Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum - Joint Communique

Senator VAN (17:24):

Thank you for the opportunity to make a few short comments on the tabling of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum’s Australia’s 2020 communique and report.

The Forum was a unique opportunity especially for a new backbench Senator like myself. An opportunity to engage with our counterparts of regional parliaments, discuss issues of mutual interest, and to commit to co-operative action in the best interests of our countries and their people.

I was very pleased to be a member of Australia’s delegation for the Forum, that was held at this place this January. It gave someone like me, a new backbencher as I said, to be able to debate with some very interesting colleagues from around the Asia pacific.

For example debating points on cyber security with the representative of China who himself was a Chair of the UN Security Council. A completely unique opportunity.

As members noted during our plenary session considerations, the security of our communications, data, and personal privacy in the cyber world is a very tangible element of how we can invest in our economic prosperity and sovereign security.

Without secure systems, our participation in the global community and economy is not possible and as a result, the very prosperity that the member countries have committed to achieving through the UN’s Sustainable Development 2030 Agenda, cannot be achieved – to the detriment of each countries’ progress and its people

As our Director‑General of Security highlighted in his annual threat assessment the other night, Australia’s experience with exploitative cyber activity has shown that small business, local governments and our critical infrastructure can be vulnerable to disruption through a range of attacks, scams and also sophisticated threats.

All targeted against those key elements of our communities.

Unfortunately, as other countries’ experiences have shown, we are not alone in this and that is why it is so important – that the Forum’s member countries – strive to enable capability and capacity in each of our countries to counter this exploitative activity and protect key economic systems and infrastructure from disruption.

As the tabled communique shows, the Forum's participants are committed to continuing regional cooperation and capacity-building action to enhance cyber security and combat cyber-crime.

Programs such as this Government's Cyber Co‑operation Program are excellent examples of partnerships between Forum partners such as Australia, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam.

That program develops regional international cyber governance, builds joint efforts to combat cybercrime and enhances everyone's cyber security capability. This is the sort of program that we need in order to bring in further partners to help build cyber-resilience around the region.

In concluding my remarks, I acknowledge the hard work of the team behind the organisation of the Forum, especially Mr James Catchpole, as delegation secretary, and the secretariat team, ably led by Ms Lyn Ducker and consisting of Emma Knezevic and Siobhan Leyne.

Their efforts and management of the forum resulted in a very successful event, despite the various security, weather, fire, smoke and logistical challenges involved.

I thank you.