House of Representatives Committees

Joint Standing Committee on Treaties

Committee activities (inquiries and reports)

Report 66 Treaties tabled on 7 December 2004 (4), 15 March and 11 May 2005

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August 2005

Canberra

ISBN 0 642 78654 2 (Print Version)

Membership of the Committee
Terms of reference
List of abbreviations
List of recommendations

Membership of the Committee

Chair	Dr Andrew Southcott (MP)
Deputy Chair	Mr Kim Wilkie (MP)
Members	Hon Dick Adams (MP)	Senator Andrew Bartlett
	Mr Michael Johnson (MP)	Senator Jacinta Collins (until 30/6/05 )
	Mrs Margaret May (MP)	Senator Sue Mackay (until 29/7/05 )
	Ms Sophie Panopoulos (MP)	Senator Brett Mason
	Mr Bernie Ripoll (MP)	Senator Santo Santoro
	Hon Bruce Scott (MP)	Senator Ursula Stephens (until 23/6/05 )
	Mr Malcolm Turnbull (MP) (until 11/8/05 )	Senator Glenn Sterle (from 23/6/05 )
		Senator Tsebin Tchen (until 30/6/05 )
		Senator Russell Trood (from 23/6/05 )
		Senator Dana Wortley (from 23/6/05 )

Committee Secretariat

Secretary	Gillian Gould
Inquiry Secretary	Stephanie Mikac
Research Officer	Serica Mackay
Administrative Officer	Heidi Luschtinetz

Terms of reference

The Resolution of Appointment of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties allows it to inquire into and report upon:

matters arising from treaties and related National Interest Analyses and proposed treaty actions presented or deemed to be presented to the Parliament;
any question relating to a treaty or other international instrument, whether or not negotiated to completion, referred to the committee by:

either House of the Parliament, or
a Minister; and

such other matters as may be referred to the committee by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and on such conditions as the Minister may prescribe

List of abbreviations

ADF	Australian Defence Force
AFFA	Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia
ASEAN	Association of South East Asian Nations
ATCM	Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting
ATS	Antarctic Treaty System
CEP	Committee for Environmental Protection
COP 1	First Conference of Parties
Cth	Commonwealth
DFAT	Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
EC	Emulsifiable Concentrates
EEZ	Exclusive Economic Zone
EMG	Environmental Monitoring Group
GMP	Good Manufacturing Practice
HPFB	Health Products Food Branch
ICAC	Independent Commission Against Corruption
ITU	International Telecommunication Union
JSG	Joint Sectoral Group
MOU	Memorandum of Understanding
NIA	National Interest Analysis
NICNAS	National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme
PIC	Prior Informed Consent
PIC/S	Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme
RAAF	Royal Australian Air Force
SAF	Singapore Armed Forces
SAFTA	Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement
SWBTA	Shoalwater Bay Training Area
TGA	Therapeutic Goods Administration
UNCAC	United Nations Convention Against Corruption
UNCLOS	United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
UNFCC	United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
US	United States
USA	United States of America
WRC-03	World Radiocommunication Conference 2003

List of recommendations

United Nations Convention Against Corruption

Recommendation 1

That the Attorney-General advise the Committee in writing of the Australian Government’s intention to meet Australia’s obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption only through the means specified in the National Interest Analysis, particularly as stated in paragraphs 50, 51 and 52.

Recommendation 2

That the Attorney-General advise the Committee in writing that the Australian Government has no intention of using the external affairs power and the United Nations Convention against Corruption to pass legislation which has not been foreshadowed in the National Interest Analysis.

Recommendation 3

The Committee supports the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (New York, 31 October 2003) and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

Treaty between Australia and New Zealand establishing certain Exclusive Economic Zone Boundaries and Continental Shelf Boundaries

Recommendation 4

The Committee supports the Treaty Between the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand establishing certain Exclusive Economic Zone Boundaries and Continental Shelf Boundaries and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

Singapore–Australia Free Trade Agreement Amendments

Recommendation 5

The Committee supports the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement Amendments and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Korea on Cooperation in the Fields of Energy and Mineral Resources

Recommendation 6

The Committee supports the 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) and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

Agreement concerning the use of Shoalwater Bay Training Area and associated facilities in Australia

Recommendation 7

The Committee supports the 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 and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

Mutual Recognition Agreement on Conformity Assessment in relation to Medicines Good Manufacturing Practice Inspection and Certification

Recommendation 8

The Committee supports the Mutual Recognition Agreement on Conformity Assessment in relation to Medicines Goods Manufacturing Practice Inspection and Certification between the Government of Australia and the Government of Canada (Canberra 16 March 2005) and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

Final Protocol and Partial Revision of the 2001 Radio Regulations made at the World Radiocommunication Conference

Recommendation 9

The Committee supports the Final Protocol and Partial Revision of the 2001 Radio Regulations, as incorporated in the International Telecommuncation Union Final Acts of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WTC-03), (Geneva on 4 July 2003) and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

Establishment of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat

Recommendation 10

The Committee supports 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 and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.