Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister advise the House of developments on an agreement on a treaty banning cluster munitions?

Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. Australia joined over 120 states at a diplomatic conference in Dublin, commencing 19 May, to negotiate a legally-binding convention prohibiting cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. The Australian government joined this process because we believed that the time had come for the international community to address the impact of cluster munitions, particularly those that cause indiscriminate harm to civilians long after the cessation of conflict. Australia has a good and proud record in such areas. We have long been a supporter of Mine Action and of alleviating the terrible adverse impacts of the so-called explosive remnants of war on innocent civilians. Over the last decade, Australia has committed over $175 million for Mine Action and to alleviate the adverse impacts on victims. Most recently, on Mine Action Day on 4 April, the government announced a contribution of $10 million to the United Nations Mine Action program for Afghanistan.

In the months and weeks leading up to the Dublin conference and during the recent negotiations, the government has worked very hard to achieve a text that delivers that important humanitarian objective that I have outlined, while at the same time safeguarding Australia’s national security interests. We have worked very hard with the Australian NGO community, the non-government organisation community, with the Australian Red Cross and World Vision Australia having membership of the Australian delegation. During the period of the conference I have spoken to Norwegian and UK ministers and the Prime Minister has spoken to the Norwegian and the New Zealand prime ministers on deliberations before the conference.

The news overnight from Dublin is that very good progress has been made at the conference so far as the text is concerned. A draft text has been agreed and it is expected that it will be formally adopted at the conference tomorrow. The treaty will then be opened for signature formally in a treaty-signing opportunity in Oslo in December this year. States that sign the treaty can then move to formal ratification and adoption of the obligations of the treaty as state parties to it.

I am pleased to advise the House that the government’s preliminary consideration is that the text represents a strong humanitarian outcome, particularly with regard to protection of civilians in conflict zones, victim assistance and clearance of adversely affected areas, and is consistent with Australia’s long-held humanitarian traditions. The text establishes a broad prohibition on those cluster munitions that randomly scatter battlefields with tens or hundreds of so-called submunitions and that have no self-destruct capacity, posing a threat on innocent civilians for many years to come. This does not include modern, precision guided weapons with self-destruct capacities such as the so-called SMArt 155 antitank munition recently acquired by the ADF.

The text also addresses the government’s concern to ensure that cooperation between nations through peacekeeping and other joint operations with states who may not become party to the treaty is able to continue—for example, the United States. This cooperation, formally known as interoperability, is a vital pillar of Australia’s strategic security and defence arrangements. It is also a vital element of Australia’s ongoing peacekeeping operations, and I note that today is formally the 60th anniversary of the start of the United Nations peacekeeping operations in which Australia first took part.

I congratulate the Irish government on the hosting of the conference. I congratulate the Norwegian government on its leadership in initiating this negotiation and this process. Members of course would be aware over a long period of time that Australia has worked very closely with Norway on nonproliferation and disarmament measures. I congratulate the Australian delegation, in particular Ambassador Caroline Miller, who so ably led the delegation. Ambassador Miller is of course our Ambassador for Disarmament and our permanent rep to the UN in Geneva. I am pleased to conclude by advising the House that, whilst the government will review carefully all of the elements of the treaty text in the lead-up to its opening for signature in December, I am very optimistic—indeed, very confident—that Australia will be in a position to sign this treaty before the end of the year.

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, if I may, Mr Speaker, I strongly associate the opposition with the remarks of the foreign minister.