Reimagining Australia's international relations.
A platform for collaboration between the development, diplomacy and defence communities.
Pacific Symposium
The AP4D Pacific Symposium held on 21 June marked the official launch of a report and four options papers that are the culmination of six months of consultations with more than 140 development, diplomacy and defence experts from Australia and across the region. The publications outline a vision for how Australia can shape a shared future with the Pacific and are available to read, download and share on the AP4D website.
Underscoring the growing recognition of the value of integrated statecraft, more than 120 people attended the Pacific Symposium. Messages were delivered by Minister for International Development and the Pacific and Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Birmingham.
In conjunction with the official launch, 13 private briefings have been held with more than 165 parliamentarians, advisors and officials, including briefings with the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Defence, Prime Minister & Cabinet, Home Affairs and the Australian Federal Police.
AP4D is grateful to everyone involved in the Pacific component of AP4D's inaugural program, funded by the Australian Civil-Military Centre.
Our people
The AP4D Advisory Group is co-chaired by Marc Purcell and Michael Wesley.
Recent commentary by Advisory Group members include:
Richard Maude on the Quad, East Asia and the war in Ukraine and Australia's regional multilateral engagement.
Caitlin Byrne on the policy implications of Australia’s change in government.
Richard Moore on the biggest development challenges facing the new Labor government.
Joanne Wallis on ‘China threat’ narratives in the Pacific and with James Batley and others on security cooperation in the Pacific.
Bridi Rice on the intersection of development and security, fortress Australia and opportunities for US-Pacific economic partnership.
Allan Gyngell on the foreign policy challenges facing the new ALP government and its busy first month in foreign policy.
Huong Le Thu on reports of a Chinese military base in Cambodia.
Our program
On 16 June AP4D held a Track 1.5 Dialogue with the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Studies Center (ISC). The AP4D delegation discussed the key findings from AP4D's Southeast Asia options papers with 26 representatives from the Thai Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Digital Government Development, as well as from other Thai government institutions, universities and think tanks. Many thanks to Ambassador Busadee Santipitaks, ISC Director Anuson Chinvanno and the Thai delegation for a rich conversation.
Looking ahead, AP4D is delighted to announce that it has been awarded grant funding from DFAT Office of the Pacific. The program, Strengthening Australia’s Pacific Engagement through Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue, will contribute to integrated policymaking and delivery of programs in the Pacific by providing a platform for the Office of the Pacific to efficiently consult, develop and test ideas with non-government experts from the development, diplomacy and defence communities in Australia and the Pacific.
AP4D is also pleased to be part of a consortium that has been awarded a DFAT Regional Maritime Exchange grant, and looks forward to collaborating with La Trobe Asia, Griffith Asia Institute, UWA Defence Security Institute and UNSW Canberra Maritime Security Research Group.
In the news
AP4D has been featured in:
2CC Talking Canberra
ABC News Radio Drive
Program Lead Melissa Conley Tyler has spoken at:
The Australian Defence College
Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation Workshop on Taiwan-Australia Relations
