This week in Australian foreign affairs: Wong announces new safety push to protect young Australians; additional humanitarian support for Gaza, Myanmar and Afghan women and girls; Farrell announces new support for Aussie tourism businesses, and more.

On 23 March, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong announced the 22 recipients of the Australia-Japan Foundation (AJF) grant round for 2024-25. “The AJF advances Australia’s foreign and trade policy interests with Japan by supporting partnerships in areas of shared interest and increasing Australian engagement with Japan.” Recipients of the grant include an Australian Strategic Policy Institute workshop to convene leading Pacific experts from Australia, Japan and the Pacific, focusing on improving Pacific resilience to new security challenges; “The Australian Antarctic Program Partnership at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, to develop new pathways for Japanese and Australian scientific collaborations in Antarctic and Southern science; The University of Queensland’s initiative to advance higher education on sustainable construction in Australia and Japan through teaching workshops, a public guest lecture series, and a presentation at Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai; [and] A Drift Consulting project to bring together Australian and Japanese experts to exchange knowledge and progress the use of Australian seaweed in livestock feed to reduce emissions.”

In a joint announcement with Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts on 24 March, Wong outlined a new safety push to protect young Australians overseas. “The Australian Government is strengthening its efforts to increase awareness of alcohol related risks of overseas travel, launching a dedicated advertising push to reach young Australians.” The initiative follows the tragic death last year of friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles from drinking alcohol tainted with methanol while on holiday in Laos. “From next month, Smartraveller will roll out dedicated communications to raise awareness and educate Australians of the signs of methanol poisoning, how to protect themselves from drink spiking and broader alcohol safety – knowing the risks and watching out for your mates.

On 27 March, Wong joined Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Tony Burke to announce the passing of legislation that will allow eligible Australians to apply for easier passage through US airports. “The United States’ Global Entry Program provides an avenue for eligible citizens of trusted partner countries to access expedited clearance processes on arrival in the US.” The program is only available for low-risk travellers with pre-approval following background checks. “The Global Entry Program membership also opens up eligibility to TSA Pre-Check program, making travel within the US a much simpler process.”

Former cricketer Steve Waugh has been appointed to Centre for Australia-India Relations Advisory Board, Wong announced in a media release on 28 March. “Waugh is a former Australian men’s cricket captain and has long been a champion of strengthening ties between Australia and India. He has made significant philanthropic contributions over the past 20 years through the Steve Waugh Foundation.” The advisory board sets the strategic priorities for the Centre’s programs, and supports businesses, arts, education, and other activities. He will be replacing outgoing board member, and former cricket player Adam Gilchrist. According to the announcement, “The Centre works across government, industry, academia and the community to build greater understanding within the Australia-India relationship and encourage business to seize the opportunities of our economic partnership.”

Also on 28 March, Wong joined Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy to announce additional humanitarian support for Gaza, Myanmar and Afghan women and girls. “Australia will provide a further $11 million in lifesaving humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza, and an additional $15 million in critical support for people affected by humanitarian crises in Myanmar and Afghanistan.” The funding will include healthcare, food, and water needs, including AUD$7 million in lifesaving food assistance for Rohingya refugees, as well as their host communities in Bangladesh; AUD$3 million for food, health, shelter and protection support for displaced people on the Thai-Myanmar border; and an additional AUD$5 million for “services for Afghan women and girls that address critical sexual and reproductive health needs, gender-based violence and displacement.”

On 27 March, Minister for Trade and Tourism and Special Minister of State Don Farrell announced new support for Aussie tourism businesses to “tap into the rapidly growing Filipino and Thai visitor markets.” The Government is launching two new training programs to “equip Australian tourism businesses with the knowledge, cultural insights, and skills needed to deliver an unforgettable experience for inbound travellers.” Current forecasts from Tourism Research Australia projects “that by 2029, annual visitors from the Philippines will increase by 42% and annual visitors from Thailand to increase by 47%.” In 2024, these numbers reached 171,900 and 95,100 from Philippines and Thailand respectively. To meet demand, Qantas is expected to add Brisbane-Manila flights, while Cebu Pacific is increasing their Sydney and Melbourne services. Jetstar also plans to boost Australia-Thailand routes to 22 weekly flights, including new Brisbane and Perth connections.

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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