Minister’s foreword
Embedding First Nation perspectives in our foreign and trade policies
Australian First Nations businesses are unique. On the world stage, Indigenous cultural and tourism exports tell our story, drawing on the rich heritage of more than 60,000 years of tradition and the wisdom of one of the world’s oldest living cultures. At the same time,
Indigenous businesses are combining cutting-edge technology with traditional knowledge to give them an edge in domestic and international markets.
Australia’s Indigenous traders are our first exporters – from trading goods with Makassan seafarers in Indonesia hundreds of years ago, to exporting native botanicals, design, cyber and clean energy solutions to world markets. This issue of Business Envoy showcases just a few of these Indigenous innovators, and profiles Australia’s international partnerships that will lift Indigenous voices in global institutions and decision-making that affects them. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), working with Tourism Australia, Austrade, Export Finance Australia, and with our international partners, are delivering inclusive trade policies and programs, including export readiness training and mentoring. We will increasingly embed Indigenous business and exporter interests into our trade negotiation strategies and reaffirm the importance of Indigenous rights,
It includes provisions on copyright, designs, trademarks and artist resale rights, enabling visual artists to receive royalties on eligible resales of their artworks in the lucrative UK market. We will appoint an Ambassador for First Nations People, who will lead a process to systematically engage First Nations communities, advocates and leaders to advise government, including on pathways to help grow First Nations’ trade and investment. The Ambassador will head an Office of First Nations Engagement within DFAT and will undertake consultations to listen and engage directly on how Australia’s
This issue also covers important developments in our engagements with international partners to build economic opportunity and resilience. The Indo- Pacific Economic Framework – an initiative with the US and partners in North Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific – seeks to address challenges such as decarbonisation, digital connectivity, supply chain resilience, and facilitate high- standard trade. We also look at the Australia- Singapore Green Economy Agreement, a new type of agreement signed in October to harness the opportunities of energy transition with new forms of economic cooperation.
international engagement contributes to Indigenous community and economic development, supports First
Nations businesses and exporters, delivers practical action on climate change, builds connections across the Indo-Pacific region and supports Indigenous rights around the world. Indigenous businesses are role models and multipliers – they are more likely to train and employ Indigenous staff and channel profits back into their communities. The value of Indigenous trade is felt right back along the supply chain and into communities on-country where jobs and wealth are created.
Above: Geoscience Australia’s Alice Springs satellite ground station includes two antennas featuring First Nations designs to celebrate the collaborative relationship between Geoscience Australia and the US Geological Survey. The Datron antenna features artwork based on Caterpillar Tracks by Roseanne Kemarre Ellis, commissioned in 2016 to recognise the Arrernte people as custodians of the land where the antennas are located. The ViaSat antenna features a Lakota Sioux artwork recognising Sioux Nation peoples as custodians of the land where the US Geological Survey satellite operators are based. Image courtesy of Geoscience Australia.
including how these relate to sustainable development, traditional knowledge, and
protecting the integrity of Indigenous arts and cultural products. The Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement demonstrates how FTAs can deliver new opportunities and revenue streams for First Nations exporters.
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Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
business envoy
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