There are three regulatory functions located within the department.

The Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) works to enhance Australian and international security through activities that strengthen the effectiveness of regimes against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. ASNO is led by an independent statutory officer.

The Australian Sanctions Office (ASO) is the Australian Government's regulator of sanctions laws and has two key roles. The first role is to administer Australia's sanctions laws to ensure that sanctions are implemented and operate as intended. The second role is to promote and enforce compliance with sanctions laws.

The Foreign Arrangements Branch is the Australian Government's regulator of the Foreign Arrangements Scheme. The main role of the Foreign Arrangements Branch is to provide advice on arrangements notified under the Scheme, to ensure that arrangements with foreign countries are consistent with Australia's foreign policy. The Branch also has an important role in promoting and enforcing compliance with the Scheme.

Ministerial Statements of Expectation and Regulator Statements of Intent

Ministerial Statements of Expectation are issued by the responsible Minister to a regulator or an entity with regulatory functions, to provide greater clarity about government policies and priorities relevant to the regulator's statutory objectives and how it conducts its operations. The regulator responds to a Ministerial Statement of Expectations with a Regulator Statement of Intent that, in turn, identifies how it will deliver on the Government's expectations./about-us/corporate/regulatory-functions/australian-sanctions-office-and-foreign-arrangements-branch-statement-expectations-march-2025

The Ministerial Statement of Expectations and Regulator Statement of Intent for the Australian Sanctions Office and Foreign Arrangements Branch are published below:

• Australian Sanctions Office and Foreign Arrangements Branch – Statement of Expectations (March 2025)
• Australian Sanctions Office and Foreign Arrangements Branch – Statement of Intent (March 2025)

The Ministerial Statement of Expectations and Regulator Statement of Intent for the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office are published on its website.