Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal (Great Lakes) Amendment Declaration 2002 (No. 1)

Overview

The Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal (Great Lakes) Amendment Declaration 2002 (No. 1) was enacted to address discrepancies in the original Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal (Great Lakes) Declaration 1999. This amendment was made under subregulation 3 (1) of the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal Regulations by the Governor-General, Peter John Hollingworth, on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration, Peter Slipper. This amendment came into effect upon its gazettal and primarily focuses on updating the list of specified organisations eligible for the medal, alongside their respective participation periods. The aim of this amendment is to ensure that all eligible personnel who participated in humanitarian efforts in the Great Lakes region are accurately recognised and appropriately rewarded.

Scope and Application

The Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal (Great Lakes) Amendment Declaration 2002 (No. 1) amends the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal (Great Lakes) Declaration 1999, extending the eligibility criteria for the award of the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal to additional humanitarian organisations involved in operations in the Great Lakes region. This Declaration applies to specific organisations listed in the Schedule, which includes entities such as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Australian contingents to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of the Red Cross, Australian Lutheran World Service, Australian Red Cross, CARE Australia, Church Missionary Society Australia Inc, and World Vision Australia. Each organisation is identified by its name, along with the specific dates during which their participation in humanitarian operations qualifies for the medal. This Amendment Declaration operates on a federal level within the Commonwealth of Australia and modifies the original Declaration to include more entities and periods of service. The changes made by this Declaration do not exclude any previously eligible persons or entities, but rather broaden the scope of eligibility to encompass additional humanitarian organisations and timeframes. Any further clarification or detailed rules concerning the award of the medal would be governed by the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal Regulations and any subordinate instruments issued thereunder.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal (Great Lakes) Amendment Declaration 2002 (No. 1) include sections 1 to 3, which respectively provide the name of the Declaration, the commencement date, and the amendment to the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal (Great Lakes) Declaration 1999. The amendment detailed in Schedule 1 modifies the list of specified organisations eligible for the medal and the periods during which their participation qualifies for the award (section 3). The obligations and requirements imposed by this Act pertain primarily to the eligibility criteria for the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal for service in the Great Lakes region. Specifically, the Act amends the list of organisations whose members can qualify for the medal by adding or altering the commencement and end dates of their participation. The new Schedule 1 provides a detailed table that lists the organisations and the periods of their participation in humanitarian activities for which they qualify their members for the medal. This amendment ensures that only those who served within the specified dates will be eligible for the award. There are no explicit offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breach mentioned in the text of the Declaration itself. The primary focus of the Act is to clarify and update the eligibility criteria for the medal, rather than to enforce compliance or impose sanctions. Therefore, breaches of the criteria would likely result in disqualification from the award rather than legal penalties. However, it is important to note that the administration of the medal and enforcement of its eligibility criteria would be overseen by the relevant authorities, who may take action against fraudulent claims or misrepresentations.