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Carr secured Australian Government support for abstention on a motion before the UN General Assembly to grant observer state status to the Palestinian Authority. This represented a shift from Australia's previous opposition to the motion, championed by then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Carr argued that abstention on the motion allowed Australia to "reach out to moderate Palestinians who want a peaceful solution [to conflict with Israel] and say we're not opposing you."[54][55] The UN motion to grant observer state status for the Palestinian Authority was ultimately carried by 138 votes to nine, with 41 abstentions.[56] In January 2013, in a joint communique with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, Carr called for US leadership in resuming direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians.[57] The communique also noted that both countries had voted to abstain on the UN motion on Palestinian status and that both viewed Israeli settlements on the West Bank as illegal under international law.[57] Asia-Pacific Closer to home, Carr worked to build stronger relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), holding in-country talks with all ten member states, twice attending the East Asia Summit and repeatedly emphasizing Australia's interest in regional convergence and co-operation.[58] In 2012 Carr described the health and centrality of ASEAN as critical to Australia's security and prosperity, but warned against ASEAN nations falling into a "middle income trap" of lower growth as a consequence of institutional rigidity and a slowing of internal reform.[58] Carr also worked to restore global diplomatic relations with Myanmar following the Myanmar Government's release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and introduction of limited domestic political reform.[59] Australian sanctions on Myanmar were lifted in 2012, though an arms embargo was maintained.[59] Carr lobbied European and United States leaders to follow suit, with the European Union lifting its sanctions April 2013 and the US moving to increase engagement on trade and investment.[60] Carr urged the Myanmar Government to continue its progress towards democracy, while welcoming the release of political prisoners and commitments to address ongoing ethnic and religious violence.[61] He announced a doubling of Australia's foreign aid for Myanmar to $100 million by 2015, with a focus on education and maternal health.[62] A further $9 million was provided to assist the Rohingya and other communities affected by civil conflict in Rakhine State.[63] Carr visited Indonesia on four occasions as Foreign Minister, raising issues such as people smuggling, aid, education links and trade.[citation needed] As Minister for AusAID, Carr oversaw an increase in assistance to Indonesia, to a total of more than $500 million a year for maternal health and education,[citation needed] and $47 million over 5 years to improve facilities in religious schools.[64] China Carr with China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Beijing, May 2012 Engagement with China was the subject of Carr's first substantive speech in the role. Speaking to the CSIS Banyan Tree Leadership Forum in April 2012, Carr argued that China's economic and cultural expansion was not new. Rather it was "a return to the position of strength that China possessed before its decline during the Qing dynasty."[65] Carr highlighted the sacrifices made by the Chinese people in achieving independence and noted the rapid pace of Chinese industrial growth: It's a faster industrialisation and on a bigger scale than that of America itself in the 19th century. It happened faster, more people are affected, more dramatic effects for the world than even America's rise to industrial dominance. ... Few could be untouched by what it means for the Chinese people – liberated from poverty, historic poverty; few could be reluctant to see this renewed China take its place in the councils of the world.[65] On the first of three visits to China in May 2012 Carr faced questions from Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi who expressed concern about Australia's blocking of Huawei Technologies in its bid to supply equipment for the National Broadband Network, and about the November 2011 decision to have US Marines rotationally deployed in Darwin.[66] Carr responded that the Huawei decision reflected Australia's right to make decisions on the resilience and security of its infrastructure.[67] He argued Australia had a welcoming approach to Chinese investment, pointing to its 20-fold increase over the preceding five years and to 380 individual proposals from Chinese firms that had been approved in Australia since 2007.[67] He argued the Marines presence reflected Australia's long-term Australian security relationships: "Australia has had a small population, vast distances, a desire for great and powerful friends, and a sense of exposure to its north ever since Japan defeated Russia in 1905 and Alfred Deakin looked for support (from the US)."[68] Carr returned to China with Prime Minister Gillard in April 2013 for the annual Boao Forum for Asia, with a focus on strengthening bilateral relations.[69] The Chinese Government agreed to the direct convertibility of Australian currency into yuan - only the third such agreement in China's history.[70] Gillard and Carr also secured agreements for an annual leadership dialogue with their Chinese counterparts. China's President Xi Jinping was reported as intending to lift Australia-China relations "to a new level" following Forum discussions.[71] In a speech following the visit, Carr said Australia's achievements at the Forum had been to create the bilateral architecture needed to support future Australia-China relations - annual leaders and foreign minister's talks, and an ongoing economic dialogue between Australia's trade and competitiveness ministers and the Chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission. Carr praised China's leadership for being "determined, confident and pragmatic" about the continued economic and geopolitical rise of their country.[72] His third visit, in July 2013, was to central China where he opened Australia's fourth diplomatic post in China, a consulate-general in the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu. At the opening Carr emphasised trade issues, highlighting Chinese investment in Australia and saying the new consulate would assist Australian firms in establishing a presence in western China.[73] G20 President Putin with Carr, G20, St Petersburg, September 2013. Carr also represented Australia at the 2013 G-20 Saint Petersburg summit. His G20 interventions included as a member of a panel comprising Russian business and international labour, and in a leader's debate on chemical weapons in Syria.[citation needed] At a sideline meeting convened by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Carr also secured international agreement on a medical pact in Syria to protect hospitals and health care workers from targeted attacks and to maintain humanitarian access for medical NGO's and for the distribution of aid.[74] Syria Carr's "medical plan" for Syria became an issue he pursued in international fora. The plan aimed to use international pressure to force an informal agreement between all parties in the Syrian civil war, to end the targeting of hospital or medical personnel, avoid the use of hospitals as bases and ensure the safe distribution of civilian medical aid.[75] Speaking after Australia's successful push for the UN Security Council position in 2012, Carr said the plan represented his first priority in its new United Nations role.[76] Australia's foreign aid for the Syrian crisis was increased to more than $100 million, focusing on shelter, medical support and child protection for refugees fleeing to Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. In the absence of a ceasefire or UNSC action on Syria, Carr's plan received international support including from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Arab League and leaders at the 2013 G20 Summit.[77][78] Resignation On 23 October 2013, Carr announced his resignation from the Senate which took effect the following day.[79] He was replaced by Deborah O'Neill. As Carr had been elected to the Senate at the 2013 federal election, the timing of his resignation created a constitutional quirk whereby O'Neill had to be re-appointed to the Senate by the New South Wales Parliament after the commencement of the 2014–2020 Senate term. To mitigate the cost of recalling both houses of the parliament for a joint sitting (estimated at AUD $300,000), Premier Mike Baird convened a sitting on 2 July of two government members and two opposition members before the President of the Legislative Council to appoint O'Neill to the Senate for the term which began on 1 July.[80] Literature Carr is the author of several books, including Thoughtlines (Viking, 2002), My Reading Life (Penguin, 2008), and Diary of a Foreign Minister (2014), which received a mixed reception with Carr ridiculed for his perceived arrogance.[81][82][83][84] In May 2003, author Marilyn Dodkin authored a biography, Bob Carr: the reluctant leader, partly based on Carr's private diaries and including his often uncomplimentary thoughts on various political personalities.[85] A second biography, Bob Carr: A Self-Made Man, by Andrew West and Rachel Morris, was published in September 2003 by Harper Collins. Carr participated in the 2004 Sydney Festival in conversation with Sir Tom Stoppard.[86] He has served as a board member of book retailer Dymocks since July 2007.[citation needed] Awards For his work in improving Australia–US relations he was awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Fellow Award Scholarship.[87] He donated the prize money to launch scholarships for the State's teachers to complete studies abroad. For his services to conservation he was given the World Conservation Union International Parks Merit Award and made a life member of the Wilderness Society. In 2008 he was awarded the Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic), the second of five grades of the order, in recognition of his services to Italian culture.[88] On 5 July 2013, he was given the United Macedonian Diaspora's Macedonia Friendship Award for his friendship of the Australian-Macedonian community and his work to advance bilateral relations between Australia and Macedonia.[89] |
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