Editing Foreign relations of Australia (section)

==International agencies, treaties, and agreements==

=== Membership of international organizations and groupings ===
{{see also|Australia and the United Nations}}

One of the drafters of the UN Charter, Australia has given firm support to the United Nations system. Australia held the first Presidency of the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] in 1946 and provided the first military observers under UN auspices a year later, to Indonesia. It has been a member of the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] a further four times, in 1956–57, 1973–74, 1986–87 and 2013–14.<ref>*[https://www.unaa.org.au/learn/australia-and-the-un/australia-and-un-security-council/ Australia and the UN Security Council]* United Nations Association of Australia. Retrieved 21 January 2022.</ref>  It has been regularly elected a member of the [[United Nations Economic and Social Council|Economic and Social Council]] most recently for 2020–22, a member of the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]] in 2018–20 and its predecessor the [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights|UN Commission on Human Rights]] in the 1990s. Australia takes a prominent part in many other UN activities, including peacekeeping, disarmament negotiations, and narcotics control.  In September 1999, acting under a UN Security Council mandate, Australia led an international coalition to restore order in East Timor upon Indonesia's withdrawal from that territory.  Australia has also been closely engaged in international development cooperation and humanitarian assistance through the [[Specialized agencies]], Funds and Programmes and Regional Commissions of the United Nations and major International Financial Institutions, in particular the [[World Bank]], the [[International Monetary Fund]], the [[Asian Development Bank]] and the [[Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank]].

Australia is a member of the [[G20]], the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD), and the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation|APEC]] forum.  It is active in meetings of the [[Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting|Commonwealth Heads of Government]], the [[Pacific Islands Forum]] and other Pacific Islands regional organizations and the [[Indian Ocean Rim Association]].  It has been a leader in the [[Cairns Group]] – countries pressing for agricultural trade reform in the [[Uruguay Round]] of the [[General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade]] (GATT) negotiations. Australia is also a member of [[MIKTA]],  an informal and diverse middle power partnership between Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia, led by its foreign ministers, which seeks to promote an effective, rules-based global order.

Australia has devoted particular attention in the early 21st century to promoting regional architecture centred around the countries of the [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations]] (ASEAN), to support dialogue on political, security and economic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia is an active participant in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the ASEAN sponsored [[East Asia Summit]]. Australia's place at the 2005 inaugural summit was only secured after it agreed to [[doi:10.1093/chinesejil/jms057|reverse its policy and accede]] to ASEAN's [[Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia]]. Australia had been reluctant to sign the treaty out of concerns regarding how it would affect Australia's obligation under other treaty arrangements including ANZUS.

=== Security treaties ===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Instrument
!Countries
|-
|[[Five Power Defence Arrangements]] ||{{flag|United Kingdom}} • {{flag|Australia}} • {{flag|New Zealand}} • {{flag|Singapore}} • {{flag|Malaysia}}
|-
|[[ANZUS]]  || {{flag|Australia}} • {{flag|New Zealand}}  (partially suspended) • {{flag|United States}}
|-
|[[ANZUK]]  ||{{flag|Australia}} • {{flag|New Zealand}} • {{flag|United Kingdom}}
|-
|}

=== Special strategic partnership ===
*[[Japan]] (as of 2014).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://japan.embassy.gov.au/tkyo/Strategic-partnership.html|title=Australian Embassy in|website=japan.embassy.gov.au}}</ref>  Under this partnership, Australia and Japan have established a strong and broad-ranging security relationship under the renewed 2022 Australia-Japan Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation.<ref>*[https://www.dfat.gov.au/countries/japan/australia-japan-joint-declaration-security-cooperation Australia-Japan Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation]* Australian Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 16 March 2024.</ref>

=== Comprehensive strategic partnerships ===
Comprehensive strategic partnerships are broad, high level relationships which have increasingly been formalized in the Asia-Pacific region under this description since the early 21st century.  They are arrangements which, in general, convey a sense of mutual value, strategic alignment and positive intent to further strengthen ties.<ref>*[https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/do-comprehensive-strategic-partnerships-matter Do comprehensive strategic partnerships matter?]* The Interpreter 9 November 2021. Lowy Institute. Retrieved 16 March 2024.</ref>  They establish the framework for an intensified level of engagement across governments and indicate particularly close bilateral relations. Australia has a formal comprehensive strategic partnership with the following countries and multi-national organizations:

*[[Singapore]] (as of 2016)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/singapore/Pages/joint-announcement-australia-singapore-comprehensive-strategic-partnership|title=Joint announcement: Australia-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership|website=Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade|access-date=13 December 2021|archive-date=13 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213075617/https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/singapore/Pages/joint-announcement-australia-singapore-comprehensive-strategic-partnership|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Indonesia]] (as of 2018)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/indonesia/joint-declaration-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-between-the-commonwealth-of-australia-and-republic-of-indonesia|title=Joint Declaration on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Australia and the Republic of Indonesia|website=Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade|access-date=13 December 2021|archive-date=13 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213075620/https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/indonesia/joint-declaration-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-between-the-commonwealth-of-australia-and-republic-of-indonesia|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[India]] (as of 2020)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/india/joint-statement-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-between-republic-india-and-australia|title=Joint Statement on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Republic of India and Australia|website=Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade|access-date=13 December 2021|archive-date=13 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213075617/https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/india/joint-statement-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-between-republic-india-and-australia|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Papua New Guinea]] (as of 2020)<ref>*[https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/papua-new-guinea-australia-comprehensive-strategic-and-economic-partnership-signed.pdf Papua New Guinea-Australia Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership]* Australian Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 16 March 2024.</ref>
*[[Malaysia]] (as of 2021)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/malaysia/joint-statement-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-between-australia-and-malaysia|title=Joint Statement on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Australia and Malaysia|website=Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade|access-date=13 December 2021|archive-date=13 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213075620/https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/malaysia/joint-statement-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-between-australia-and-malaysia|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[South Korea]] (as of 2021)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/australia-south-korea-sign-historic-defense-agreement/a-60099713|title=Australia, South Korea sign historic defense agreement &#124; DW &#124; 13.12.2021|website=DW.COM}}</ref>
*[[ASEAN]] (as of 2021)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-asean-establish-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-asean-2021-10-27/|title=Australia, ASEAN to establish comprehensive strategic partnership – ASEAN|newspaper=Reuters|date=27 October 2021|via=reuters.com}}</ref>
*[[Vietnam]] (as of 2024)<ref>*[https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/vietnam-and-australia-announce-long-awaited-diplomatic-upgrade/ Vietnam and Australia announce long-awaited diplomatic upgrade]* The Diplomat 7 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.</ref>

In 2014, the Australian Prime Minister and Chinese President agreed to describe the relationship as a "comprehensive strategic partnership", and this helped facilitate an extensive program of engagement. This partnership went into dormancy, particularly from 2020, but is being gradually revived with the improvement of relations since 2023.<ref>* [https://thediplomat.com/2024/11/australia-china-relations-from-comprehensive-strategic-partners-to-frenemies/]* The Diplomat, November 25, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.</ref>