Scott Morrison pushes for stronger links with global bodies as US turns inward

Scott Morrison has been urged to strengthen engagement with the UN and other international bodies to counter China’s growing influence.

Scott Morrison speaks to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2020 Virtual Leaders Summit between on Thursday. Picture: AAP

An audit of Australia’s involvement in multilateral institutions has urged Scott Morrison to strengthen engagement with the UN and other international bodies to counter China’s efforts to dominate the global agenda.

The classified assessment warns that as the US increasingly abandons global institutions, Australia is more reliant on them and their management of the inter­national rules-based order.

It is understood the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade audit recommends Australia plays a more active role within global bodies, promotes more Australian representation in key committees, pushes harder for democratic-­nation candidates to take leadership roles, and advocates for reform when needed.

The Australian has been told the review was completed and considered by cabinet several months ago — around the same time the government called for an international inquiry into the ­origins of the coronavirus.

Sources said the nation’s successful global advocacy on the pandemic was not directly related to the audit’s findings but had clearly demonstrated Australia’s ability to speak with authority on the world stage.

Australia worked closely with the EU to marshal support for the independent inquiry at last month’s World Health Assembly in a resolution that was ultimately co-sponsored by 137 nations, ­including China.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said COVID-19 had demonstrated the need to ensure multilateral bodies “are fit for purpose, ­accountable to member states (and) free from undue influence”.

“It is in Australia’s interests to actively influence and shape ­global institutions, particularly as they address new and emerging challenges,” Senator Payne told The Australian.

The Prime Minister announced the DFAT audit of ­“global institutions and rule-making processes” in an October speech in which he warned of the dangers of “negative globalism” and declared Australia would put its own sovereignty first in its dealings with multilateral bodies.

He said he was determined that Australia would play a more active role in the bodies that set inter­national standards underpinning commerce and investment.

“We cannot afford to leave it to others to set the standards that will shape our global economy,” Mr Morrison said at the time.

Democratic nations have been growing increasingly alarmed at China’s push to dominate inter­national standard-setting agencies, fearing it will subvert their agendas to further Chinese strategic goals.

China has proposed, for example, a Huawei-led “redesign” of the internet to the International Telecommunications Union, which it chairs, to give nation states the ability to control how the global communications network is used.

Chinese nationals chair four of the 15 specialised UN agencies: the ITU, the Food and Agriculture ­Organisation, the UN Industrial Development Organisation and the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

In March, it tried to seize control of a fifth: the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property ­Organisation. The US was incensed by the push, seeing it as a threat to global intellectual property rights, and marshalled support for a Singaporean candidate to take the position.

China’s sway within the World Health Organisation was starkly illustrated during the coronavirus pandemic, which the WHO failed to officially declare until March 11.

The WHO praised China for its response to the coronavirus, ­declaring that its commitment to “transparency” was “very impressive and beyond words”.

Lowy Institute executive director Michael Fullilove said Aus­tralia should engage with inter­national bodies to ensure “the rules are … widely observed”.

“China and Russia have taken advantage of America’s retreat from global institutions to step in and increase their influence,” he said. “President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO is the worst possible move. When your opponents are winning the game, you don’t quit the court — you flood the zone.”