News from July 2019 - June 2020
June 2020
Working for #GenderEquality amid the COVID-19 outbreak
Australia and Spain continue to work together to ensure COVID-19 is not a step backwards towards #GenderEquality. On 5 June, Foreign Ministers, Marise Payne and Arancha Gonzalez Laya, co-chaired a virtual conversation with their counterparts from Colombia, Indonesia, Jamaica, South Africa, Sudan and Sweden to discuss how to ensure women's economic security in these challenging times.
June 2020
Australia and New Zealand to co-host the WWC2023
Our commitment to #GenderEquality is also present in sport! Australia and New Zealand will co-host the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023. This will be the first time two countries will co-host this event and the first time to be held in Asia-Pacific. Use #AsOne and help us take women's football to new heights.
May 2020
Virtual negotiations continue: #AusEUFTA
Despite the pandemic, Australia and the European Union continue to progress towards an ambitious and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. From 4-20 May, the seventh round of negotiations were successfully carried out thanks to a large virtual team (and 50 video conferences!). Access the full report here and know more about the key achievements of this round.
February 2020
#DebateObjetivoIgualdad: Different generations moving together towards gender equality
On 25 February, the Embassy joined efforts with AMMDE and Madrid Foro Empresarial for the 3rd time, as well as with the Spanish Association of Energy Women (Aemener), to celebrate the 2020 International Women's Day (8 March). This year, we held an intergenerational debate with men and women of different ages and sectors who have been agents of change in advancing gender equality.
January 2020
Saying goodbye to Ambassador Julie-Ann Guivarra
In mid-January, Julie-Ann Guivarra completed her mission in Madrid as Australia's Ambassador to Spain, Andorra and Equatorial Guinea. Our team and friends came together in an emotional farewell at the Australian Federal Café to recognise her work in strengthening relations between our countries and wish her the best.
December 2019
Cooperating with Spain to achieve gender equality in our foreign services
Australia and Spain are committed to gender equality in all areas of society. In December, we launched a new collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to share best practices and training programs to advance gender equality in our foreign services.
December 2019
ASEM: the Indo-Pacific and Europe strengthen ties
From 14 to 16 December, Australia, together with 52 other countries from Europe and the Indo-Pacific, participated in the 14th Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) held in Madrid. Our participation reflects our commitment to multilateralism, including in the face of global challenges such as the protection of human rights and promotion of gender equality.
December 2019
Minister Angus Taylor visits Spain
The Honourable Angus Taylor, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction of Australia, visited Madrid from 7 to 11 December to participate in COP25. During this time, the Minister also met with Spanish companies in the energy sector and visited Red Eléctrica's facilities to exchange views on emissions transition policy, R&D, storage development, investment opportunities in Australia and integration of renewable energies into the electricity grid.
November 2019
Official visit to Barcelona
Ambassador Guivarra made an official visit to Barcelona, where she met with Teresa Cunillera, Government Delegate in Catalonia. The Ambassador also met Javier Parrondo, the new Director General of Casa Asia, to explore potential opportunities for collaboration in the cultural and institutional areas.
November 2019
Official visit to Seville
During her first official visit to Seville, Ambassador Guivarra met with Lucrecio Fernández, Government Delegate in Andalusia. The Ambassador also visited the Seville Chamber of Commerce to present the advances in trade and investment relations between Australia and Spain, as well as the opportunities for cooperation that the #AusEUFTA will provide.
November 2019
We collaborate with the Banco de Alimentos de Madrid for one year
In the Australian Embassy in Madrid, we want to do our bit to contribute locally! This is why we have just started our collaboration with the Banco de Alimentos de Madrid for a year. On November 7, we were very pleased to receive its President Francisco García in Torre Espacio to inaugurate this collaboration with a very special initiative: the Embassies bake-off, a baking contest with participants from the Embassies of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom to raise funds for this NGO. In 2019, the Banco de Alimentos in Madrid celebrates its 25th anniversary. Learn more about their work here.
October 2019
World Day against the Death Penalty - #JuntosPorLosNiños
On 10 October 2019, 17th World Day against the Death Penalty, and coinciding with the 30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we joined efforts with the embassies of Belgium, New Zealand and United Kingdom, the European Commission in Spain and the International Commission against the death penalty (ICDP). We launched a joint statement to give voice to the invisible victims of capital punishment: the children. Watch the video in English and Spanish or look for the hashtag #JuntosPorLosNiños on our social media Facebook y Twitter.
July 2019
Interview with Ambassador Guivarra by SBS Español (Australia)
Celebrating NAIDOC Week 2019 (7-14 July), SBS Español (Australia) interviewed Ambassador Guivarra, Australia's first Indigenous female Ambassador. Read the English version here and discover more about her. You can also listen to the radio interview in Spanish here.
July 2019
Sydney Conservatorium of Music Wind Symphony
On 9 July, the Embassy hosted the concert of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Wind Symphony at the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid. The concert “Antipodean Dreams, Day and Night” was directed by Dr. John P. Lynch. [Source: The Diplomat in Spain].
July 2019
Australian performing arts at Grec Festival 2019
On 2 July, the Embassy hosted an event at Mercat de les Flors (Barcelona) to celebrate the presence of four Australian companies at the Grec Festival 2019 in Barcelona: Circa, Gravity & Other Myths, Lucy Guerin Inc and Sydney Dance Company. [Source: The Diplomat in Spain].