Africa Day

26 May 2008, Canberra

His Excellency John Lanyasunya, High Commissioner for Kenya, Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps;
Heads of African Diplomatic Missions in Australia;
Other Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

45 years ago, the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU) dedicated itself to promoting the unity and solidarity of the African States, to securing Africa’s rightful place on the world stage, and to achieving a better life for all the peoples of Africa. 

The Africa now represented by the OAU’s successor, the African Union (AU), is a remarkably different place. 

Probably the most significant global event in the last century was decolonisation: nowhere was this more evident than in Africa.

A great deal has been accomplished by the peoples of Africa, in the face of the continuing developmental and security challenges faced by a number of the AU’s member states.

Today, I offer my congratulations on the achievements of the African Union, and of Africa itself, to the 13 representatives of African nations here, and through you to the current African Union Chairperson, President Kikwete of the Republic of Tanzania.

I am particularly pleased that our High Commissioner in Kenya will soon present her credentials as an Observer to the African Union.

Australia and Africa: a wider view

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first Africa Day celebration I have had the privilege of attending. 

The new Australian Government wants to bring a wider perspective to Australia’s relations with Africa. We want to broaden and deepen our engagement with your continent and your nations.

It’s impossible for someone like me, from Western Australia, the heart of Australia’s minerals and petroleum resources industry, to ignore Australia’s growing engagement with African countries in the resources sector. 

For example, more than 300 Australian resource companies, led by BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, are active throughout Africa, with existing and prospective investments estimated at up to US$15 billion.

That figure is impressive. So too is the steady increase in bilateral trade over the past decade. The Australian Government will do all it can to ensure this trend continues to our mutual benefit. 

Our trade, commercial and investment relationship is steadily being backed up by enhanced people-to-people engagement. We are encouraged by the increasing number of Africans studying in Australia. These, together with Australians who visit and work in African countries, and African families who have found a welcoming home in Australia, help to deepen the ties between our continents, our nations and our peoples. 

We welcome the confident voice of African States in the councils of international affairs, and want to work positively and constructively with you.

In recent years we have witnessed serious and continuing efforts on the part of the African Union to join with the United Nations to help address conflicts in Africa. This includes mobilising member states to contribute to peacekeeping operations, and by using its good offices to mediate.

The challenges of peacekeeping and nation building are undeniably complex. We can only encourage African states to continue this difficult but essential work. 

Australia shares many African views on the role and importance of the UN. Australia was a founding member of the United Nations, and has traditionally been a very strong supporter of its work in promoting peace, security and development, and in assisting the emergence of newly-independent states, including in Africa.

The Australian Government has made a clear commitment that Australia will a play a more active and constructive role in multilateral diplomacy, and especially in the United Nations. In keeping with this spirit of renewed engagement, the Government has decided that – after an absence of more than 20 years – Australia will seek election to the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 period.

We look forward to the support of your Governments, and to working closely with you in tackling the most urgent challenges to international peace and security. We remain fully committed to this task.

We have contributed to over 50 United Nations and multinational peacekeeping operations, including those in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Somalia, Rwanda, Mozambique and Ethiopia/Eritrea. In recent years we have sent military and police personnel to work with the UN Mission in Sudan. And in March, the Prime Minister offered further personnel to the United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur.

More broadly, we want to continue to assist the United Nations’ and international efforts to deliver credible development assistance. 

In 2008-09, we will provide over A$115 million in development assistance to Africa, an increase of more than 20 per cent over the current year. This contribution will support progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.

We also remain aware of the humanitarian challenges facing specific regions of Africa, including Darfur. The Prime Minister’s pledge of $5 million on 30 March brings Australia’s assistance to Darfur to more than $60 million since 2004. In the same period, we have also provided $15 million for South Sudan and over $10 million to address the spill-over effects in neighbouring countries.

Over the last year, Australia has provided humanitarian assistance in response to emergencies in Africa. These include flooding in Ghana, Uganda and Ethiopia; food insecurity in Zambia and Somalia; and people displaced by conflict in Chad and the Central African Republic.

And we continue to assist the victims of unrest and instability. About one-third of Australia’s humanitarian and refugee immigration program is allocated to African refugees.

Australia is a proud member of the Commonwealth, a body whose African membership has expanded in recent years. We support the Commonwealth’s mandate of promoting the fundamental principles of democracy.

Zimbabwe

One of the notable achievements of the past decades has been the spread in Africa of democracy. 

Sadly, this is not the case in Zimbabwe. 

I have discussed Zimbabwe with my counterparts in South Africa, Dr Dlamini-Zuma; in Zambia, Mr Pande; and Tanzania, Mr Membe; and with the Vice President of Botswana, Lt Gen Merafhe. I registered Australia’s interest in and concerns on Zimbabwe, and benefited from our discussions of the situation in Zimbabwe.

Australia remains deeply concerned at developments in Zimbabwe and strongly urge Zimbabwe’s neighbours to encourage President Mugabe to respect the will of the Zimbabwe people, including through providing a strong contingent of election observers to undertake comprehensive monitoring before, during and after the second round of presidential elections. 

We welcome the Southern African Development Community’s decision to increase substantially the number of observers in the second round run-off election. Australia stands ready, if asked, to provide election observer assistance.

Meanwhile we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the citizens of Zimbabwe through the UN and NGOs. We expect to provide aid to Zimbabwe totalling approximately $12 million in 2007-08.

Conclusion

Ladies and gentlemen:

We welcome the greater role that Africa is playing on the world stage.

We take pleasure in celebrating with you today Africa’s achievements.

Our commitment is to work with African states and organisations to address both African and wider international issues.

Our commitment is for the long term.