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1. Overviews | 2. Performance | 3. Corporate | 4. Appendixes | 5. Financials | 6. Glossaries and Compliance Index

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Key Achievements

The following outlines the department's key achievements against each of our four outcomes.

Outcome 1: Australia's national interests protected and advanced through contributions to international security, national economic and trade performance and global cooperation

International security

• Intensified strategic engagement between Australia, Japan and the United States by supporting the hosting of the inaugural ministerial meeting of the Trilateral Strategic Dialogue in Sydney in March 2006
• Developed and gained approval for a cross-portfolio package of counter-terrorism measures in the Asia-Pacific costing $92.6 million over four years
• Initiated an international campaign to prevent the transfer of Man-Portable Air Defence Systems to terrorist groups or other non-State actors
• Supported the negotiation and conclusion of a counter-terrorism memorandum of understanding with Afghanistan in December 2005
• Promoted strengthened regional export control measures by hosting the Asian Export Controls Policy Dialogue in Canberra in February 2006 as well as counter-proliferation seminars in Cambodia, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates in April, May and June 2006 respectively
• Held inaugural counter-terrorism talks with the Philippines in June 2006
• Completed significant security-related construction at five overseas missions

Global issues

• Supported Australia's hosting of the first Ministerial Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate in January 2006
• Hosted APEC Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response Meeting in Brisbane in October 2005
• Contributed to negotiations that created the new UN Human Rights Council

Regional and multilateral trade

• Completed bilateral WTO accession negotiations with Vietnam, Russia and Ukraine to deliver better market access for Australian companies
• Held major conferences in China including on services, manufacturing, intellectual property, resources and investment to advocate the benefits of a bilateral free trade agreement
• Supported negotiations that secured in-principle agreement at the Hong Kong WTO Ministerial Conference to eliminate agricultural export subsidies by the end of 2013
• Maintained Australia's influence in the Doha negotiations by supporting Australia's chairing of the Cairns Group of 18 agricultural exporting countries and participating in meetings of the Group of Six (United States, European Commission, Brazil, India, Japan and Australia)
• Secured APEC members' agreement to a new focus on economic reform and 'beyond-the-border' impediments to trade
• Secured repayment of Russia's US$185 million debt to Australia

South and South-East Asia

• Supported the conclusion of a Trade and Investment Framework with Indonesia in September 2005
• Supported the negotiation and signing of six bilateral agreements or memorandums of understanding with India, including a Trade and Economic Framework in March 2006
• Coordinated the whole of government response to the crisis in East Timor in May 2006, including a military-assisted evacuation of 211 Australians and the establishment of an Australian-led international stabilisation force
• Negotiated and supported the signing with East Timor of the Treaty on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea in January 2006
• Supported the release of a package of bilateral measures with Indonesia in December 2005 to help prevent illegal fishing in Australia's northern waters
• Intensified reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, including by supporting increased military deployments, further aid commitments of up to $150 million over five years and the decision to establish an embassy in Kabul
• Supported Australia's participation in the inaugural East Asia Summit in December 2005 after Australia's accession to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation
• Supported inaugural Philippines–Australia Ministerial Meeting in August 2005
• Conducted a human rights dialogue with Vietnam in December 2005

North Asia

• Secured Japanese agreement to the terms of reference and an accelerated timeline for a joint free trade agreement feasibility study
• Joint Ministerial Statement issued by Australian and Japanese Foreign Ministers in March 2006 committing both countries to strengthen bilateral strategic dialogue, including an annual meeting of foreign ministers
• Held the fourth Australia–Japan Conference in Tokyo in June 2006 and received strong private sector endorsement for our bilateral free trade agreement objectives and for strengthening bilateral cooperation
• Supported the April 2006 visit to Australia by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, accompanied by senior Chinese ministers
• Supported the first High-level Economic Cooperation Dialogue with China's National Development Reform Commission
• Supported the conclusion of the Treaty between Australia and China on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (with the Attorney-General's Department)
• Supported the conclusion of treaty-level documents on nuclear transfer and cooperation with China
• Worked with other government agencies to conclude nine other non-treaty level arrangements with China, including on agriculture, education, science and coal mine safety

South Pacific, Middle East, Africa

• Coordinated Australia's response to the civil unrest in Solomon Islands in April 2006 and continued to coordinate the whole of government contribution to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands
• Coordinated Australia's whole of government contribution to the Enhanced Cooperation Program with Papua New Guinea
• Led whole of government efforts to reinvigorate the Pacific tsunami warning system and to build participation by south-west Pacific countries
• Completed negotiations on new rules of origin under the Australia–New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement
• Negotiated a fourth memorandum of understanding on improved economic management and governance reforms with Nauru
• Developed a whole of government policy approach on greater engagement with Fiji
• Concluded a memorandum of understanding regulating the livestock export trade with Egypt and advanced negotiations with Oman, Qatar and Bahrain (with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry)
• Finalised the text of an Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement with Lebanon
• Established (with Austrade) a new consulate-general in Tripoli, Libya

Americas and Europe

• Supported the inaugural Joint Committee meeting of the Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement
• Supported the 20th anniversary meeting of the Australia–United States Ministerial consultations
• Secured amendments to the draft EU Registration Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals legislation to safeguard access for Australian minerals and metals to European markets
• Supported the conclusion of a joint ministerial communiqué with Poland to foster bilateral cooperation in environmental technologies, goods and services
• Contributed to closer strategic and military cooperation with NATO, including by assisting preparations for Australia's troop deployment to NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan
• Strengthened the relationship with Turkey through regular strategic dialogues, achieved closer defence and political cooperation and improved consular services by opening a consulate in Çanakkale on the Gallipoli peninsula
• Secured ministerial agreement to establish a Joint Experts' Group with Mexico to examine ways of expanding the bilateral economic relationship
• Reached agreement to establish a Bilateral Trade and Investment Commission with Brazil

Outcome 2: Australians informed about and provided access to consular and passport services in Australia and overseas

• Provided assistance to 17 505 Australians in 170 countries and sent consular teams to assist with over 12 crises overseas
• Streamlined the travel advisory system to make travel advice simpler and clearer
• Issued 499 travel advisory updates for 152 destinations and issued 28 new travel bulletins about major world events and incidents
• Entry into force of the Australian Passports Act 2005 on 1 July 2005
• Launched the microchip-enabled ePassport on 24 October 2005 and issued 822 781 ePassports
• 12.8 per cent reduction in passports lost or stolen compared to 2004–05
• 485 new passport fraud cases detected, a 61 per cent increase compared to 2004–05
• Launched pilot APEC Regional Movement Alert List program to enhance traveller and border security (with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs)

Outcome 3: Public understanding in Australia and overseas of Australia's foreign and trade policy and a positive image of Australia internationally

• Published the Minister for Trade's annual trade statement, Trade 2006, in March 2006
• Responded to over 10 600 requests for information from Australian and international media, arranged more than 130 background briefings for individual journalists and held 20 general media briefings
• Managed Australia's participation in Aichi World Expo in Japan with more than 3.5 million people visiting the Australian Pavilion
• Supported the staging of Australia Week (G'Day LA) in January 2006
• Released the major policy publication Weapons of mass destruction: Australia's role in fighting proliferation in October 2005
• Produced three new economic analytical reports—More than oil: Economic developments in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates; Education without borders, International trade in education; and Unlocking China's Services Sector
• Began bilateral programs under the Australia–Thailand Institute and Australia–Malaysia Institute
• Supported a significant contribution of Australian Indigenous art to the new Musée du Quai Branly which opened in Paris in June 2006
• Average weekly access to the DFAT website rose to over 979 000 page-views per week
• Produced economic fact sheets covering more than 170 countries
• Concluded contractual arrangements for the new regional television service, Australia Network, with coverage in 41 countries in the Asia-Pacific region

Outcome 4: Efficient management of the Commonwealth overseas owned estate

• Completed construction of a new chancery building in Colombo; embassy repairs and security works on the chancery in Jakarta; new chancery fit-outs in Brunei and Kuwait; mid-life upgrade of the chancery staff apartments in Paris; refurbishment of the head of mission residence in Washington; and fit-out of the new head of mission residence in Accra
• Returned a dividend of $76.973 million to the Government

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