This appendix contains information on the department’s engagement with parliamentary committees of inquiry during the reporting period.

Departmental officers appeared as witnesses before the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) in relation to nine proposed treaty actions. This figure does not include occasions on which the department’s International Law: Advising and Treaties Section staff attended JSCOT hearings in an advisory or observer capacity.
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In October the department made a submission to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee in relation to its inquiry into Australia’s declarations made under certain international laws. The submission can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/EastTimor/Submissions/

The committee’s report can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/EastTimor/Report
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In October the department and Austrade made a submission to the Senate Select Committee inquiry on the effectiveness of the Australian Government’s Northern Australia agenda. The submission can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/NorthernAustraliaAgenda/NorthernAustraliaAgenda
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On 9 October JSCOT tabled its report on the:

• Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Indonesia
• Free Trade Agreement between Australia and Hong Kong, China
• Investment Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

The department coordinated the government’s response to the report which was tabled on 19 February 2020. The report and the government response can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Treaties/Completed_inquiries
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On 3 December JSCOT tabled its report on the:

• Agreement between Australia and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay on the Promotion and Protection of Investments
• United Nations Convention on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration
• Convention establishing the Square Kilometre Array Observatory.

The committee’s report can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Treaties/InvestmentsUruguay/Report_188

The department coordinated the government response which was tabled on 16 June 2020 and can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Treaties/InvestmentsUruguay/Government_Response
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On 20 February the department tabled a portfolio submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade - Trade Sub-committee inquiry into Australia activating greater trade and investment with Pacific island countries. The submission can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/TradewithPacific/Submissions

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In March the department and Austrade made a submission to the Senate Economics References Committee in relation to its inquiry into foreign investment proposals. The submission can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Foreigninvestment/Submissions

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In March the department made a submission to the Human Rights Sub-committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, in relation to its inquiry into the use of targeted sanctions to address human rights abuses. The submission can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/MagnitskyAct/Submissions

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The department provided input to the Department of Defence submission (dated 3 March 2020) to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade - Defence Sub-committee inquiry into Australia’s defence relationships with Pacific Island nations. The submission can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/PacificIslandnations/Submissions

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On 25 March the department made a submission to the Senate Select Committee on Temporary Migration inquiry into the impact temporary migration has on the Australian economy, wages and jobs, social cohesion and workplace rights and conditions. The submission can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Temporary_Migration/TemporaryMigration/Submissions

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On 11 May the department made a submission to the Senate Select Committee inquiry into the Australian Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The submission can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/COVID-19/COVID19

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On 30 June the department made a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade - Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub-Committee inquiry into strengthening Australia’s relationships with countries in the Pacific region. The submission can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/PacificRelationships/Submissions

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On 30 June the department made a joint portfolio submission with Austrade, Tourism Australia and Export Finance Australia to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade inquiry into the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Australia’s foreign affairs, defence and trade. The submission can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/FADTandglobalpandemic/Submissions