Foreign relations of Australia

The foreign relations of Australia have spanned from the country’s time as Dominion and later Realm of the British Empire to its position as a steadfast ally of the United States throughout the Cold War to its engagement with Asia as a power in its own right. Its relations with the international community are influenced by its position as a leading trading nation and as a significant donor of humanitarian aid.

Australia’s foreign policy is guided by a commitment to multilateralism and regionalism, as well as to strong bilateral relations with its allies. Key concerns include free trade, terrorism, integration with Asia and stability in the Asia-Pacific. Australia is active in the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Foreign policy actions

Its first major independent foreign policy action was to conclude an agreement in 1944 with New Zealand dealing with the security, welfare, and advancement of the people of the independent territories of the Pacific (the ANZAC pact). After the war, Australia played a role in the Far Eastern Commission in Japan and supported Indonesian independence during that country’s revolt against the Dutch (1945-49). Australia was one of the founders of both the United Nations and the South Pacific Commission (1947), and in 1950, it proposed the Colombo Plan to assist developing countries in Asia. In addition to contributing to UN forces in Korea–it was the first country to announce it would do so after the United States–Australia sent troops to assist in putting down the communist revolt in Malaya in 1948-60 and later to combat the Indonesian-supported invasion of Sarawak in 1963-65.

Australia also sent troops to assist South Vietnamese and U.S. forces in Vietnam and joined coalition forces in the Persian Gulf conflict in 1991. Australia has been active in the Australia-New Zealand-United Kingdom agreement and the Five-Power Defense Arrangement–successive arrangements with Britain and New Zealand to ensure the security of Singapore and Malaysia.

International agencies, treaties, and agreements

One of the drafters of the UN Charter, Australia has given firm support to the United Nations and its specialized agencies. It was a member of the Security Council in 1986-87, a member of the Economic and Social Council for 1986-89, and a member of the UN Human Rights Commission for 1994-96. Australia takes a prominent part in many other UN activities, including peacekeeping, disarmament negotiations, and narcotics control. Australia also is active in meetings of the Commonwealth Heads of Government and the South Pacific Forum, and has been a leader in the Cairns Group–countries pressing for agricultural trade reform in the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations–and in the APEC forum.

Australia has devoted particular attention to relations between developed and developing nations, with emphasis on the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)–Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Brunei–and the island states of the South Pacific. Australia is an active participant in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which promotes regional cooperation on security issues. In September 1999, acting under a UN Security Council mandate, Australia led an international coalition to restore order in East Timor upon Indonesia’s withdrawal from that territory. Australia was a particpant at the inaugral ASEAN sponsored East Asia Summit in 2005. Australia’s place at the summit was only secured after it agreed to reverse its policy and sign ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. Australia had been reluctant to sign the treaty out of concerns regarding how it would effect Australia’s obligation under other treat arrangements including ANZUS.

Australia has a large bilateral aid program (about $1.3 billion for 1997-98, mostly in the form of grants) under which some 60 countries receive assistance. Papua New Guinea (PNG), a former Australian trust territory, is the largest recipient of Australian assistance. In 1997, Australia contributed to the IMF program for Thailand and assisted Indonesia and PNG with regional environmental crises. From 1997-99 Australia contributed to IMF program for Thailand and assisted Indonesia and PNG with regional environmental crisis and drought relief efforts.

Australia is party to the Australia, New Zealand, United States security treaty (ANZUS). It has also been a party of the Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom force (ANZUK).

Foreign missions

Australia has diplomatic representatives in most countries. Australia has official relations with a number of countries, with these countries it maintains an embassy or in the case of Commonwealth countries, a high commission. Australia has consulates in many countries where there are no official government ties, these serve primarily to assist Australian travellers and business people. A number of Canadian missions provide consular assistance to Australians in countries in Africa where Australia does not maintain an office. Australia also maintains a Representative Office in the Palestinian Authority.

Bilateral relationships

Australia maintains significant bilateral relations with several countries.
Anglo-Australian relations
Australia-New Zealand relations
Australia-Indonesia relations
Franco-Australian relations
Sino-Australian relations
United States-Australia relations

International disputes

Australia has a number of ongoing international disputes. Its territorial claim to Antarctica in the form of the Australian Antarctic Territory is suspended by the Antarctic Treaty. Australia’s role in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq without UN sanction has been a cause of protest. Presently, there is tension in Australia’s relations with Indonesia over the death penalty as well as Australia’s recent decision to grant temporary protection visas to 42 West Papuans, after which Indonesia’s ambassador was recalled.

Several very large drug caches worth many millions of dollars have been intercepted in coastal ambushes of drug shipping. Tasmania is in fact, one of the world’s suppliers of licit opiate products. The government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate.