period. This was demonstrated most vividly by the launching of RAMSI at the invitation of the Solomon Islands Government in July 2003. The division supported the deputy secretary-level Solomon Islands Coordination Group—chaired by the department—which was established to ensure cross-portfolio coordination in the development of policy underpinning the initial stages of RAMSI. We have since participated in the elaboration of RAMSI's policy goals in the areas of law and order, economic management and government accountability.

The division briefed the Prime Minister in preparation for his visits to Honiara in August and December 2003 and in advance of the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza's reciprocal visit to Canberra in March 2004.

Ministers from Australia and Papua New Guinea agreed on the need for a wide-ranging Enhanced Cooperation Package for Papua New Guinea in December 2003, with the treaty governing the package signed in June 2004. The division helped to coordinate a whole-of-government approach to the development of the package. We participated actively in developing the policy underpinning discussions with the Papua New Guinea Government on the details of the package's implementation, particularly in the areas of policing and public sector reform.

The Prime Minister played a strong leadership role at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting held in Auckland, New Zealand, in August 2003. Leaders endorsed the RAMSI intervention, and agreed to examine ways to increase the forum's effectiveness, particularly by pooling regional resources.

The division helped formulate the Prime Minister's Pacific initiatives, including the announcement of key programmes on policing, transport, HIV/AIDS and sporting needs. We also briefed the Prime Minister in preparation for his return to Auckland in April 2004 to attend the special retreat at which Pacific Islands Forum leaders strongly endorsed the 2003 blueprint for reform.

Overseas visits and visitors

The Prime Minister hosted successful and simultaneous visits by President Bush and President Hu in October 2003. It was unprecedented to have two such high-level visits within a 24-hour period. Accordingly, the division contributed substantial policy and planning support for the events. Each president addressed a joint sitting of parliament: in his response to President Bush, the Prime Minister emphasised Australia's commitment to the United States-led war against terrorism; in responding to President Hu's address, he emphasised Australia's commitment to a mature and practical relationship with China.

As the preceding sections describe, the division provided a wide range of advice, briefing and support for the Prime Minister's busy programme of overseas travel during 2003-04. More details of the dates and destinations of that travel are provided in the report on performance for Output 4.7.