Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary delegation to the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union assembly and the bilateral visits to Romania and Switzerland, which took place from 12 to 23 October 2025. I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

This report provides an overview of our delegation's participation in the 151st Assembly of the IPU, as well as our bilateral visits to Romania and Switzerland. I was very pleased to be part of the Australian delegation to the 151st assembly, which took place in October last year. Our delegation was very ably led by the Speaker of the House, the Hon. Milton Dick, and included the Deputy Speaker, my good friend Ms Sharon Claydon; Senator Brown, who sits right near me here in the chamber and is a fine representative for Tasmania; Senator McLachlan from the opposition, a senator for the great state of South Australia; and me.

Our program included bilateral visits to Romania and Switzerland followed by the assembly itself in Geneva. These visits provided valuable opportunities to deepen parliamentary relationships and to engage directly with counterparts on shared global challenges.

In Romania, I was particularly interested to learn of the important role the country is playing in supporting Ukraine. Romania is currently hosting around 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and has become a critical economic and logistics conduit enabling Ukrainian exports, particularly grain, to reach global markets through Romanian ports and infrastructure. What may also interest Australians here at home is that Romania played an integral role in assisting Australians to flee Ukraine following Russia's illegal full-scale invasion in February 2022. Romanian authorities worked closely with Australian officials to facilitate safe transit for Australians seeking to leave the conflict zone, a practical demonstration of international cooperation in times of crisis.

Across our meetings in Romania, our delegation also emphasised Australia's strong commitment to democratic principles and institutions. Many of our discussions focused on the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation, particularly in the context of foreign interference. As highlighted in Romania's most recent presidential election, the risk of large-scale cyber campaigns—something one might have once associated with science fiction—has become a real and present national security challenge.

Our visit to Switzerland, and particularly to Geneva, provided further insights into the role of multilateral institutions in responding to global challenges. Switzerland's longstanding commitment to humanitarian diplomacy and international law aligns closely with Australia's own values and foreign policy priorities.

At the assembly itself, Australia joined 129 member parliaments in an exercise of global parliamentary diplomacy and collective problem solving. The theme of the general debate was upholding humanitarian norms and supporting humanitarian action in times of crisis. The Speaker, the Hon. Milton Dick, played a particularly significant role at the assembly. In his capacity as a member of the IPU Executive Committee and chair of its subcommittee on finance, the Speaker provided detailed briefings on the financial governance and organisation, promoting transparency and accountability across the IPU.

He also addressed multiple geopolitical groups, including the Asia-Pacific and Twelve Plus groups, and answered questions from delegations on the floor. The Speaker also led Australia's advocacy on humanitarian protection, contributing to the general debate and ensuring recognition of the Australian led Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel in the IPU's Geneva Declaration. This was a substantial achievement, with over 100 countries now endorsing the declaration, including Switzerland and the United Kingdom, which partnered with Australia in its development.

Ms Sharon Claydon as Deputy Speaker also made a significant contribution. She was endorsed by the Asia-Pacific group to continue Australia's mandate on the IPU Bureau of Women Parliamentarians, where she will serve until 2027. Ms Claydon participated in high-level discussions on gender equality, political participation and parliamentary workplace safety. She also represented Australia in parity debates, focused on advancing women's leadership and politics. Ms Claydon also contributed to sessions on implementing IPU's anti-harassment policies, drawing on the Australian parliament's own reforms and experiences in strengthening standards of behaviour.

Senator Brown and Senator McLachlan likewise represented Australia very ably across a wide range of bilateral meetings and committee engagements. Over the course of the assembly, the Australian delegation conducted more than 20 bilateral meetings with counterparts from Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, strengthening parliamentary links and promoting Australia's democratic values and regional perspectives.

I also had the privilege of serving as co-rapporteur to the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development. We developed a proposed resolution on the role of parliaments in combating protectionism, reducing tariffs and preventing corporate tax avoidance. The resolution recognises that tax avoidance is one of the most significant barriers to achieving sustainable development goals as it deprives governments of the revenue required to fund essential services.

I thank all of my colleagues for the wonderful work they did on behalf of the nation.

Question agreed to.