Australia–Tuvalu Relations
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Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and
Tuvalu Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...
were established in 1978, with the independence of Tuvalu, and both countries are members of the
Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...
which share a head of state,
King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
. Australia has had a High Commission in
Funafuti Funafuti is an atoll, comprising numerous islets, that serves as the capital of Tuvalu. As of the 2017 census, it has a population of 6,320 people. More people live in Funafuti than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with it containing approximately 6 ...
since 2018. Tuvalu is not currently represented in Australia at the high commissioner or consular level.


History

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
has strong ties with
Tuvalu Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...
and was one of the three founding donating countries to the Tuvalu Trust Fund and continues as a major donor of aid and technical assistance to Tuvalu. The official currency of Tuvalu from 1966 to 1976 was the
Australian dollar The Australian dollar (currency sign, sign: $; ISO 4217, code: AUD; also abbreviated A$ or sometimes AU$ to distinguish it from other dollar, dollar-denominated currencies; and also referred to as the dollar or Aussie dollar) is the official ...
, which strengthens the economic bonds between the two countries in particular. Since 1976, Tuvalu began issuing its own coinage (see Tuvaluan dollar) but the country continues to use Australian banknotes as official currency, and the value of the Tuvaluan currency is directly tied to the Australian dollar. In this regard, the Tuvaluan dollar is similar to the Faroese króna's relationship to the
Danish krone The krone (; plural: ''kroner''; sign: kr.; code: DKK) is the official currency of Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands, introduced on 1 January 1875. Both the ISO code "DKK" and currency sign "kr." are in common use; the former precedes ...
as the Tuvaluan dollar is not an independent currency but has been assigned an
ISO 4217 ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that defines alpha codes and numeric codes for the representation of currencies and provides information about the relationships between individ ...
currency code, although it is treated as equivalent to the Australian dollar. In August 2009, Australia signed a Pacific Partnership for Development between Australia and Tuvalu at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders held in
Cairns Cairns (; ) is a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. In the , Cairns had a population of 153,181 people. The city was founded in 1876 and named after William Cairns, Sir W ...
, Australia. Australia was (along with New Zealand and the United Kingdom) one of the three founding donating countries to the Tuvalu Trust Fund. Australia is a major aid donor to Tuvalu. In 1994, even before the Pacific Partnership between the two countries was signed, Australia donated a Pacific-class patrol boat ( HMTSS ''Te Mataili'') provided by Australia under the Pacific Patrol Boat Program for use by the Tuvaluan police force for search and rescue missions and maritime surveillance and
fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish far ...
patrol. Australia has agreed to provide its maintenance until 2024 as well as training for its operation. Australia's Defence Cooperation Program supports Tuvalu's maritime police force with training, fresh water and supplies. On 7 April 2019, Australia donated a Guardian-class patrol boat that was named HMTSS ''Te Mataili II'', and which was operated by the maritime surveillance unit of the Tuvalu Police Force. In 2023 ''Te Mataili II'' was damaged beyond repair by cyclones that struck Tuvalu. On 16 October 2024 Australia handed over a Guardian-class patrol boat to Tuvalu, which was named HMTSS ''Te Mataili III''. The government of Australia responded to the
2011 Tuvalu drought The 2011 Tuvalu drought was a period of severe drought afflicting Tuvalu, a Oceania, South Pacific island country of approximately 10,500 people, in the latter half of 2011. A state of emergency was declared on September 28, 2011; with rationing o ...
by working with New Zealand to supply temporary desalination plants; Australia also provide water tanks as part of the longer-term solution for the storage of available fresh water. Tuvaluans can participate in the Australian ''Pacific Seasonal Worker Program'', which allows Pacific Islanders to obtain seasonal employment in the Australian agriculture industry, in particular cotton and cane operations; fishing industry, in particular aquaculture; and with accommodation providers in the tourism industry. Technical and Vocational Skills Development (TVSD) in Tuvalu is supported by the Australian Pacific Training Coalition (APTC). In May 2023 the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) approved the payment of AUD$21.4m (US$15m) for a AUD$120.6m (USD$84.4m) Asian Development Bank (ADB) led fund to finance the construction of passenger and cargo facilities on Pacific Islands. The AIFFP funds, together with AUD$11m (USD$7.2m) of in-kind contribution from the Government of Tuvalu, are allocated to complete a project at
Niutao Niutao is a reef island in the northern part of Tuvalu. It is one of the nine districts (islands) of Tuvalu. It is also one of the three districts that consist of only one island — not counting the three islets inside the closed lagoon. Niuta ...
and to implement a project at Nui, to construct workboat harbors, including constructing a navigation channel, boat ramp, passenger terminal, cargo shed, as well as shoreline reclamation.


Australia–Tuvalu Falepili Union

On 9 November 2023, Tuvalu and Australia signed the Australia–Tuvalu Falepili Union, a bilateral treaty which covered migration, climate change, security arrangements and their bilateral diplomatic relationship. The treaty entered into force on 28 August 2024. In the Tuvaluan language, Falepili describes the traditional values of good neighbourliness, care and mutual respect. The Treaty addresses climate change and security, with security threats encompassing major natural disasters, health pandemics and traditional security threats. The implementation of the Treaty will involve Australia increasing its contribution to the Tuvalu Trust Fund and the
Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project The Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP) was launched in 2017 to meet the challenges to Tuvalu resulting from Climate change in Tuvalu, climate change and sea-level rise affecting the islands of Tuvalu. Tuvalu was the first country in the Pac ...
. Australia will also provide a pathway for 280 citizens of Tuvalu to migrate to Australia each year to enable climate-related mobility for Tuvaluans. Under the Falepili Union Australia and Tuvalu agreed to resolve any disputes bilaterally and not "involve any national or international tribunal or court or any other third party for resolution". Australia agreed to provide permanent residency for up to 280 Tuvaluans a year and provide funds to mitigate the effects of climate change. Australia agreed to assist Tuvalu in the event of "a major natural disaster", "a public health emergency of international concern" or "military aggression against Tuvalu". Tuvalu agreed to engage with Australia before "any partnership, arrangement or engagement with any other State or entity on security and defence-related matters". The understanding of security that is applied in the Falepili Union is consistent with the Boe Declaration (2018) on regional security, which commits
Pacific Islands Forum The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is an inter-governmental organisation that aims to enhance cooperation among countries and territories of Oceania, including formation of a trade bloc and regional peacekeeping operations. It was founded in 197 ...
members to commit to core values, including good governance, liberty of the individual, democratic processes and indigenous rights. The Boe Declaration expanded the Biketawa Declaration (2000) to include issues of human security, environmental security, transnational crime, and cybersecurity.


Controversy over the effect of the Falepili Union

The entry into the treaty has been criticised by Tuvaluan politicians as allowing Australia veto power over Tuvalu's foreign security agreements. Prime Minister
Kausea Natano Kausea Natano (born 5 July 1957) is a politician who served as the Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 19 September 2019 to 26 February 2024. He represented Funafuti as a Member of Parliament. He was first elected in the 2002 Tuvaluan general electio ...
said the treaty was essential in preserving Tuvalu's identity. However, former Prime Minister
Enele Sopoaga Enele Sosene Sopoaga Privy Council of the United Kingdom, PC (born 10 February 1956) is a Tuvaluan diplomat and politician who was Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2013 to 2019. Sopoaga was elected to Parliament of Tuvalu, Parliament in the 2010 T ...
claimed the Falepili Union would undermine the country's sovereignty and vowed to repeal it should he head a government again after the election. Sopoaga emphasised the sensitivity of conserving the sovereignty of the Pacific Island nations amidst a period where bigger countries, such as the United States and China, are competing for influence in the region. Former Foreign Minister Simon Kofe also criticised the treaty and pledged to renegotiate with Australia. Kofe highlighted Tuvalu's contracts with numerous international companies, including those that provide the country with satellite connections and questioned if it were necessary for Tuvalu to require Australia's permission to engage with such companies. In his first interview as prime minister,
Feleti Teo Feleti Penitala Teo (born 9 October 1962) is a Tuvaluan people, Tuvaluan politician and lawyer who is serving as the 14th Prime Minister of Tuvalu, prime minister of Tuvalu since 2024. He was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu in the 2024 Tuval ...
said the part of the Falepili Union he wanted to revisit that both countries must “mutually agree” on any security arrangements that Tuvalu may want with other countries. In a later interview Teo said that “ there is a way that stops short of revising the treaty that guarantees the integrity of the sovereignty of Tuvalu, then we will certainly explore those options.” Subsequently Teo said he wanted arrangements to guarantee Tuvalu’s sovereignty that "stop short of revising the treaty." On 26 March 2024,
Pat Conroy Donald Patrick Conroy (October 26, 1945 – March 4, 2016) was an American author who wrote several acclaimed novels and memoirs; his books ''The Water Is Wide (book), The Water is Wide'', ''The Lords of Discipline'', ''The Prince of Tides (no ...
, Australia’s Pacific minister, tabled the Falepili Union in the Australian Parliament for the propose of obtaining
ratification Ratification is a principal's legal confirmation of an act of its agent. In international law, ratification is the process by which a state declares its consent to be bound to a treaty. In the case of bilateral treaties, ratification is usuall ...
of the Falepili Union. Conroy stated “ e new government of Tuvalu has confirmed its desire to proceed with the Falepili Union”. The Falepili Union had been an issue in the
2024 Tuvaluan general election General elections were held in Tuvalu on 26 January 2024. There are no political parties in Tuvalu and all candidates run as independents. Two major issues in the election were the Falepili Union treaty, which requiries both Tuvalu and Aust ...
regarding its impact on the sovereignty of Tuvalu. Conroy confirmed that Australia would work with Tuvalu to ensure its sovereignty was respected. Conroy also stated that “Australia commits to assist Tuvalu in responding to a major natural disaster, a health pandemic, or military aggression. This is predicated on Tuvalu requesting such assistance.”


Australian High Commission in Tuvalu

In the 2018 Federal budget, Australia allocated funding to establish a High Commission in Tuvalu, becoming one of only two diplomatic missions in Tuvalu (the other being the Embassy of
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
). Prior to the appointment of the first resident high commissioner in October 2018, non-resident accreditation for Tuvalu was held by the Australian High Commission to Fiji (held by the High Commissioner from 1978 to 2014, and the Deputy High Commissioner from 2014 to 2018). The new High Commission in Tuvalu Road, Vaiaku,
Funafuti Funafuti is an atoll, comprising numerous islets, that serves as the capital of Tuvalu. As of the 2017 census, it has a population of 6,320 people. More people live in Funafuti than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with it containing approximately 6 ...
, was officially opened by Foreign Minister Payne on 7 February 2019.


High commissioners


See also

*
Foreign relations of Tuvalu From 1916 to 1975, Tuvalu was part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony of the United Kingdom. A 1974 Ellice Islands self-determination referendum, referendum was held in 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands shoul ...
*
Foreign relations of Australia Foreign relations of Australia are influenced by its position as a leading trading nation and as a significant donor of humanitarian aid. Australia's foreign policy is guided by a commitment to multilateralism and Regionalism (international r ...


References


External links


Australian High Commission in Tuvalu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Australia-Tuvalu relations
Tuvalu Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
Australia and the Commonwealth of Nations Tuvalu and the Commonwealth of Nations