This week in Australian foreign affairs: new cooperation between Australia and the UK on climate and energy; first deployment of the new Pacific Police Support Group takes place in Samoa; additional humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, and more.

On 25 October, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) Sir Keir Starmer to announce new cooperation between Australia and the UK on climate and energy. The two leaders “agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation on climate change and energy by negotiating a dynamic new partnership. The Australia–UK Climate and Energy Partnership will focus on the development and accelerated deployment of renewable energy technologies, such as green hydrogen and offshore wind, to support the economic resilience and decarbonisation goals of both countries.” The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa, and is the first meeting between the two since the election of the Starmer Government.

Albanese joined other Pacific leaders on 26 October to mark the first deployment of the new Pacific Police Support Group, part of the Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI), backed by Australia and endorsed by Pacific Island Forum leaders in August 2024. “The Pacific Police Support Group is a new multi-country police capability ready to respond to emergencies or assist during major events, at the request of a Pacific Island Forum Government.” According to the statement, “PPI is a Pacific-led initiative designed to strengthen policing capacity and coordination in the region,” and has three pillars – regional police training Centres of Excellence, the Pacific Police Support Group and a Pacific Policing Development and Coordination Hub, based in Brisbane. Australia has committed approximately $400 million over five years to the Pacific Policing Initiative.

On 25 October, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong joined Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy to announce additional humanitarian assistance to Lebanon. “Australia will provide a further $10 million in humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected civilians in Lebanon,” to be delivered “through United Nations partners to address immediate and emerging needs, including access to food, shelter, healthcare and other critical services.” This brings total humanitarian assistance to Gaza and Lebanon to AUD$94.5 million. According to the statement, “around 800,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon by the conflict between Israel and Hizballah. Emergency shelters have been overwhelmed and humanitarian workers killed.”

On 30 October, Wong joined Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Murray Watt to announce that Australia has joined global conventions to protect workers’ rights and safety. “Australia has now ratified all ten International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Fundamental Conventions,” noted the statement, “reaffirming the Albanese Government’s commitment to protect workers’ rights and safety. The final Fundamental Convention–Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention 187–was ratified by Australia on 29 October “in a tripartite ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland, with representatives of the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.”

Minister for Trade and Tourism and Special Minister of State Don Farrell joined Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri Mccarthy on 30 October to announce a historic new Partnership to support greater participation and economic opportunities for First Nations people and businesses in Australia’s tourism industry. The First Nations Visitor Economy Partnership comprises of First Nations tourism industry representatives from the states and territories, and “will provide leadership and guidance on respectfully embedding Australia’s rich cultural heritage in our tourism offerings.” The Partnership is funded for two years through the National Indigenous Australians Agency’s Indigenous Advancement Strategy.

On 31 October, Farrell released a statement to announce a new surge in Australia-Vietnam tourism. According to the statement, “tourist numbers from Vietnam have grown significantly following the pandemic, with nearly 178,000 visitors from Vietnam visiting Australia in the 12 months to August 2024.” Vietnam has become “Australia’s fastest-growing inbound market and more Australians travelling to Vietnam than prior to the pandemic.” Additional funding by the Albanese government has contributed to initiatives designed to attract more visitors from Vietnam, including the Vietnam Host Program, and a new addition to the suite of online training courses delivered by the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC).

Dr Adam Bartley is the managing editor for AIIA’s Australian Outlook and weekly columnist for The Week in Australian Foreign Affairs. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and non-resident fellow at the Elliot School for International Affairs, the George Washington University. Adam also has positions as post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation RMIT University  and as program manager of the AI Trilateral Experts Group. He can be found on Twitter here.

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