Reimagining Australia's international relations.

A platform for collaboration between the development, diplomacy and defence communities.

Economic Statecraft

Last month AP4D launched the paper What does it look like for Australia to navigate a new era of economic statecraft in the Indo-Pacific with expert panellists Naoise McDonagh, Helen Mitchell, Baogang He, Lahui Ako and Jon Berry. Also joining was Assistant Minister for Trade and Assistant Minister for a Future Made In Australia, Tim Ayres, who offered a policymaker response. The paper has been covered by The Mandarin, The Interpreter, Devpolicy, Asia Society and as far afield as PNG's The National.

Click here to watch a recording of the launch

Our people

This week AP4D was delighted to welcome Jennifer Parker and Dr Fitriani to the AP4D Advisory Group at its August meeting.

Jennifer is a strategist, analyst, and commentator with more than two decades of experience in the Royal Australian Navy. She has expertise in defence policy, military strategy and operations, force design, maritime security and maritime law. Jennifer has a long association with AP4D, most recently launching a paper on strengthening Australia's Indian Ocean engagement.

Dr Fitriani is a Senior Analyst at Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Cyber, Technology and Security and Research Consultant at Indonesia's Centre for Strategic and International Studies. She has deep expertise in cybersecurity, women, peace & security, hybrid threats and non-traditional security in Southeast Asia. Fitriani contributed to AP4D's economic statecraft paper and featured on a recent AP4D panel on Women in Development, Diplomacy & Defence.

The AP4D Advisory Group is co-chaired by Marc Purcell and Michael Wesley.

Recent commentary by Advisory Group members includes:

Michael Wesley on international student caps and the potential impacts.
Marc Purcell on aid workers in conflict zones.
Bridi Rice on fragile and conflict-affected states.
Richard Moore and Bridi Rice on evaluating Australia's development policy.
Susannah Patton on China's objectives in the South China Sea, the United States' options and strategy, the evolving role of alliances and security partnerships and the implications of recent tensions in the South China Sea.
Jennifer Parker on Australia's Red Sea interests, the China-Philippines South China Sea Agreement, tensions in the Middle East, the Australia-US Ministerial consultations and sea lanes of communication.
Joanne Wallis on emotions and peace and finding security in Australia's maritime domains.
Dr Fitriani on hybrid threats, the implications of a Harris presidency for Southeast Asia and Australian cybersecurity collaboration with the region.
Julie Ballangarry on the Indigenous PhD journey.
Chris Gardiner on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
William Stoltz on the new Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre.
Hayley Channer on the future of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

Our program

AP4D is proud to once again partner with the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia and Global Citizen for Global Town Hall 2024, a 15-hour virtual conference to foster discussion and address global challenges. At 7:30pm AEST on 7 September AP4D Executive Director Melissa Conley Tyler will feature on a panel about geopolitical turbulence and the ways in which middle powers navigate geopolitical risk amid great power rivalry. Click here to register.

On 29 July AP4D launched a new paper: ‘What does it look like for Australia to Support Pacific Regionalism’. Attended by more than 100 people, the launch brought together contributors and expert panellists Joel Nilon, Elizabeth Kopel and Joanne Wallis to reflect on how Australia can play a role not just as a partner or a supporter of Pacific regionalism but as a collaborative voice at the Pacific regionalism table. A policymaker response was provided by Director, Pacific Climate Change at DFAT's Office of the Pacific Claire Chivell.

In the news

AP4D has been featured in:

AP4D staff have spoken at: