Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting 2024 Joint statement

Source: New Zealand Government

Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting 2024

Joint statement

1. The Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, welcomed the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, to Canberra for their first annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting on 16 August 2024.
2. Prime Ministers acknowledged the Ngunnawal people as Traditional Custodians of the lands of the meeting and recognised any other people or families with connection to the lands of the Australian Capital Territory and region. They acknowledged and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of the city and region.
3. Prime Ministers acknowledged our nations’ deep and abiding bonds as friends, family and formal allies. We share geography, history and a common outlook as Pacific nations. Deep levels of trust have enabled our economies to become closely intertwined, and for our people to move freely across the Tasman. 
4. Prime Ministers recognised that we face an increasingly uncertain and dangerous world, where more is required of us to assure our security and prosperity. They affirmed that we are fundamentally aligned in our assessment of the challenges faced and committed to working in lockstep to harness all elements of statecraft to advance our shared interests. 
5. Prime Ministers recommitted to the Trans-Tasman Roadmap to 2035, as the guiding framework for how we work together to achieve the shared vision of our bilateral relationship and improve the lives of Australians, New Zealanders and fellow members of the Pacific family.

Our economies

1. Prime Ministers noted our economies are two of the most closely integrated in the world, underpinned by the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement and the Single Economic Market (SEM). They acknowledged that rapid technological changes as well as geo-economic competition had fundamentally reshaped the economic landscape. They reaffirmed the importance of our existing commitments and shared architecture as foundations to address the challenges and opportunities ahead. 
2. Looking to the future, Prime Ministers committed to modernising the SEM in response to these shifts – by expanding the SEM to emerging sectors of the economy; taking active steps to ensure our economic resilience; and considering how to position the SEM within the economic evolution underway across the wider region. 
3. Prime Ministers committed to Ministers and officials coordinating closely on the Future Made in Australia agenda and the New Zealand Government’s plan to rebuild its economy, to ensure that they would collectively support jobs, productivity, prosperity and economic resilience. They highlighted the important contribution trans-Tasman trade and investment makes to achieving our economic goals.
4. Prime Ministers endorsed the outcomes of the Australia-New Zealand 2+2 Climate and Finance Dialogue held on 30 July. Aligning technology, clean energy and sustainable finance policies would encourage trans-Tasman investment in the energy transition. They also welcomed Climate and Finance Ministers’ agreement to deepen collaboration to secure ambitious outcomes under the Paris Agreement. New Zealand announced it would join Australia in the Climate Club, to support trans-Tasman industry decarbonisation and strengthen the Indo-Pacific’s voice in this important forum.
5. Looking to other emerging sectors, Prime Ministers decided to promote collaboration and alignment of our regulatory approaches for Genetically Modified Organisms, noting the unique environment of Australia and New Zealand. They also welcomed collaboration on safe and responsible AI, recognising that the safe, secure and trustworthy development, deployment and use of AI can deliver better outcomes for our people. They encouraged officials to work together in international forums to ensure that efforts on AI governance are effective, promote interoperability and uphold our shared values and interests.
6. To underpin these initiatives, Prime Ministers committed to reinvigorating the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement (TTMRA) to ensure a seamless market for goods and the mutual recognition of occupational registration across the Tasman. They tasked agencies to implement the industry-consulted joint work plan to address identified issues, as well as to build industry awareness of the TTMRA and take full advantage of its benefits. They noted that New Zealand is increasing investment in updating and maintaining joint building standards with Australia as well as in the adoption of relevant international standards to better align the two regulatory systems. They also noted good progress over the last year to update the Double Taxation Agreement between Australia and New Zealand, which would also contribute to a more seamless business environment. 
7. Prime Ministers welcomed closer trans-Tasman space research collaboration through four new joint projects commencing this month and a competitive round for four more projects later this year. They looked forward to government and commercial space delegations attending the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney next year. Prime Ministers welcomed progress in strengthening science and innovation engagement under the Australia New Zealand Science, Research and Innovation Cooperation Agreement.
8. Prime Ministers endorsed the work of the Trans-Tasman Seamless Travel Group and its vision for easier travel between Australia and New Zealand while ensuring the highest levels of security at our borders, and thanked industry for their efforts. They announced that governments and industry would implement this vision via coordinated activities to enhance traveller experience. This would include Australia trialling a digital incoming passenger card for the first time, and New Zealand upgrading eGates. Prime Ministers noted these were steps towards ‘contactless travel’ when passengers would be able to rely on digital credentials throughout the airport journey.
9. Prime Ministers acknowledged and appreciated the strategic refresh of the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum, ensuring its relevance to business and effectiveness as a voice to governments. 

Security and resilience

1. Prime Ministers recognised that Australia and New Zealand face the most complex and challenging strategic circumstances since World War II. They noted the importance of our alliance to collective security and regional peace and stability and affirmed that we would continue to work closely together to protect and promote our shared interests and values, and to deter threats to our national security. In that spirit, Prime Ministers acknowledged the extensive work already undertaken between our respective sovereign defence forces to be able to come together as an ‘Anzac’ force to respond to regional and global challenges. 
2. Prime Ministers noted that the newly established Australia-New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministerial Consultations (ANZMIN) are helping to drive this integration agenda and endorsed the outcomes of the inaugural meeting held on 1 February 2024. Prime Ministers further welcomed that the Hon Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, and the Hon Judith Collins KC, Attorney-General and Minister of Defence, are working to conclude a renewed Joint Statement on Closer Defence Relations later in the year, affirming our commitment to a deliberate, coordinated and ambitious agenda that deepens and expands our defence partnership over the coming years.
3. Prime Ministers welcomed the appointment of an Australian Defence Force one-star officer into the New Zealand Defence Force position of Deputy Commander Joint Forces. A New Zealand Defence Force two-star officer would soon commence as Deputy Chief of Joint Operations in Australia. These high level exchanges of senior military officers, together with combined warfighting exercises, would increase knowledge, networks, and interoperability between our forces. Prime Ministers further committed to increasing our combined operational tempo and presence together in the Indo-Pacific.
4. Prime Ministers jointly decided to prioritise combined defence procurement as an enabler of interoperability. Prime Ministers noted that the mutual recognition of our defence industrial bases supports this cooperation and enables broader defence industry integration and technological advancement.
5. Prime Ministers discussed the AUKUS trilateral partnership and affirmed it was an initiative which would enhance regional security and stability. They acknowledged New Zealand’s interest in exploring potential collaboration on advanced capability projects under AUKUS Pillar II.
6. Prime Ministers expressed concern at the proliferation of threats to our societies and democratic institutions, including foreign interference, espionage, mis and dis-information, economic coercion and malicious cyber activity, which pose risks to trust in institutions and social cohesion. They called on agencies to work together to identify common challenges and share lessons on best practices to respond to threats, build our resilience and strengthen our democracies. 
7. Prime Ministers recognised the increasingly important role cyberspace plays in national security and the importance of trans-Tasman cooperation in respect of the threats posed by malicious cyber activity. Prime Ministers affirmed that international law applies in cyberspace. In the event of a cyber-attack that threatened the territorial integrity, political independence or security of either of our nations, Australia and New Zealand would consult together under the ANZUS Treaty to determine appropriate options to address the threat. They also affirmed that a cyber-attack on either nation could constitute an armed attack under Article IV of the ANZUS Treaty. A decision on whether such a cyber-attack would constitute an armed attack would be made on a case-by-case basis through close consultations between Australia and New Zealand. 

Partners in the Pacific

1. Prime Ministers acknowledged Australia’s and New Zealand’s future success is inextricably tied to that of the region, and the Pacific is strongest when it works together. Australia and New Zealand share a vision for a peaceful, prosperous and resilient Pacific, with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) at the heart of Pacific regionalism. As fellow founding members of the PIF, they recognised Australia’s and New Zealand’s roles in contributing to a stronger PIF family and upholding common values. They recommitted Australia and New Zealand to supporting the Forum’s aspirations for the region through the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and the Boe Declaration on Regional Security. Prime Ministers looked forward to shortly attending the 53^rd PIF Leaders’ Meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, and supporting Tonga to host a successful Forum meeting.
2. Prime Ministers reinforced their commitment to Pacific-led approaches to peace and security in the region, noting that Pacific countries had the will and capability to address shared security concerns from within the region. They looked forward to supporting the Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI), being developed by Pacific police chiefs through the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police, at the upcoming PIF Leaders’ Meeting. They committed to continued support to meet Pacific policing priorities through regional and bilateral relationships, including training, equipment, infrastructure and operational deployments. 
3. Prime Ministers also looked forward to attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024 in Apia in October and reaffirmed their joint commitment to working with Samoa to deliver a successful CHOGM that elevates Pacific priorities, including climate change, ocean sustainability and small state resilience.
4. Prime Ministers recognised that climate change is the single greatest threat to the livelihoods and wellbeing of Pacific peoples. As Pacific Leaders, they understood the shared responsibility to amplify the collective Pacific voice on climate change. They discussed Australia’s bid to host COP31 in 2026 in partnership with the Pacific, which New Zealand supports. They agreed hosting COP31 would put Pacific voices and perspectives at the centre of global discussions on climate change. 
5. Prime Ministers reaffirmed their support for Pacific-led initiatives to build regional resilience to the impacts of climate change and disasters. They noted Pacific priorities for more targeted climate financing solutions that respond to regional needs and would work together in multilateral fora to enhance Pacific access to climate finance. Prime Ministers noted that Australia has committed $100 million to the Pacific Resilience Facility, and that New Zealand also plans to make a capital contribution once it is established. Prime Ministers reaffirmed their joint support for the Pacific-led Weather Ready Pacific Decadal Programme of Investment, to provide crucial early warning systems.
6. Prime Ministers welcomed New Zealand’s hosting of the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) in October 2024, and noted the importance of working with SPDMM members on defence regional priorities, including creating a more connected defence network and developing the Pacific Response Group. 
7. Prime Ministers reaffirmed Australia’s and New Zealand’s commitment to supporting the Pacific’s development priorities. Australia and New Zealand are two of the region’s largest contributors of Official Development Assistance (ODA) partnering with Pacific countries to support outcomes addressing climate change, infrastructure, education, gender equality, health, labour mobility, good governance, economic resilience and connectivity.
8. Prime Ministers welcomed the increased tempo of Australia and New Zealand co-financing of Pacific infrastructure and development over the past year, including with other partners. These include Tuvalu’s first undersea telecommunications cable to boost connectivity, the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project to build resilience to coastal hazards, a solar power project on Buka island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea’, the upgrade of Seghe Airfield in Solomon Islands to enhance connectivity and tourism, funding The Pacific Community (SPC) for a regional research vessel, and support for the Solomon Islands elections.
9. Prime Ministers recognised that the withdrawal of correspondent banking relationships (CBRs) from the Pacific presents challenges to economic resilience, growth and inclusion. They welcomed commitments made at the Pacific Banking Forum in Brisbane on 8 and 9 July 2024 by governments, banks and financial institutions, to take coordinated action to reverse this trend and to strengthen Pacific island countries’ access to the global financial system, including through the World Bank’s planned Pacific Strengthening CBRs project. 
10. Prime Ministers were saddened by the loss of life and destruction of livelihoods and property during the recent unrest in New Caledonia. They encouraged all parties to work together constructively to shape New Caledonia’s institutional future. Prime Ministers welcomed the decision by New Caledonia and France to invite a Forum Ministerial Committee delegation to visit New Caledonia.

Shared principles and values

1. Prime Ministers discussed regional and global developments of concern to Australia and New Zealand, and exchanged views on the challenges and crises afflicting the world.
2. Prime Ministers expressed concern about growing challenges to regional stability in a more contested and dangerous world. They reaffirmed their commitment to an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is respectful of sovereignty and free from coercion. They reaffirmed respect for, and adherence to, international law and agreed regional rules and norms, strengthening cooperation to support robust regional institutions, including those which are ASEAN-led, and to partnering with the Pacific family to amplify Pacific voices in the multilateral system.
3. Prime Ministers emphasised the vital importance of responsibly managing strategic competition and welcomed recent dialogue between the United States and China. They reaffirmed the need to promote open channels of communication, transparency and practical measures to reduce risks of misunderstanding, miscalculation, escalation and conflict in our region.
4. Prime Ministers expressed grave concern about dangerous, destabilising and provocative behaviour in the South China Sea. They reiterated that adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is essential to peace and stability and called on all parties to de-escalate and resolve maritime disputes peacefully in accordance with international law. They also underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues through dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. They expressed concern about rising cross-Strait tensions and affirmed their shared opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo.
5. Prime Ministers unequivocally condemned Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine as a gross violation of international law. They reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and called again for Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukraine.
6. Prime Ministers reiterated that an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is desperately needed and expressed their support for ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region. Civilians must be protected, hostages must be released and a sustained increase in the flow of assistance throughout Gaza is needed to address the humanitarian situation.
7. Prime Ministers stand behind the comprehensive ceasefire deal, outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council. They call on parties to the conflict to agree to the deal.
8. Prime Ministers reiterated their commitment to working towards an irreversible path to achieving a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders.
9. Prime Ministers expressed their grave concern about the prospect of further escalation across the region. They called on Iran to refrain from further destabilizing actions in the Middle East, cease its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel, and demand Iran’s affiliated groups, including Hizballah, cease their attacks.
10. Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to reform and strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, including by fixing the dispute settlement system as soon as possible. They noted substantial progress on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and close cooperation on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
11. Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to gender equality, disability equity and social inclusion, including ending all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination, working to implement fully the Women, Peace and Security agenda, and advancing inclusive trade and women’s economic security, as well as support for the Revitalised Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration.

Our peoples

1. Prime Ministers acknowledged our deep and enduring people-to-people links, first built by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and Māori tangata whenua and strengthened over generations of exchanges between Australians and New Zealanders. For over 50 years, this had been facilitated by our Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement 
2. Prime Ministers acknowledged the positive response to the introduction of the direct pathway to Australian citizenship for New Zealanders with over 60,000 applications received in the first year. Prime Minister Albanese noted the importance of this initiative in ensuring the rights of New Zealanders who had chosen to live and work in Australia, while significantly reducing the number of permanently temporary migrants in Australia.

Prime Ministers acknowledged and celebrated that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia and Māori of Aotearoa New Zealand are central to our relationship. This is echoed in our Indigenous Collaboration Arrangement (ICA), which enables close cooperation, bringing people together from our two countries to share knowledge, best practices, and foster mutual understanding. They noted the ICA’s recent focus on women’s business leadership and entrepreneurship and affirmed their commitment to strengthening economic opportunities for Māori, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

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