{"id":"C2020A00052","name":"Official Development Assistance Multilateral Replenishment Obligations (Special Appropriation) Act 2020","slug":"official-development-assistance-multilateral-replenishment-obligations-special-appropriation-act-202","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"52 of 2020","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":56977,"registerId":"commonwealth-C2020A00052-1775105899492","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Short title","content":"#### 1 Short title\n\n This Act is the Official Development Assistance Multilateral Replenishment Obligations (Special Appropriation) Act 2020.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Commencement","content":"#### 2 Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n```html\n

Commencement information

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Provisions

Commencement

Date/Details

1. The whole of this Act

The day this Act receives the Royal Assent.

16 June 2020

\n```\n\n> Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Definitions","content":"#### 3 Definitions\n\n> In this Act:\n\n> Debt Relief Trust Fund means the Trust Fund established by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association on 7 November 1996.\n\n> Global Environment Facility Trust Fund means the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund established by the Instrument for the Establishment of the Restructured Global Environment Facility, done at Geneva on 7 July 1994, as in force from time to time.\n\n> Note: The Instrument for the Establishment of the Restructured Global Environment Facility could in 2020 be viewed on the Global Environment Facility’s website (www.thegef.org).\n\n> International Development Association means the Association referred to in the International Development Association Act 1960.\n\n> Montreal Protocol means the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, done at Montreal on 16 September 1987, as in force for Australia from time to time.\n\n> Note: The Montreal Protocol, as originally in force for Australia, is in Australian Treaty Series 1989 No. 18 (\\[1989\\] ATS 18) and could in 2020 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (www.austlii.edu.au).\n\n> Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol means the Multilateral Fund established by the Amendment to the Montreal Protocol adopted by Decision II/2 of the Second Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol at London on 29 June 1990.\n\n> Note: The Amendment to the Montreal Protocol could in 2020 be viewed on the United Nations website (www.un.org).\n\n> payment includes payment in a foreign currency.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Payments required to be made","content":"#### 4 Payments required to be made\n\n Australia may make any payment to an international body specified in column 1 of an item in the following table if Australia is required to make that payment in accordance with the agreement specified in column 2 of the item.\n\n| Item | Column 1International body | Column 2Agreement |\n| ---- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| 1 | International Development Association | An Instrument of Commitment or any other written agreement submitted by Australia to the International Development Association that relates to the making of contributions to the International Development Association for the purposes of one or more of the following:(a) replenishing the resources of the International Development Association;(b) the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative;(c) the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. |\n| 2 | Debt Relief Trust Fund | A Contribution Agreement entered into between Australia and the International Development Association, or any other written agreement submitted by Australia to the International Development Association, that relates to the making of contributions to the Debt Relief Trust Fund for the purposes of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative or the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. |\n| 3 | Asian Development Bank | An Instrument of Contribution or other written agreement submitted by Australia to the Asian Development Bank that relates to the making of contributions for the purposes of the Asian Development Fund. |\n| 4 | International Bank for Reconstruction and Development | An Instrument of Commitment or other written agreement submitted by Australia to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development that relates to the making of contributions to the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund. |\n| 5 | Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol | A Contribution Agreement submitted by Australia to the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol that relates to the making of contributions to the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol. |","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Issue of promissory notes","content":"#### 5 Issue of promissory notes\n\n (1) The Treasurer may, on behalf of Australia, make promissory notes and issue them to an international body specified in column 1 of an item in the table in section 4, for the purposes of making any payment required to be made by Australia in accordance with an agreement specified in column 2 of the item.\n (2) A promissory note made under subsection (1) is to be:\n (a) non‑negotiable; and\n (b) non‑interest‑bearing; and\n (c) payable at par value upon demand.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Appropriation","content":"#### 6 Appropriation\n\n The Consolidated Revenue Fund is appropriated for the purposes of making:\n (a) payments under section 4; and\n (b) payments under promissory notes made under section 5.","sortOrder":5}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act, as enacted, is narrowly limited to authorising payments and promissory notes for specified multilateral replenishment and debt‑relief obligations and appropriating the Consolidated Revenue Fund for those purposes. It does not expand beyond those specified obligations or add other payment categories."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow, focused subject‑matter limited to specific international payments and instruments (ss4–6)","References to multiple external treaties, instruments and international bodies (ID A, IBRD, ADB, GEF, Multilateral Fund, Montreal Protocol) creating dependency on external agreement texts (s3, s4)","Discretion for the Treasurer to issue promissory notes (s5) — simple power but important operational discretion","Technical constraints on promissory notes (non‑negotiable, non‑interest‑bearing, payable on demand) that fix financial terms (s5(2))","Appropriation of the Consolidated Revenue Fund ties obligations to federal budgetary outlays (s6)","Allowance for payments in foreign currency introduces exchange‑rate and settlement considerations (s3)"],"plain_english_summary":"Mechanically, the Act authorises the Commonwealth to make specified payments to listed multilateral funds and bodies under Australia’s contribution or replenishment agreements, allows the Treasurer to issue non‑negotiable, non‑interest‑bearing promissory notes to meet those obligations, and appropriates the Consolidated Revenue Fund to pay them. It affects the Treasurer (who decides to issue notes and make payments), the Commonwealth budget (which pays), and the named international bodies; it matters because it creates a legal payment route for Australia’s multilateral ODA replenishment and debt‑relief commitments (ss4–6)."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose of creating a standing appropriation for multilateral development payments. The scope matches the title and intent precisely — it covers exactly the five international bodies listed and no more. There is no evidence of scope creep; the Act is a targeted, single-purpose mechanism."},"complexity_factors":["Only 6 defined terms in the interpretation section, all straightforward international organisation names","Single operative mechanism: a simple table matching 5 international bodies to their governing agreements","No nested conditions or exceptions — payments are either authorised or not based on the table","Minimal cross-referencing (only refers to the International Development Association Act 1960)","Short length (6 sections total, approximately 2 pages)","Clear linear structure: definitions → authorised payments → mechanism (promissory notes) → funding source"],"plain_english_summary":"This law creates a special bank account (called an 'appropriation') that lets Australia pay its membership fees and financial pledges to major international development organisations.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Authorises payments** to five specific international bodies: the International Development Association (part of the World Bank), the Asian Development Bank, the Global Environment Facility, a debt relief fund for poor countries, and a fund for protecting the ozone layer.\n- **Creates a legal mechanism** for the Treasurer to issue 'promissory notes' — basically IOUs that promise Australia will pay later when the international body asks for the money.\n- **Sets up the money source** by automatically drawing funds from Australia's main government bank account (the Consolidated Revenue Fund) when these payments come due.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- **The Australian Government** — specifically the Treasurer and Foreign Minister, who can now make these international payments without needing new laws each time.\n- **International development banks and funds** — they get guaranteed payment for Australia's promised contributions.\n- **Australian taxpayers** — ultimately, this is how Australia honours its foreign aid commitments and environmental treaty obligations.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nWithout this law, Australia would need to pass a new Act of Parliament every time it wanted to pay its pledged contributions to these organisations. This 'special appropriation' creates a standing authority, making Australia's international commitments more reliable and reducing red tape. It covers billions of dollars in development assistance, debt relief for poor nations, and environmental protection funding."},"summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act appears to closely match its stated purpose — creating a standing appropriation mechanism for Australia's existing multilateral replenishment obligations. The five items in the payment table are all well-established international bodies consistent with Australia's longstanding treaty commitments. There is no evidence of scope creep or divergence from the original intent."},"complexity_factors":["References multiple international treaties and bodies, each with their own separate legal frameworks","Involves constitutional law concepts (special appropriation from the Consolidated Revenue Fund) that have specific legal significance","Promissory note provisions introduce a financial instrument mechanism that adds a layer beyond simple direct payments","Definitions rely heavily on external documents (international agreements) that must be read alongside the Act","Cross-references to other Australian legislation (e.g., International Development Association Act 1960)","Use of foreign currency payments adds a practical complexity layer"],"plain_english_summary":"This Act creates a standing, automatic appropriation from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to meet Australia’s treaty-based replenishment commitments to major multilateral development and environment funds (World Bank IDA, ADB Asian Development Fund, Global Environment Facility, Multilateral Fund for the Montreal Protocol, and a Debt Relief Trust Fund). It lets the Treasurer make payments or issue promissory notes so obligations are met without separate yearly budget votes.\n\nIt does not create new spending — it simply streamlines payment of existing international commitments."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/official-development-assistance-multilateral-replenishment-obligations-special-appropriation-act-202","history":"/api/acts/official-development-assistance-multilateral-replenishment-obligations-special-appropriation-act-202/history","analysis":"/api/acts/official-development-assistance-multilateral-replenishment-obligations-special-appropriation-act-202/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/official-development-assistance-multilateral-replenishment-obligations-special-appropriation-act-202/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/official-development-assistance-multilateral-replenishment-obligations-special-appropriation-act-202/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/official-development-assistance-multilateral-replenishment-obligations-special-appropriation-act-202/documents"}}