Purpose of the report

This Report contains advice to Parliament on the review by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties of nine proposed treaty actions. Two of these treaty actions were tabled in Parliament on 7 December 2004,¹ one treaty action was tabled on 15 March 2005 and six treaty actions were tabled on 11 May 2005.² These treaty actions are:

7 December 2004

• Treaty between the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand Establishing Certain Exclusive Economic Zone Boundaries and Continental Shelf Boundaries ( Adelaide , 25 July 2004 )³
• United Nations Convention Against Corruption (New York, 31 October 2003)

15 March 2005

• Singapore – Australia Free Trade Agreement Amendments

11 May 2005

• Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Korea on Cooperation in the Fields of Energy and Mineral Resources (Canberra, 30 August 2004)
• Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Singapore concerning the Use of Shoalwater Bay Training Area and the Use of Associated Facilities in Australia
• Mutual Recognition Agreement on Conformity Assessment in Relation to Medicines Good Manufacturing Practice Inspection and Certification between the Government of Australia and the Government of Canada (Canberra, 16 March 2005)
• Amendments to Annex III [2005] ATS 9, and additional Annex VI [2005] ATNIF 5, to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, done at Rotterdam on 10 September 1998 (Geneva, 24 September 2004)
• Final Protocol and Partial Revision of the 2001 Radio Regulations, as incorporated in the International Telecommunication Union Final Acts of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-03), done at Geneva on 4 July 2003
• Measure 1 (2003) Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty, adopted at Madrid, Spain on 20 June 2003, under the Antarctic Treaty, done at Washington on 1 December 1959

Briefing documents

The advice in this Report refers to the National Interest Analyses (NIAs) prepared for the proposed treaty actions. These documents are prepared by the Government agency (or agencies) responsible for the administration of Australia’s responsibilities under each treaty. Copies of the NIAs may be obtained from the Committee Secretariat or accessed through the Committee’s website at

www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jsct/7dec2004/tor.htm

www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jsct/15march05/tor.htm

www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jsct/11may2005/tor.htm

Copies of treaty actions and NIAs may also be obtained from the Australian Treaties Library maintained on the internet by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Australian Treaties Library is accessible through the Committee’s website or directly from <www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat>.

Conduct of the Committee’s review

The review contained in this report was advertised in the national press and on the Committee’s website.⁴ Letters inviting comment were sent to all State Premiers and Chief Ministers and to individuals who have expressed an interest in being kept informed of proposed treaty actions such as these. A list of submissions and their authors is at Appendix A.

The Committee also received evidence at public hearings held on 7 and 14 March 2005 and 20 June 2005. A list of witnesses who appeared before the Committee at public hearings is at Appendix B. Transcripts of evidence from the public hearings may be obtained from the Committee Secretariat or accessed through the Committee’s website at:

www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jsct/7dec2004/hearings.htm

www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jsct/15march05/hearings.htm

www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jsct/11may2005/hearings.htm