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Official News - November 2007
► Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting focuses on climate change
The dominant theme of the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held in Kampala from 23 to 25 November, was a separate declaration on climate change.
Leaders agreed on the Lake Victoria Commonwealth Climate Change Action Plan which commits all members to work towards “a long-term aspirational global goal for emissions reduction to which all countries would contribute”. They also reaffirmed their commitment to pursue active participation through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Australia will play a positive role in the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali. We will ratify the Kyoto Protocol as soon as possible.
Other CHOGM outcomes were a lengthy Communiqué including reference to the review of membership, as well as the election of Kamalesh Sharma, the current High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, as next Commonwealth Secretary-General. Mr Sharma will take over when Secretary-General McKinnon completes his second term at the end of March 2008.
In addition, CHOGM confirmed the decision of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) on 22 November to suspend Pakistan from the Councils of the Commonwealth. Leaders endorsed the decision of CMAG to review progress following the conduct of scheduled elections in January 2008 and called on Pakistan to respond positively to future Commonwealth engagement.
► East Asia Summit leaders sign Declaration on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment
At the 3rd East Asia Summit (EAS), held in Singapore on 21 November, leaders signed a Declaration on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment and endorsed further action in key priority areas, including finance.
The EAS is playing an important role in regional relations and in addressing regional challenges.The 3rd EAS maintained the momentum generated by the second Summit by endorsing further action in all priority areas: energy, finance, education, avian influenza, disaster management and economic integration.
Importantly, leaders endorsed the report on regional financial cooperation and integration (RFCI) and its three proposals for EAS cooperation in this field:
- an informal EAS senior finance officials’ dialogue to discuss key policy issues and identify areas of cooperation;
- focused and in-depth studies on policy and technical issues, examining in part how other EAS members could participate in, and add value to, existing ASEAN and ASEAN+3 cooperation initiatives; and
- capacity-building activities.
In signing the Declaration on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment, leaders agreed:
- that all countries should play a role in addressing climate change;
- to support the work to achieve a common understanding on a long-term aspirational global emissions reduction goal to pave the way for a more effective post-2012 international arrangement;
- to work towards achieving a significant reduction in energy intensity; and
- to work to achieve an EAS-wide aspirational goal of increasing cumulative forest cover in the region by at least 15 million hectares of all types of forests by 2020.
► Australia wins UN World Heritage seat
Australia has won a seat on the prestigious 21-member UNESCO World Heritage Committee – a placement which will enable Australia to maintain a key role in world heritage property management and also play an active part in the Asia-Pacific region heritage issues.
As one of nine successful candidates announced at the 16th General Assembly of States Parties in Paris recently, Australia’s placement coincides with its own 25th world heritage anniversary celebrations.
With 17 world heritage listings of its own - from the ancient Kakadu National Park landscape to the modern architecture of the newly-listed Sydney Opera House - Australia has been a leader in World Heritage management and promotion.
During its four-year term on the UN group, Australia will work to advance the principles and integrity of the World Heritage Convention. Under the Convention, nations have a duty to protect places with outstanding universal value to mankind.
Australia’s team in the UN committee will be lead by Dr Greg Terrill, of the Department of the Environment and Water Resources, and will also include Dr Anita Smith, from Heritage Victoria and Deakin University, and Mr Jon Day of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
For more than 20 years, Australia has set high standards as a State Party, promoting diversity in listings, supporting Asia-Pacific managers and championing best practice property management at home. With a strong track record and a keen interest in building a sustainable future for all sites, this broader role in world heritage issues will enhance Australia’s ability to be a leading world heritage property manager and an active partner in the Asia-Pacific region. Australia continues to provide technical support and practical advice to more than 20 countries in the region.
► Australia’s exports continue to grow in the June quarter
Australia’s trade performance is highlighted and analysed in the Spring 2007 issue of Trade Topics: A Quarterly Review of Australia’s International Trade, released recently by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
The Spring 2007 issue of Trade Topics features a number of trade-related articles. The issue leads with an article highlighting the strengthening of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation medium-term work agenda on trade and investment arising from the recently-held APEC Leaders’ and APEC Ministerial meetings in Sydney. There is also an article on recent world trade trends. The final article looks at Australia’s diamond trade and the United Nations-backed Kimberley Process Certification (KPCS) Scheme, which was established to curb the illicit trade in ‘conflict diamonds’. Australia is a founding member of KPCS and implements its obligations through customs legislation and regulations.
Trade Topics brings together a range of statistical information produced by Australian government agencies and international organisations, together with analysis of the latest trade developments, designed to keep Australians informed of market conditions and trends. Trade Topics includes quarterly and annual data on Australia’s trade in goods and services by commodity, market, level of processing, and State and Territory as well as selected macroeconomic, commodity price and investment information.
Full electronic versions of the publications are now available free-of-charge on the departmental website at www.dfat.gov.au/publications/stats.html
An option to purchase hard copies of the publications is also available at the website.
► Australia records largest population increase ever
Australia recorded its largest annual population increase ever, according to figures from last year’s national census, released recently by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Australia’s population grew by an estimated 307,100 people for the year ended March 2007, the largest increase since record keeping began in 1789.
The increase gave Australia an annual growth rate of 1.5 per cent (the highest rate since 1990), and brings the population to an estimated 20.9 million.
Net overseas migration contributed 54 per cent (162,600 people) to this growth, which was more than the natural increase of 46 per cent (138,100 people or 273,500 births minus 135,400 deaths).
Queensland again recorded the highest growth rate of all the states and territories, at 2.3 per cent; followed by Western Australia at 2.2 per cent; the Northern Territory 2 per cent; Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory 1.5 per cent; South Australia and New South Wales 1 per cent; and Tasmania 0.6 per cent.
Interstate migration revised with 2006 Census results
Although Australia has only two components of population growth - overseas migration and natural increase - people also move between states and territories. The August 2006 Census results have enabled the ABS to revise interstate migration figures from September quarter 2001 to June quarter 2006.
Over the five years to June 2006, an estimated 1.87 million people moved to another state or territory. The most popular destination was Queensland which had a net gain of 160,600 people. Tasmania (3,100) and Western Australia (2,700) also had net gains to their population.
New South Wales had a net loss of 140,500 people; South Australia lost 11,300; the Northern Territory 6,100; Victoria 5,000; and the Australian Capital Territory 3,100.
Indigenous Australians
There was an estimated 517,200 Indigenous Australians as at 30 June 2006. New South Wales had the highest number of Indigenous Australians (148,200) followed by Queensland (146,400), Western Australia (77,900), the Northern Territory (66,600), Victoria (30,800), South Australia (26,000), Tasmania (16,900) and the Australian Capital Territory (4,000). These Indigenous population estimates are preliminary, based on the 2006 Census (adjusted for undercount).