ADVOCACY AT ADU

During Africa Down Under, Roger Staley and the Board met with Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts and senior DFAT officials to discuss AAMEG’s submission advocating for stronger economic ties between Australia and Africa.

While the government has expressed appreciation for the submission, they are not currently in favour of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) but are working on alternative solutions, with updates expected in the coming months.

Irrespective of this, because it is the key issue for Australian companies operating in African countries, AAMEG will continue its push for investment protection provisions.

In addition to our ongoing advocacy work, AAMEG partnered with DFAT and other organisations to deliver a series of valuable workshops and forums including:

Workshops:

• Security Threats in Africa & Crisis & Contingency Planning (DFAT)
• Starting Mines in Africa – How to Get it Right (Stelo Maintenance)

Breakfast Forums:

• Building Future Australia-Africa Relations (Paydirt Media, Centre for Australia-Africa Relations, Curtin University, National Security College, Australian National University, and Australian Institute for International Affairs)
• Gallagher Breakfast Forum

Tanzanian Cocktail Reception

We also held important meetings with Australian Heads of Mission to Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as with the Minerals Council of South Africa, to further align our efforts.