Australia and the United Nations

Australia was one of the founding members of the United Nations (UN) in 1945 and has been actively engaged in the organisation since its formation. The UN is seen by the Australian Government as a means to influence events which directly affect Australia's interests but over which they have little unilateral control.

Diplomatic representation

Australia has a permanent diplomatic mission to the UN in New York City along with missions in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi. The Australian Mission is headed by an Ambassador and Permanent Representative and staffed by officers from the Department of Foreign Affairs, AusAid, the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Federal Police, as well as local employees. The Mission provides the core of Australia's delegation to UN conferences and meetings in New York, including regular and special sessions of the United Nations General Assembly. It also participates in the ongoing work of the UN's other organisations, such as the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council, and follows the activities of the UN's specialised agencies and programs.

Australia is the twelfth largest financial contributor to the UN. Australia contributed more than US$87 million in the years 2004 to 2006, with a regular budget of US$22.9 million, peacekeeping costs of approximately US$60 million, and over US$4 million contribution to International Tribunals.

Australia has been an elected member of the United Nations Security Council on five occasions in the past. H. V. Evatt, a former Opposition Leader of Australia and prominent figure in the Australian Labor Party, was President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.

UN service UN OrganisationTerms servedUNSC1946–1947, 1956–1957, 1973–1974, 1985–1986, 2013–2014ECOSOC1992–1997, 2002–2012, 2016–dateUNHRC1991–1997, 2003–2006, 2018–2020

Australian involvement in UN peacekeeping operations

Australians were the first peacekeepers to serve under United Nations auspices when they sent military observers to Indonesia in 1947 during the independence struggle. About 65,000 Australian personnel have partaken in more than fifty peacekeeping operations, in about 25 different conflicts. Operations include military observation, monitoring cease-fires, clearing landmines, humanitarian aid and the repatriation of refugees.

Since 1947 Australians have joined peacekeeping operations in Cambodia, Korea, Namibia, Rwanda, and Somalia among others. All three services of the Australian Defence Force, as well as police officers and civilians, have been involved in peacekeeping activities.

The most significant recent involvement from Australian peacekeeping troops is in the newly formed country of East Timor. Australia initially offered between 1,000 and 1,300 infantry, three Royal Australian Navy ships (HMAS Manoora and HMAS Kanimbla already stationed nearby, and HMAS Tobruk) along with other support capabilities. Australia's involvement in East Timor is through UNMISET, the United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor, and UNOTIL, the United Nations Office in Timor Leste and UNMIT, the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste.

Australia also has peacekeepers from the Australian Defence Force participating in the United Nations Mission in Sudan, to support the African Union's Mission in Darfur.

Seven Australians have commanded or led multinational peacekeeping operations. Nine Australian peacekeepers have died on UN missions.Department of Veterans' Affairs. Australian Peacekeeping Operations

UN Operation nameUN Operation titleLocationDates of Australian involvementNumber of Australians involvedAustralian roleNoneUN Consular CommissionIndonesia19474Military observersUNGOCUN Good Offices CommissionIndonesia1947–1949About 45 ADF personnelMonitor ceasefires and ensure the peace between Dutch and Indonesian nationalistsUNCIUN Commission for IndonesiaIndonesia1949–1951About 45 ADF personnelMonitor ceasefires and ensure the peace between Dutch and Indonesian nationalistsUNCOKUN Commission on KoreaKorea19502Military observersUNMOGIPUN Military Observer Group in India and PakistanKashmir1950–1985Up to 18Military observers and air transportUNCURKUN Commission for the Unification and Rehabilitation of KoreaKorea19511Military observerUNCMACUN Command Military Armistice CommissionKorea1953–presentOriginally 6, with 2 continually serving. Estimated 68 totalArmistice monitoringUNTSOUN Truce Supervision OrganizationIsrael and neighbouring Middle East countries1956–presentUp to 13. Estimated 700 totalMilitary observersONUCOperation des Nations Unies au Congo (UN Operation in the Congo)Congo1960–1961Army medical team of 3 seconded to the International Red CrossMedical teamUNTEAUN Temporary Executive AuthorityWestern New Guinea1962–19634 Army pilots, 7 RAAF ground crew and 2 Sioux helicoptersCholera eradication programUNYOMUN Yemen Observation MissionYemen19632Military observersUNFICYPUN Peacekeeping Force in CyprusCyprus1964–present15 Australian Federal Police officers. Estimated 1000 in totalLaw and orderUNIPOMUN India-Pakistan Observation MissionIndia and Pakistan1965–19663; 1 seconded from UNTSO, 2 seconded from UNMOGIPMilitary observersUNDOFUN Disengagement Observer ForceIsrael and Syria1974Several redeployed from UNTSO. None currentlyMilitary observersUNEF IIUN Emergency Force IISinai1976–197946 RAAF detachment operating 4 UH-1 helicoptersCeasefire monitoring between Israel and EgyptUNIFILUN Interim Force in LebanonLebanon1978A few through detachment from UNTSOMilitary observersUNIIMOGUN Iran-Iraq Military Observer GroupIran and Iraq1988–1990Up to 16 in Iran onlyMilitary observersUNBROUN Border Relief OperationThailand/Cambodia border1989–19932 Federal PoliceLaw and order, and police trainingUNTAGUN Transition Assistance GroupNamibia1989–1990613 in two rotations; 28 electoral supervisorsEngineering support and election supervisionUNMCTTUN Mine Clearance Training TeamAfghanistan and Pakistan1989–199310 teams of 6–9 Army field engineers. Estimated 95 totalDeminingUNSCOMUN Special CommissionIraq1991–1999Between 2–6 ADF personnel on 3–6-month tours, 1 RAAF Image Analyst on rotation for up to 3 years. Estimated total 96Inspection of Iraqi chemical, biological and nuclear weapons capabilitiesMINURSOMission des Nations Unies pour un Referendum au Sahara Occidental (UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara)Western Sahara1991–19945 45 person contingents. Total 225CommunicationsUNAMICUN Advance Mission in CambodiaCambodia1991–199265Military observers, signals and supportUNTACUN Transitional Authority in CambodiaCambodia1992–1993Up to 1,215 ADF personnelMovement Control Group (May - Sep 1992); Force Communications UnitUNOSOM IUN Operation in SomaliaSomalia1992–199330Movement control unitUNITAFUnified Task ForceSomalia1992–1993About 1,200. 1 Royal Australian Regiment Battalion Group, HQ group, and HMAS TobrukProtecting delivery of humanitarian aid, law and order, and establishing functional legal, social and economic systemsUNPROFORUN Protection Force in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and MacedoniaFormer Yugoslavia1992SeveralMilitary observers and liaisonUNOSOM IIUN Operation in Somalia IISomalia1993–199536 Movements and Air Traffic Control Staff, 12-man Ready Reaction Security Team (mainly SAS) and HQ staff. 50 personnel per tour, about 250 in totalMovement control unit, HQ staff, securityUNAMIR IIUN Assistance Mission for RwandaRwanda1994–1995More than 600 in 2 contingentsMedical, infantry protection, support troopsONUMOZUN Operation in MozambiqueMozambique199415 police, 4 ADFPolice and deminingMINUGUAUN Verification Mission in GuatemalaGuatemala19971Military observerUNAMETUN Mission in East TimorEast Timor199950 police, 6 military liaison officersFacilitating referendumINTERFETInternational Force East Timor under UN mandateEast Timor1999–20005,500Establishing security, facilitating humanitarian aid and reconstructionUNTAETUN Transitional Administration in East TimorEast Timor2000–2002Up to 2,000maintaining security, facilitating reconstructionUNMEEUnited Nations Mission in Ethiopia and EritreaEthiopia and Eritrea2000–present2 ADF officers, 16 in totalTraining mission personnel and mappingUNMISETUN Mission of Support in East TimorEast Timor2002–2005Up to 1,600Maintaining security, facilitating reconstructionUNMOVICUN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission for IraqIraq2002–2003A few trained, two Royal Australian Air Force Armourers deployed to Iraq with one FSGT Michael Avenell taking up a role with UNMOVIC in the UNHQ New York until its disbandment Weapons inspectorsUNAMAUN Assistance Mission in AfghanistanAfghanistan2003–20041Military advisorUNMIS (Operation Azure)United Nations Mission in the SudanSudan2005–present15Military observers, logistics, air movement controllersUNOTIL (Operation Tower)United Nations Office in Timor-LesteEast Timor2005–presentAbout 17Military and police support

Australia-UN relations in 2008 In March 2008, senior United Nations officials travelled to Canberra to meet Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, elected three months earlier. According to The Age, the aim was to "repair relations". Hilde Johnson, deputy director of UNICEF, stated that Rudd was showing "stronger support" for the United Nations and multilateralism than his predecessor John Howard had."UN bid to mend fences with Canberra", Sarah Smiles, The Age, 17 March 2008 During Howard's Prime Ministership, UN high commissioner for human rights Mary Robinson had criticised Australia's human rights record. Johnson stated that the new Australian government had "explicitly said there's going to be a change, that the government will engage strongly and pro-actively with the UN". For the Australian government, Bob McMullan said that his country's "relationship with the major multi-lateral organisations has deteriorated in a manner that is quite contrary to Australia's long-term interests and needs to be repaired".ibid

Australian Contributions to UN Regular Budget as at 2016 Scale of assessments adopted in UN resolution 67/238 Contributions (USD) Scale of assessments for 2016 Gross contributions (USD) Credit from staff assessment Net contributions (USD) Total contributions (USD) 2.074 $933,300 2.337 $63,103,396 $5,890,149 $57,213,247 $58,146,547

Australia and the United Nations

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