Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

On 11 September 17 years ago today, the horrific and shocking attack on the United States is one which we commemorate and remember—its victims and their families. Australians remain resolute in our determination to defeat the terrorist networks around the world that threaten our way of life and our safety.

Terrorism is a global challenge, a continuing global challenge that can't be addressed by the individual actions of any one nation. That's why Australia continues to make a significant contribution to international coalitions to defeat terrorist networks at their source, including in both Afghanistan and Iraq. In Afghanistan, the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces will continue to need international security support to meet that challenge and to promote the conditions for eventual peace. I commend the efforts of President Ghani towards peace, particularly in recent times.

Australia continues to provide around 300 ADF personnel to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission. The work undertaken by Australia and other partners has helped the Afghan parliament make significant progress since 2001, expanding education to millions of children from a low of 0.8 million to 9.2 million currently, of which 40 per cent are girls, and improving access to basic health care and life expectancy from 44 years in 2001 to 64 years now.

In Iraq and in Syria, despite a loss of almost all of its territory, Daesh remains an ongoing threat. It continues to promote its toxic, extremist ideology, including endeavouring to do so in our region. That's why Australia continues to make a significant contribution to both the US-led counter-Daesh coalition and humanitarian and stabilisation efforts in that country.