Australia will not oppose a successful Turkish bid to host next year's COP31 climate summit, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, warning a prolonged standoff over hosting rights could undermine unity required to help the Pacific island nations.
Albanese earlier this week ruled out a joint hosting arrangement, which Türkiye had suggested, saying United Nations rules do not permit co-hosts for the annual summit.
But on Tuesday he said there was "considerable concern" from countries, including Pacific nations, that a failure to reach consensus could jeopardise efforts to push for a united diplomatic front to act on climate.
"If Australia is not chosen, if Türkiye is chosen, we wouldn't seek to veto that. What we would seek to do is to ensure that the Pacific benefited from that," Albanese told reporters.
"What we're doing is continuing to engage ... not just with Türkiye, but other countries as well to make sure that the interests of the Pacific are looked after."
Australia has campaigned to host COP31 alongside Pacific island nations for the first time, backed by the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum. Many Pacific states are on the front lines of rising sea levels and have pushed for more global efforts on climate finance and emission cuts.
Under UN rules, the 28-member 'Western Europe and Others Group' bloc, whose turn it is to host COP31 and which includes Australia and Türkiye, must unanimously decide.
Consensus must be reached at COP30, currently underway in Belem, Brazil, and scheduled to end on Friday (21 November).
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Australia has launched legal action against U.S. chemicals giant 3M, seeking more than $1.4 billion over contamination linked to firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals, widely known as “forever chemicals”.
A second group of Australian women and children linked to the Islamic State group has departed a refugee camp in north-east Syria and may return to Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Friday.
Australian activists released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza have claimed they were subject to abuse and beatings, which left some hospitalised. Israel’s prison service denies the allegations.
Australian citizens evacuated from a Dutch-flagged cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have returned home after two weeks overseas. The passengers will now undergo quarantine and further testing in Western Australia.
A group of Azerbaijani civil society organisations has called for increased scrutiny of Swiss building materials giant Holcim, citing court rulings and ongoing investigations linked to its subsidiary Lafarge's activities during the Syrian conflict.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says ongoing conflict, funding pressures and international travel restrictions are complicating efforts to contain a fast-growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
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Russia and Kazakhstan signed 15 agreements during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Astana on Thursday (28 May), including deals on Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant and expanded oil cooperation with Russia.
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Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
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Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 30 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Voting has begun in Malta’s parliamentary election, with opinion polls suggesting the ruling Labour Party is on course to win a fourth consecutive term.
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