Australian Foreign Minister and Indigenous Voice Envoy Head To UN Assembly

A flag of the United Nations flies in front of the U.N. headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in a file photo. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is leading a delegation to the United Nations (U.N.) 77th General Assembly as the Albanese government continues to push forward its strong focus on diplomacy in the international community.

Wong, who is scheduled to deliver Australia’s national statement on Friday, is expected to outline the country’s commitment to strengthening the global rules-based order.

In a media statement released on Sept. 19, the government said it considers ensuring the strength and effectiveness of the U.N. as vital to Australia’s interests, especially given the threats the United Nations Charter faces today.

“It’s in Australia’s national interest to ensure a world where countries operate by agreed rules and norms, and where outcomes aren’t decided by power and size alone,” Wong said.

“That means we need to work with others to solve shared problems and advance our interests.”

Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong speaking at the Australian Labor Party (ALP) National Conference at the Revesby Workers Club in Sydney, on March 30, 2021. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

The foreign minister is expected to engage in around 30 meetings, including with Quad members India, Japan, and the U.S. and will focus on regional peace and security, human rights, development, and addressing the changing global climate.

Australia to Advance Indigenous Voices at United Nations

Wong will be joined at the Assembly by Special Envoy for Reconciliation and Implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Senator Patrick Dodson, who will be there to explain and advance the government’s commitment to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full.

He and the foreign minister will hold discussions to listen and learn from the experiences of other countries and Indigenous representatives as Australia moves to deliver a First Nations foreign policy, with the country hosting a roundtable meeting about the topic on Sept. 21.

“In Australia, we are currently having a conversation about how we bring First Nations perspectives to the forefront of all that we do, and this includes foreign and trade policy,” Dodson said.

“First Nations experiences and practices can enrich our diplomacy and strengthen our relationships with other countries, including in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Food Crisis Expected to Be a Focus of General Assembly

The Assembly is expected to hold in-depth talks on the growing global food shortages that are affecting countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Yemen as a result of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and severe droughts impacting Eurasia and Africa.

The Assembly is expected to hold in-depth talks on the growing global food shortages that are affecting countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Yemen as a result of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and severe droughts impacting Eurasia and Africa.Spencer Platt/Getty Images

China expert James Gorrie wrote in an opinion article for The Epoch Times that as the war in Ukraine continues, a global famine may be in the process of being engineered by both Moscow and Beijing.

“As the world’s largest exporter of wheat and among the world’s top barley exporters, Russia gains from a tighter global grain market and rising prices,” Gorrie wrote. “On the other side of that calculus, China also plays an important role as the world’s largest food importer. For one, it’s providing Russia, which is subject to sanctions and trade embargoes from the West, with a much-needed market for its grains.

“That Russia and China would attempt to gain such leverage should surprise no one. Both nations are overtly challenging the current world order,” he said.