During 2002-03 the department continued its efforts to promote orderly migration and to combat irregular migration and people smuggling, through:

• building partnerships with international organisations and governments in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions
• fostering capacity-building in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions through bilateral and multilateral liaison and the sharing of information and technology
• ensuring Australian approaches to strategic management of international protection, and migration more generally, are advanced in international debate.

In particular, the department strengthened its interactions with the UNHCR, the Inter-Governmental Asia-Pacific Consultations on Refugees, Displaced Persons and Migrants, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Inter-Governmental Consultations on Asylum, Refugees and Migration Policies in Europe, North America and Australia.

The department worked closely with relevant Australian Government agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Australia continued its engagement with the UNHCR during the year. Australia took an active role in the governance of the UNHCR.

The Minister and senior officials attended the UNHCR Executive Committee in October 2002 and senior officials engaged in standing committee meetings and a range of specific purpose meetings.

Particular issues pursued included more comprehensive and innovative approaches to the management of refugee and asylum seeker flows, including through the High Commissioner's Convention Plus initiative, the strategic use of resettlement, protection standards and future governance arrangements for the UNHCR.

The Minister undertook a range of visits to Africa, Europe and Asia.

The purpose of these visits was to discuss ways of promoting orderly movement of people and Australia's anti people smuggling strategy with foreign government Ministers, officials and regional representatives of international organisations and to promote cooperative arrangements where possible.

In April 2003 Australia co-chaired with Indonesia the Second Regional Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime held in Bali.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Downer, co-chaired the conference with his Indonesian counterpart and the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs headed the Australian delegation to the conference.

The outcome of the conference was renewed commitment by participating states to pursue more effective measures for border management and dealing with people smuggling.

Ministers agreed that the two Ad Hoc Experts' Groups established by the first ministerial conference should continue to implement their action plans, that senior officials meet in 12 months time to report to Ministers and that another ministerial conference could be held in two to three years.

Flowing from visits and an ongoing program of negotiations, the following Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and Joint Ministerial Statements (JMSs) were signed in 2002-03.

• On 6 May 2003, the Minister signed an agreement with the Afghan Deputy Defence Minister, General Atiquallah Baryalai, on issues relating to irregular migration and people smuggling. Under the agreement both countries have agreed on a range of bilateral initiatives aimed at increasing their capacity for border management and the prevention of illegal migration.
  
  The agreement provides a framework for the implementation of the packages of assistance to Afghanistan in relation to border control and migration management, worth $2.2 million, announced in November 2002.
• On 30 April 2003, at the Bali Conference, the Minister also concluded MOUs with Laos and Fiji on mutual cooperation in combating people smuggling and irregular migration, and a JMS with Sri Lanka on mutual cooperation on migration, refugees, irregular migration and people smuggling.
• On 12 March 2003, the Minister signed a MOU on Consular Matters with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This MOU is an important development in Australia's bilateral relationship with Iran, representing the culmination of three years of extensive discussions by Mr Ruddock and senior departmental officials. The MOU provides for the return to Iran of Iranian nationals who are in Australia without authorisation. It also provides a basis to explore and implement a range of initiatives to promote the legal and mutually beneficial movement of people between the two countries.
• On 9 August 2002, the Minister signed a MOU on Information Exchange and Cooperation to Combat Illegal Immigration with Mr Goran Svilanovic, the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).
• On 2 August 2002, the Minister and Dr Buthelezi, the South African Minister for Home Affairs, signed the Joint Ministerial Statement in Support of Mutual Cooperation Between Australia and South Africa on Migration, Refugees, Irregular Migration, and People Smuggling. The JMS provides for cooperation between Australia and South Africa on a range of immigration and border control issues.

The department continues to invest in practical capacity-building initiatives with countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Our goal is to assist countries to strengthen the management of their borders and migration arrangements through information exchange, improved border management systems, training and enhanced administrative and legislative capacities.

Indonesia is a priority country for cooperation in enhanced migration management.

A document fraud laboratory and associated equipment and training has been provided to assist Indonesia in improving the effectiveness of its border control capacity.

Assistance has also been provided to the IOM to undertake an assessment of Indonesia's migration management system.

The outcomes of this assessment provide Indonesia with a strategic framework for capacity-building initiatives over the next few years.

The department's cooperation with Cambodia has seen the engagement of the IOM over three years to manage the Enhanced Migration Management project.

The aims of this project include provision of expert advice on organisational issues, delivery of targeted training packages, design of comprehensive migration legislation and the development of an efficient computerised border processing and visa issue system.

Under the Regional Cooperation Arrangements the department provided funding through the IOM and UNHCR to support the interception and management of people unlawfully travelling to Australia.

This support includes the care of intercepted illegal migrants, assessment of any asylum claims and facilitated return of those with no protection need.