International relations

Ms Maree Ringland will be Australia’s next Ambassador to Peru. Ms Ringland will also be accredited to Bolivia.

Mr Andrew Barnes will be Australia’s next Ambassador to Lebanon.

The Australian Government is pleased to announce the appointment of new Consuls-General in Canada and Brazil, with a focus on strengthening trade and investment ties with these commercial centres of global importance.

Australia will expand its support to Ukraine and impose further punitive actions on Russia in response to its unrelenting and illegal aggression against Ukraine. These additional measures will help ensure Russia pays a high price for its blatant violation of the UN Charter and its disregard for international humanitarian law.

Australia prohibits the export of aluminium ores (including bauxite), alumina and related products to Russia from 20 March 2022.

Women and girls, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons have been disproportionately impacted, exacerbating health challenges, eroding hard fought gains to the full enjoyment of human rights.

We are gravely concerned by Eritrea’s involvement in the Ethiopian conflict and reports of human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual and gender-based violence and forced returns of Eritrean refugees.

Australia remains concerned by ongoing reports of disproportionate use of force against civilian protesters, and a ‘campaign of arrests’ of civil society and pro-democracy figures in Sudan.

We are deeply concerned by reports of significant violations and abuses of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, including threats to their safety and barriers to their rights to education, work and full participation in civic life. We are committed to preserving and building on the political, economic and social achievements of the Afghan people.

Australia thanks the High Commissioner for herreport. Australia strongly condemns the Belarusian Government’s role in aiding and assisting Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine