This week in Australian Foreign Affairs, the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of September 11, the Defence Minister’s visit to the United Kingdom, new legislation building upon the Government’s world-leading social media age ban, and more.
Early in the week, the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) held a public hearing as part of their inquiry into the Australia-Canada Treaty seeking to strengthen the countries’ agreements surrounding customs enforcement. Referred to the Committee in June this year, proposing to modernise the 1987 customs cooperation framework, the hearing included evidence presented by the Australian Border Force and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, followed by a discussion on privacy, surveillance and legislative safeguards.
On 8 September, the Australian Government released draft legislation for its Digital Duty of Care for targeted consultation, representing the next step following Australia’s world-leading social media age ban. The new laws set standards around the features and tools used by digital services providers to ensure safe digital environments and that users are protected from harmful content. The legislation also includes the ‘My Feed, My Way’ initiative, allowing users more control over their default feeds, along with further protections for users under the age of 18; namely the requirement of digital services to protect under 18s from harmful design features, including those that are addictive and/or impact self-esteem.
The following day, the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties tabled a report recommending the ratification of three treaty actions. The three respective treaties these recommendations seek to improve include the Jakarta Treaty (mutual consultation duties between Australia and Indonesia), Australia and Spain’s Mutual Protection of Classified Information of Defence Interest, and the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge. The Committee supports the recommendations as they aim to strengthen Australia’s security partnerships, supporting international cooperation, and improving the recognition of traditional knowledge within the global intellectual property system
Completing the final stop of his two-country visit, the Defence Minister Richard Marles arrived in the United Kingdom where he attended the UK-Australian Defence Ministers’ Meeting. Following meetings in Washington the week prior, the meeting between Marles and his British counterpart, the Secretary of State for Defence Wes Streeting, echoed similar sentiments expressed in the US surrounding the continued delivery and importance of AUKUS, as well as, the strength of the UK-Australia bilateral defence relationship.
Today on 11 September, the Australian government commemorates the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that struck New York in 2001. Remembering the 2,977 lives lost, including 10 Australians, the Foreign Minister, Minister for Defence and Prime Minister acknowledged the courage of the communities who showed up for each other, the grief that persists, and Australia’s resolve to stand against terrorism and violent extremism today.
Later in the week, Minister Marles attended an interview with ABC where he discussed various topics including the conflict in the Middle East, global fuel supply chains, and the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. During the interview, the Minister reiterated the devastation of the tragedy in New York and the scale of its impact, acknowledging the service of more than 40,000 Australians in the wars that followed 2001 in Afghanistan and Iraq. This followed a conversation concerning the rise in global fuel prices as the war in the Middle East continues to stress supply chains, and the response the Minister received during his visit to Washington, when he asked his US counterpart about plans to end this war sooner rather than later.
