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Media release
Australian Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile
Thursday, 29 November 2001 / MVT157/2001
Strengthened Resources for Trade
The Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile, announced today the establishment of an Office of Trade Negotiations within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This initiative was a key commitment in the Coalition's election platform on trade policy.
The new Office of Trade Negotiations will have responsibility for all trade negotiations including the recently launched round of WTO multilateral trade negotiations and bilateral trade initiatives such as the current free trade agreement negotiations with Singapore.
Mr Vaile said that since 1996, the Coalition Government has developed and implemented the most active and ambitious trade policy agenda of any Australian Government. "We are committed to ensuring the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade continues to have the necessary resources and skills to take forward this agenda," Mr Vaile said.
"In the last three years staff resources devoted exclusively to trade policy work in the Department have been boosted by 27 per cent. The new Office of Trade Negotiations will have 60 per cent more staff than the corresponding division at the end of the Uruguay Round of multilateral negotiations in 1993.
"The consolidation of strengthened staff resources in an integrated Office of Trade Negotiations with responsibility for the full range of Australia's trade negotiating agenda will increase the effectiveness of Australia's work in this important area.
"In addition to ensuring that Australia's trade interests are aggressively pursued in the new round of multilateral trade negotiations, we are currently negotiating a free trade agreement with Singapore and undertaking work on major bilateral initiatives with the United States, Japan, Korea, China and Thailand. We have a very active agenda within APEC and are embarking on an exciting new phase in the development of our trade and economic relations with ASEAN.
"The Office of Trade Negotiations will also incorporate three specialist Market Access Facilitators covering the important sectors of automotives; textiles, clothing and footwear; and processed food and beverages. In addition, in recognition of the increasing role of food exports and their importance to the negotiating agenda - and in continued recognition of the importance of agricultural commodities trade - the Agriculture Branch within OTN will be re-named the Agriculture and Food Branch. A High-Level (Deputy Secretary) Group on Food Trade will also be established.
"The Office will also continue to pursue vigorously Australia's trade rights through the WTO dispute settlement system."
The Office of Trade Negotiations will comprise 72 staff and will be headed by First Assistant Secretary, Bruce Gosper. Mr Gosper will be supported by two other senior negotiators at the First Assistant Secretary level: Stephen Deady, Special Negotiator with responsibility for free trade negotiations, and Allan McKinnon, Special Negotiator for Agriculture. The work of the office will be overseen by the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Dr Ashton Calvert, and a Deputy Secretary, Peter Grey.
An additional senior appointment will be made to Australia's WTO mission in Geneva next year once the new trade round is underway. This position will be used to strengthen the negotiating team in Geneva and will, together with the Ambassador to the WTO, be responsible for agriculture negotiations and coordination of the Cairns Group.
Mr Vaile also announced the establishment of the Trade Development Division. This division will be responsible for Australia's regional trade strategy through APEC, the development of a closer economic partnership with ASEAN, trade finance and economic issues, and the development of new bilateral and regional trade initiatives such as the recently commenced scoping study on a free trade agreement with Thailand.
The Trade Development Division - comprising 68 staff - will be headed by Peter Baxter, First Assistant Secretary. The division will incorporate a new Trade Advocacy and Outreach Section which will strengthen and sharpen the focus of the Government's promotion of the benefits of trade to the Australian community. In addition, DFAT's website now includes a new trade entry point to improve accessibility to trade information. The new division's work will be overseen by the Secretary of DFAT and another Deputy Secretary, Pamela Fayle who is also Australia's Ambassador for APEC.
Mr Vaile said that since becoming Trade Minister, he and the Secretary of DFAT had worked together to strengthen and sharpen the resources dedicated within DFAT to the trade policy function.
In addition to the trade policy work undertaken by the Office of Trade Negotiations and the Trade Development Division, the Department's four geographic divisions and global network of overseas posts will continue to place a high priority on trade policy issues including vigorously pursuing bilateral market access initiatives on behalf of Australian business.
Contacts: Chris De Cure (Departmental) 02 6261-1555
Local Date: Friday, 21-Nov-2008 17:54:01 EST