Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2020 Summit Response 10 World
2020 Summit Response 10 World
International •Adopt a new approach using ‘smart Agree. As noted in the Prime Minister’s
Security – power’ to address food, water and National Security Statement of 4 December
Creative Middle energy security issues in collaboration 2008, it is important that our national
Power with our neighbours. security be advanced through creative
Diplomacy middle power diplomacy. This is an active
foreign policy that is capable of identifying
opportunities to promote our security; to
prevent, reduce or delay the emergence of
national security challenges; and to
position Australia to take advantage of
international developments.
International •Create deeper institutional engagement Agree. Australia works with partner
Security – with a view to state and peace-building. governments, local institutions, non-
Peace-Building government organisations, other donors
and multilateral institutions to strengthen
peace and state building programs in
partner countries. At a global level,
Australia undertakes these activities
through UN agencies and academic and
research institutions.
The newly established Asia Pacific Civil-
Military Centre of Excellence will enhance
Australia’s institutional capacity to engage
and coordinate with regional institutions to
respond to causes of instability and build
peace and security.
Regional •Establish a deployable public service that Agree. The Government has agreed to
Security – will be able to more rapidly and develop a policy framework to enable rapid
Deployable effectively deliver deployment of civilian experts to assist in
Civilian development assistance. international disaster relief, stabilisation
Capacity and post conflict reconstruction efforts. An
inter-agency task force is being led by
AusAID to Undertake this work. Once
established, a national deployable civilian
capacity will allow more rapid and early
delivery of stabilisation and recovery
assistance to countries that experience
conflict or natural disaster. The program
reflects many of the ideas discussed at
2020, and also at the Youth Summit, and
will be sufficiently adaptable to allow
Australia to tailor our response to a
particular event or emergency. It will also
improve Australia’s integration into
multilateral reconstruction and stabilisation
operations.
Regional •Establish an Australia-Japan regional Agree in-principle. The Asia Pacific Civil-
Security – Asia peacekeeping centre and establish civil- Military Centre of Excellence (APCM COE)
Pacific Civil- defence partnerships. was opened by the Prime Minister on 27
National •New research and analytical capabilities Agree. The Government announced its
Security – are required on non-traditional security National Security Statement and response
Government threats. to the Homeland and Border Security
Response to Review on 4 December 2008. The National
the Smith Security Statement reinforced the
Review, importance of the Government’s role in
National research and capability development
Security activities that reach beyond counter-
Committee terrorism into other areas of national
security.
Research and development capabilities
across the spectrum of national security
challenges will be addressed through the
development of the National Security
Science and Innovation Strategy.
The International Strategy Unit within the
Department of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet, which was established in October
2008, is regularly tasked to examine non-
traditional security issues and their
implications for policy.
International •Build stronger linkages, breaking down Agree. Australia already has a
Trade – the practical barriers that limit trade, and longstanding and comprehensive closer
Reducing work towards creating a seamless single economic agreement with New Zealand.
Barriers to market across the Pacific islands, New At the Pacific Islands Forum in August
Trade Zealand and Australia. 2008, Pacific leaders agreed to a new
regional economic integration agreement
(PACER Plus) to be developed in 2009 and
cover Pacific Island countries.
The Government is also committed to
promoting APEC’s agenda on regional
economic integration and continuing on the
path towards a Free Trade Agreement of
the Asia Pacific. The announcement at the
APEC Ministerial Meeting in November that
Australia will join the Trans Pacific
Partnership initiative is an important
stepping stone on this path.
Energy, Water •Improve the analytical ability of agencies Agree. Agencies already make extensive
& Food using evidence-based management use of available evidence-based systems.
Security systems to develop and monitor Enhanced systems are currently being
sustainability and other indicators related established in the water and
to energy, water and food security. energy portfolios.
Asia Literacy – •Link young Australians to Asian Agree. The 2020 Summit, the Youth
the Prime communities through support for school Summit and the Schools Summit all
Minister’s twinning, exchange programs, recognised the importance of Asia-literacy
Australia Asia mentoring, in-country and community- and the Government has made a
Endeavour based learning programs. commitment to delivering a new
Awards scholarship scheme: the Prime Minister’s
•Remove barriers to Australians studying in
Australia Asia Endeavour Awards. This
Asia.
Also raised by: scheme will provide scholarships for the
Productivity •Develop a comprehensive national Asia best and brightest university students from
literacy strategy to re-skill Australia to Australia and Asia. The scheme aims to
capitalise on opportunities in Asia. build deep and enduring links with
•Provide university fee exemptions and Australia’s neighbours. This will have long
other financial incentives to rebuild Asian term benefits for trade, security and
studies in our universities. development goals, as well as enriching all
our cultures.
National Enhance local, domestic and community Agree in-principle. The December 2008
Security – security as a foundation for national and National Security Statement outlined the
Local, global security. This can be done by: Government’s approach to achieving
Domestic and •Creating a resilient and harmonious national security outcomes through
Community domestic community, and enhanced community engagement,
Security including through sustaining support for our
•Rebalancing community security to forces deployed overseas, undermining the
support soft power and domestic security influence of violent ideologies and
capacity. preserving the social cohesion of
Australia’s diverse society.
National National harmonisation of the structures The Model Criminal Law Officers
Security – and relationships between Committee (MCLOC) advances the
Model Criminal agencies including: development of a national model criminal
Law Officers •Harmonisation of criminal legislation to cut code for all Australian jurisdictions, and
Committee through the lack of consistency therefore considers this idea on an ongoing
(MCLOC) basis.
•Removing overlapping law enforcement
expertise to achieve economies of scale
and harness innovative technologies.
Pacific Human •Establish a new Pacific Human The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign
Rights Rights Commission. Affairs, Defence and Trade is currently
Commission completing a report on human rights
mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific, which will
include consideration of options for
mechanisms, which could include a
Commission.
Regional •Establish a regional energy security forum Australia is an active member of several
engagement – including all four majors (US, China, international energy forums. Australia’s
Regional Japan and India) and Australia. approach to supporting and developing
Energy these international forums will be
Security Forum considered further in 2009 through the
Energy White Paper, which will also be
looking at the broader context of Australia’s
energy security.
International •Remove technical barriers in shipping, for At a regional level, Australia is working
Trade – example to yield immediate efficiencies through APEC to facilitate trade and
Infrastructure and promote more trade and investment. reduce technical barriers to trade. Under
Barriers to APEC’s Second Trade Facilitation Action
Trade Plan (TFAP), work is underway to reduce
business transaction costs across the Asia
Pacific. Singapore will host APEC in 2009
and has indicated that their theme will
be logistics.
In 2008, APEC also established the APEC
Port Services Network, which will work to
stimulate trade and investment through
closer cooperation and coordination by
ports across the region. At the APEC
Ministerial Meeting held in November 2008
in Lima, Ministers also endorsed a new
program of work to tackle inefficiencies and
bottlenecks in the area of trade logistics
across the region.
Community •A community security White Paper should Disagree. While the Government does not
Security White be considered by COAG and a working favour a White Paper process, the
Paper group of 2020 Summit members and Government is committed to community
other experts should progress the idea. security and has been undertaking a range
of important initiatives including:
•Providing funding for 500 AFP
sworn officers
•Establishing the Safer Suburbs Plan and
providing grants for community safety
initiatives including CCTV
•Establishing the Secure Schools Program
to assist at-risk schools to keep their
students safe
•Conducting a Federal Criminal Justice
Forum to engage the community and key
stakeholders on criminal law.
National •Prepare a regular public report explaining The Government has no current plans for a
Security – what is happening in the US-Australia regular update, but will continue to
Report on US- alliance. publically discuss issues relevant to this
Australia key strategic relationship as the
Alliance need arises.
International •Repudiate the doctrine of pre-emptive Australia does not assert a right of pre-
Rule of Law – self-defence. emptive self-defence. The United Nations
Pre-Emptive Charter provides a right to self-defence
Self-Defence (Art. 51).
Travel Advisory •Review the current travel advisory system.A major review of the travel advisory
System system was undertaken in 2005. The
Government conducts internal reviews of
the system on a regular basis and has no
current plans for a broader review.
Second •Make learning a second language and The Government is actively promoting the
Language integrating regional world and ways of learning of languages through the National
Education knowing compulsory in our education Asian Languages and Studies in Schools
system. This would strengthen the work Program and by including language
of the United Nations by promoting inter- education in the second phase of the
faith and inter-cultural dialogue between National Curriculum. Student choice and
the communities of our region. aptitude considerations mean that
mandating these subjects may not be
appropriate or effective.
The Government actively promotes and
participates in interfaith dialogue. In June
2008, the Prime Minister announced that
Australia would host the next meeting of
the regional Interfaith Dialogue with
participants from around South-East Asia.