Reimagining Australia's international relations.
A platform for collaboration between the development, diplomacy and defence communities.
Pacific Dialogue
The Pacific Islands component of AP4D's inaugural program is well underway. The Pacific Dialogue, held on February 22, brought together more than 90 experts and practitioners from across the development, diplomacy and defence communities to identify and discuss the most important issues in Australia-Pacific relations.
AP4D is grateful to Pacific Islands Forum Deputy Secretary General Dr Filimon Manoni for his excellent address that laid out Pacific priorities, including a synopsis of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
AP4D would like to thank everyone who attended the Dialogue, with participants joining from across the region in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Tokelau and New Zealand.
Work is now beginning on the next stage of the Pacific component, with working groups forming around four options paper topics:
- Climate and environment
- Economies and societies
- Security
- Cyber/Digital/Tech
If you would like to contribute to one or more of the above groups, please get in touch at secretariat@asiapacific4d.com.
Our people
AP4D is pleased to announce the expansion of the Advisory Group, welcoming Professor Joanne Wallis and James Batley PSM. Joanne and James bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience, particularly on Pacific affairs.
The AP4D Advisory Group is co-chaired by Marc Purcell and Michael Wesley.
Recent commentary by Advisory Group members include:
Bridi Rice on Australia's international development, human security and climate change, and (with Melissa Conley Tyler) broadening Australia's view of security
Richard Moore on climate stress and regional institutions
Caitlin Byrne on women's economic empowerment in Indonesia
Huong Le Thu on the impact of great-power competition in Southeast Asia, ASEAN neutrality over the Ukraine conflict and Vietnam's digital economy
Richard Maude on bipartisanship in national security, threats and opportunities of the crisis in Europe, and Southeast Asian responses to Russia's invasion of Ukraine
James Batley on Chinese police assistance in Solomon Islands
Our program
The positive reception to AP4D's Southeast Asia publications demonstrates an appetite for constructive dialogue, fresh ideas and future-focused debate on Australia's role in the Asia-Pacific.
Feedback from briefings to 67 parliamentarians, officials and advisors across 16 departments, agencies and offices has been positive, with AP4D's work well-received as a valuable, timely and constructive contribution.
The options papers have also formed the basis for ten published articles and six webinars and lectures. The body of work has featured as recommended reading by AFA Weekly and the Australia in the World podcast.
If you would like a printed copy of any AP4D publications, just contact secretariat@asiapacific4d.com.
Have your say on the US Alliance
The AP4D network has been invited to be part of a consultation on a major new research project, Navigating Strategic Change: Australians’ Views on the Future of the US Alliance.
The research team from ANU, UWA and Griffith University seek to engage with stakeholders from across Australia, on the question of how Australia can leverage the US alliance to advance its strategic interests in an era of unprecedented strategic change in the Indo-Pacific. In alignment with the project research design, the team intends to undertake consultations to gauge Australians’ views on the future of the Australia-US Alliance, which will result in a report and associated publications on the research findings.
Registrations are now open for the virtual workshop with AP4D, which will take place on Wednesday 6 April from 1-2:30pm (AEST).
In the news
AP4D has been featured in:
Program Lead Melissa Conley Tyler has spoken at:
AIIA Queensland, 'Building Australian Partnerships in Southeast Asia: Coordinating Development, Defence and Diplomatic Instruments for Effective Security Governance'
University of Melbourne Asia Institute, 'What does Southeast Asia want from Australia?'
Australia Institute, 'No Enemies, No Friends: Restoring Australia's Global Relevance'
Griffith Asia Institute, 2022 Australia-Japan-India Trilateral Roundtable
University of Melbourne Asia Institute, 'Feminist Foreign Policy in Asia'
