In April 2022, the People’s Republic of China and the Solomon Islands signed a security pact that sparked a widespread response from the West. This pact entailed boosting the national security capacity of the Solomon islands via access to Chinese police, armed forces, military personnel … Continue readingCHINA IN THE PACIFIC: MAKING NEW FRIENDS
‘Until July this year, the Pacific Islands Forum was a little known intergovernmental organisation that advocated for cooperation between, and the interests of, its Pacific nation members. Yet with the Forum’s 2022 Meeting, held in the Fijian capital of Suva, having just concluded (its first in-person meeting since 2019), it has shed its tag of “little known”.’
Nicholas Butler discusses the achievements and controversies that defined this year’s especially significant Pacific Islands Forum. … Continue readingSuccess with some Setbacks: The 2022 Meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum
Australia’s relationship to the Pacific has been a complicated one, to say the least. We are one of the largest powers in the region, with a huge landmass relative to our neighbours, a developed economy, and powerful allies in the U.S. and the U.K. Compared to some of our closest neighbours such as the Solomon Islands, we are a whale amongst minnows. Yet if we expand our view out from our “backyard” to the broader Indo-Pacific, we see Australia is dwarfed by some serious powers. India, Japan, South Korea, China, and the U.S. are all exerting influence in the region and Australia is doing its level best to maintain its own interests amongst these. … Continue readingKISSING UP AND KICKING DOWN: AUSTRALIA IN THE PACIFIC
‘On August 9th 2021, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the first instalment of its Sixth Assessment Report, AR6. This landmark document will be the subject of deliberations during the COP26 Summit this November in Glasgow. It confirms what scientists have been saying for decades; that human activity is unequivocally responsible for the increases in the earth’s temperature.’
Megha Iyer discusses the pressing need for all countries to adopt the recommendations stipulated in the AR6 and the crucial opportunity that COP26 presents to make this a reality.
This article is the first in a series of articles focusing on environmental policy and politics in the lead up to the COP26 Summit. … Continue readingClimate Change and the IPCC Report: What Is to Be Done?
Sports diplomacy has become a feature of international relations that is often brushed aside compared to traditional conceptions of diplomacy. Historically, it has had an important influence in acting as an arm of soft power. Specifically, sport has been used to influence cultural exchanges and political values among nations. Now, Australia has become a frontrunner in recognising the importance that sports can play in soft power. … Continue readingSports: Australia’s Diplomatic Tool
The Post-War Era has seen the advent of regional integration through formal and informal multilateral organisations. While those such as the European Union and African Union are well known, the Australian Government should give further attention to those organisations within our geographic proximity, which play … Continue readingFRAGMENTATION OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM | CONSEQUENCES FOR AUSTRALIA
New Zealand’s leader is an anomaly in this day and age. Seen as relentlessly energetic and enduringly optimistic, Jacinda Ardern stands in stark contrast to the dull and scripted nature of most politicians. A true crisis leader, her accomplishments hint at what the next generation … Continue readingIN TIMES OF FAILED LEADERSHIP, JACINDA ARDERN SHINES
BY HAMAH HOSEN- Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, an archipelago in the South Pacific voted for a second chance at independence. On October 4th, New Caledonia’s status as a French overseas territory was once again being challenged after its narrow fail vote in 2018. The choice … Continue readingTHE RESULTS OF NEW CALEDONIA’S INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM
Papua New Guinea is one of Australia’s closest neighbours, yet it largely goes unnoticed. It is a country with aapproximately 80 per cent of its population living in rural areas, with very little access to modern life. Many of the country’s tribes live in the … Continue readingPNG’S MOMENT OF TRUTH
At 1.40pm on the 15th of March, New Zealand saw one of its darkest days since 1990 when Brenton Tarrant, an Australian white supremacist, initiated twin shootings at Mosques in Christchurch during Friday prayers. These devastating attacks resulted in fifty people losing their lives and … Continue readingFROM THE ASHES WE RISE, THE LESSONS LEARNT FROM NEW ZEALAND