- Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the department of the Australian federal government responsible for foreign policy and relations, international aid (using the branding Australian Aid), consular services and trade and investment (including trade and investment promotion Austrade). Australia's total official development assistance (ODA) (USD 3 billion) decreased in 2022 due to differences in Australia's financial year reporting and the timing of its COVID-19-related expenditure, representing 0.19% of gross national income (GNI).
The head of the department is its secretary, presently Jan Adams. She reports to Penny Wong, who has held the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2022.
History
The department finds its origins in two of the seven original Commonwealth Departments established following Federation in 1901: the Department of Trade and Customs and the Department of External Affairs (DEA), headed by Harry Wollaston and Atlee Hunt respectively.
The first DEA was abolished on 14 November 1916 and its responsibilities were undertaken by the Prime Minister's Department and the Department of Home and Territories. It was re-established under the same name on 21 December 1921.
Until the Second World War, Australia's status as a dominion of the British Empire in the then British Commonwealth meant its foreign relations were mostly defined by the United Kingdom. During this time, Australia's overseas activities were predominantly related to trade and commercial interests, while its external affairs were concerned mostly with immigration, exploration and publicity. The political and economic changes wrought by the Great Depression and Second World War, and the adoption of the 1931 Statute of Westminster (ratified by Australia in 1942), necessitated the establishment and expansion of Australian representation overseas, independent of the United Kingdom Foreign Office. Australia began to establish its first overseas missions (outside London) in 1940, beginning with Washington, D.C., and now has a network of over 80 diplomatic (and 22 trade) posts.
The DEA was renamed the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1970. On 24 July 1987, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Trade were amalgamated by the Hawke government to form the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
In 1994, the Australian Overseas Information Service (AOIS, formerly Australian Information Service) became a branch in DFAT known as the International Public Affairs Branch. In 1996 the branch was dissolved.
In 2005, DFAT became embroiled in the Oil-for-Food Programme scandal after it was revealed it had approved the Australian Wheat Board's (AWB) request allowing it to pay 'trucking charges' to Alia, a Jordanian trucking company with no actual involvement in the trucking of Australian wheat within Iraq. The Cole Inquiry into the AWB was established, however its terms of reference excluded any investigation of the role of DFAT.
Portfolio responsibilities
The functions of the department are broadly classified into the following matters as laid out in an Administrative Arrangements Order issued on 18 September 2013:
External Affairs, including:
relations and communications with overseas governments and United Nations agencies
treaties, including trade agreements
bilateral, regional and multilateral trade policy
international trade and commodity negotiations
market development, including market access
trade and international business development
investment promotion
international development co-operation
diplomatic and consular missions
international security issues, including disarmament, arms control and nuclear non-proliferation
public diplomacy, including information and cultural programs
International expositions
Provision to Australian citizens of secure travel identification
Provision of consular services to Australian citizens abroad
Overseas property management, including acquisition, ownership and disposal of real property
Tourism industry (international)
International development and aid
Development and co-ordination of international climate change policy
International climate change negotiations
Portfolio ministers
Four additional ministers support the Minister for Foreign Affairs in administering the Department, as of 2022:
Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farrell
Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy MP
Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tim Watts MP
Assistant Minister for Trade, Senator Tim Ayres
Secretary of the Department
DFAT is administered by a senior executive, comprising a secretary and five deputy secretaries. On the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the Governor-General has appointed the following individuals as Secretary to the department:
Structure
The Department is responsible to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and the Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.
As at June 2023, 3,881 Australian Public Service (APS) staff worked for DFAT in Australia and 959 worked in the overseas network. Additionally, DFAT employed 2,267 locally engaged staff (LES) in the overseas network. LES are citizens of the country in which the relevant DFAT Post is located, providing invaluable administrative and policy support to Australian officers whilst they conduct their overseas duties.
= Departmental structure
=The Department is structured into seven groups, each led by a Deputy Secretary at the SES Band 3 level.
The Secretary
Chief of Staff to the Secretary
Trade and Investment Group (TIG)
Trade and Investment Strategy Branch (TIB)
State and Territory Offices
Trade and Investment Law Division (TLD)
Trade Resilience, Indo-Pacific Economic, and Latin America Division (TID)
International Economics and Energy Transition Division (IGD)
Free Trade Agreements & Stakeholder Engagement Division (FSD)
Office of Global Trade Negotiations (OTN)
Strategic Planning and Coordination Group (SCG)
Strategic Communications Division (SGD)
East Asia Division (EAD)
Geostrategy and Partnerships Division (GPD)
Defence and National Security Policy Division (DND)
National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR)
South and Southeast Asia Group (SSG)
Office of Southeast Asia (OSA)
Southeast Asia Maritime Division (SMD)
Southeast Asia Regional and Mainland Division (SRD)
Southeast Asia Strategy and Development Division (SSD)
South and Central Asia Division (SXD)
Centre for Australia-India Relations (CAIR)
Office of the Pacific (OTP)
Pacific Infrastructure & Economic Division (PED)
Pacific Strategy Division (PSD)
Melanesia Division (PMD)
Pacific Integration Division (PID)
Polynesia, Micronesia and Development Division (PDD)
Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP)
Development, Multilateral and Europe Group (DMG)
Multilateral Policy and Human Rights Division (MPD)
Development Policy Division (DPD)
Development Effectiveness and Enabling Division (PRD)
Humanitarian Division (HPD)
Climate Diplomacy and Development Finance Division (CSD)
Ambassador for Global Health Global Health Division (GHD)
Europe Division (EUD)
International Security, Legal and Consular Group (ISG)
Legal Division (LGD)
Regulatory and Legal Policy Division (RLD)
Consular and Crisis Management Division (CCD)
Middle East and Africa Division (MAD)
International Security Division (ISD)
Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO)
Australian Passport Office (APO)
Enabling Services Group (ESG)
Finance Division (FND)
Diplomatic Security Division (DSD)
Overseas Property Office (OPO)
Information Management and Technology Division (IMD)
People Division (PPD)
Executive Division (EXD)
Internal Audit Branch(AUB)
= Diplomatic network
=DFAT maintains offices in each state and mainland territory to provide consular and passport services, and to perform an important liaison service for business throughout Australia. In addition, it has a Torres Strait Treaty Liaison Office on Thursday Island. Additionally, the department manages a network of 116 overseas posts, including Australian embassies, high commissions and consulates-general.
= Portfolio agencies
=DFAT also manages several agencies within its portfolio, including:
Australian Trade and Investment Commission;
Export Finance and Insurance Corporation;
Australian Secret Intelligence Service;
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
DFAT also manages foundations, councils and institutes including:
Australia-China Council (ACC)
Australia-India Council (AIC)
Australia-Indonesia Institute (AII)
Australia International Cultural Council (AICC)
Australia-Japan Foundation (AJF)
Australia-Korea Foundation (AKF)
Australia-Malaysia Institute (AMI)
Australia-Thailand Institute (ATI)
Council for Australian-Arab Relations (CAAR)
Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR)
See also
Australian Information Service
Australian Volunteers for International Development
Five Nations Passport Group
List of Australian Government entities
List of ambassadors and high commissioners of Australia
References
External links
Official website
National Indigenous Times article on Trent Smith who was dismissed by DFAT then re-employed after lengthy legal proceedings
OECD Development Co-operation Profile of Australia
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- Kathryn Campbell
