APPENDIX 9

INQUIRIES BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES

The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee reported on the department’s proposed expenditure (Estimates Reports) in March and June, and tabled its Scrutiny of Annual Reports in March.

During the review period, we made submissions or gave evidence to 14 parliamentary committee inquiries, as follows:

Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

Inquiry into Australia’s Trade and Investment Relationship with South America, referred to Committee 31 March 1999
Inquiry into Australia’s Efforts to Promote and Protect Freedom of Religion and Belief, referred to Committee 28 April 1999
Inquiry into Australia’s Relations with the United Nations in the post Cold War Environment, referred to Committee 15 November 1999
Inquiry into Australia’s Relations with the Middle East, including the Gulf Region, referred to Committee 8 February 2000

Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee

Inquiry into the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill (No.4) 1999, referred to Committee 16 February 2000

Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee

Inquiry into East Timor, referred to Committee 30 November 1998

Joint Standing Committee on Migration

Inquiry into Going for Gold: Immigration Entry Arrangements for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, referred to Committee 17 June 1998

Joint Statutory Committee of Public Accounts and Audit

Inquiry into Contract Management in the Australian Public Service, adopted by Committee 1 September 1999

Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee

Inquiry into Global Warming, referred to Committee 11 August 1999

Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee

Inquiry into the Mechanism for Providing Accountability to the Senate in Relation to Government Contracts, referred to Committee 12 April 2000

Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee

Inquiry into the Operation of Australia’s Refugee and Humanitarian Program, referred to Committee 13 May 1999

Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee

Inquiry into the Importation of Salmon Products into Australia, referred to Committee 11 August 1999

House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources

Inquiry into Increasing Value-adding to Australian Raw Materials, referred to Committee 20 April 2000

House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

Inquiry into the Enforcement of Copyright, referred to Committee 17 March 1999

Joint Standing Committee on Treaties

Departmental staff also appeared before the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties in respect of proposed treaty action dealt with in the following reports:

Report 23: Amendments proposed to the International Whaling Convention, presented 23 August 1999:
Report 24: A Seminar on the Role of Parliaments on Treaty Making, presented 30 August 1999
Report 25: Eight Treaties Tabled on 11 August 1999, presented 27 September 1999
- Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement with the European Community
- Fourth Amendment to the International Monetary Fund’s Articles of Agreement
- Mutual Antitrust Enforcement Assistance Agreement with the United States
- Food Aid Convention
- Double Taxation Agreement with South Africa
- Protocol to amend the Double Taxation Agreement with Malaysia
- Exchange of Letters constituting an Agreement to extend the Application of Certain Provisions of the Double Taxation Agreement with Malaysia
- Adoption of Uniform Technical Prescriptions for Wheeled Vehicles
Report 27: Termination of Social Security Agreement with the United Kingdom and International Plant Protection Convention, presented 6 December 1999
Report 28: Fourteen Treaties Tabled on 12 October 1999, presented 6 December 1999
- Fish Stocks Agreement
- Agreement on Judicial Assistance with the Republic of Korea
- The Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai
- Double Taxation Agreement with Argentina
- Double Taxation Agreement with the Slovak Republic
- Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Treaty with Monaco
- Nuclear Safeguards Agreements with Japan
- Nuclear Safeguards Agreements with New Zealand
- Proposed amendments to the International Telecommunications Union’s Constitution and Convention
- Final Acts of World Radiocommunications Conference
- Amendment of the Inmarsat Convention and the Operating Agreement
- Cultural Cooperation Agreement with Germany
- Consular Agreement with the People’s Republic of China
- Consular Agreement with the People’s Republic of China for Macau
Report 29: Singapore’s Use of Shoalwater Bay, Development Cooperation with PNG and Protection of New Varieties of Plants, presented 3 April 2000
Report 30: Treaties Tabled on 8 and 9 December 1999 and 15 February 2000, presented 3 April 2000
- United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
- Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation with Korea
- Agreement for the Establishment of the International Development Law Institute
- Denunciation of Convention on Damage Caused by Foreign Aircraft
- Agreement on the continued operation of the Timor Gap Treaty
- Amendments to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
Report 31: Three Treaties Tabled on 7 March 2000, presented 10 April 2000
- Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel
- Partial withdrawal of reservation to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
- International Customs Convention
Report 32: Six Treaties Tabled on 7 March 2000, presented 15 May 2000
- Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions Relating to Maintenance Obligations
- Agreement between Australia and New Zealand on Child and Spousal Maintenance
- Agreement for Cooperation with the United States of America concerning Technology for the Separation of Isotopes of Uranium by Laser Excitation
- Agreement with the Slovak Republic on Trade and Economic Relations
- Agreement with Denmark on Social Security
- Double Taxation Agreement with Romania
Report 33: Social Security Agreement with Italy and New Zealand Committee Exchange, presented 5 June 2000

Departmental staff also participated in the public briefing of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties on the Convention on the Status of Refugees on 6 March 2000.

Current inquiries (treaties being reviewed)

Treaties tabled on 6 June 2000:

Agreement with Spain on remunerated employment for dependants of personnel at Diplomatic and Consular Missions
Amendments to the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species

Private briefings

Departmental staff provided 14 private briefings to parliamentary committees during the period, principally to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade on current developments in foreign affairs and trade.

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