2 Sep 2024
The patriot’s virtue in bringing the world back home
Whether gauging global attitudes or assessing international interests, it pays to think first of home.
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28 Aug 2024
Maid in Australia: When international relations and industrial law collide
Two recent court cases have raised uncomfortable questions about diplomatic immunity. -
27 Aug 2024
Hostage diplomacy: Fresh ideas to end a modern blight
A new Australian senate inquiry into the practice of imprisonment for leverage offer a chance to learn from international experience. -
23 Aug 2024
Key questions for reform of the New Colombo Plan
A boost to the ties that bind Australia and the Indo-Pacific is essential to humanising public diplomacy and building life-long connections. -
14 Aug 2024
Wong’s century: A closer look at gender mix in Australia’s top diplomatic roles
Female representation is near its highest. But some posts appear more equal than others. -
13 Aug 2024
Where to for Australia’s First Nations Foreign Policy?
The climate is right to make environmental diplomacy a centrepiece of this new approach to the world. -
1 Aug 2024
Smuggling budgies? Australia’s fight against wildlife trafficking
Masters of soft diplomacy and flag-bearers for Aussie tourism, our native animals need all the protection they can get. -
26 Jul 2024
Remembering Martin Indyk, an American diplomat with Australian sensibilities
“Few Australians have had such a large impact on the world, and for good”, said Lowy Institute Chairman Sir Frank Lowy. -
24 Jul 2024
Shakespeare as life coach
Two new books examine how the Bard’s wit and wisdom can serve as guides for modern day policy and prophecy. -
19 Jul 2024
Does democracy still matter in the ‘New Cold War’ between the US and China?
Contradictions between the two models of governance make coexistence among superpowers difficult. -
8 Jul 2024
Diplomacy at a funeral
Recent deaths of world leaders have highlighted that international relations can take place at unexpected venues. -
27 Jun 2024
Julian Assange: Some consular cases are more equal than others
It’s hard to think of a case that has consumed more official hours and dollars. -
26 Jun 2024
Hope for gold: The value in the Olympics
An economic case is hard to make. Reputational risks abound. Yet hosts want the Games, and that’s no bad thing. -
19 Jun 2024
How to broaden the political gene pool
With the United Kingdom headed for the polls, Alastair Campbell has a few suggestions on what makes a good leader. -
18 Jun 2024
Bonjour Bill? The endless speculation about political postings
Was former Labor leader Bill Shorten’s stint as Australia’s envoy to the Ukraine peace summit a dress rehearsal for a change in role? -
14 Jun 2024
Back to the future for the US State Department?
Biden’s repair job after Trump turmoil is far from complete. -
13 Jun 2024
From global to regional: Australia’s focus narrows
The real question about Australian foreign policy is whether it is too narrow, not too broad. -
21 May 2024
Putting dollars behind “all tools of statecraft”
The budget papers offer a chance to assess the government’s claims against fiscal reality. -
6 May 2024
Between the two worlds of an Indian diplomat
Independence wasn’t a break with colonial ties but a transition – a process which has accelerated in recent years. -
1 May 2024
The rise and endurance of minilaterals in the Indo-Pacific
Will small groupings of nations last? Bet on self-interest. -
27 Mar 2024
Reflecting Australia as a career ambassador
Australia rightfully has a positive image, even if we’re sometimes better at telling our story abroad than we are at home. -
21 Mar 2024
Economic diplomacy: Politics rules in Korean envoy row
From Seoul to Washington, “captain’s pick” ambassadors are being embroiled by unexpected domestic political tensions. -
6 Mar 2024
Grand strategising: The view from outside
It is entirely possible that the US may soon install a very different policy elite with very different ideas about domestic and foreign policy. -
26 Feb 2024
Five surprises from Lowy’s Global Diplomacy Index
Revealing the who, what and – just as importantly – where of foreign policy. -
16 Feb 2024
Putting “Australia” at the centre of the country’s foreign policy
A “whole of nation” approach can better connect the various elements of Australia’s international engagement. -
22 Jan 2024
Diplomacy: How to pick those who represent us
Australia’s top envoys can draw out the best, whether professionals or politicians. -
9 Jan 2024
Navigating the strange minilateralverse of madness
The vogue has seen a boom of small Indo-Pacific gatherings, but a hard look is needed to decide which are sustainable. -
8 Jan 2024
Five ideas from Allan Gyngell for a better foreign policy
Gyngell saw “national interest” as a matter for democratic discussion, always valuing the search for solutions. -
20 Nov 2023
What roles should sport play in Australia’s image and diplomacy?
The government has dropped the ball in the strategic opportunity presented by sports. -
15 Nov 2023
The foreign policy case for the PM to spend more time at home
Instead of tall poppy syndrome, ask about effectiveness. -
10 Nov 2023
China-Australia: Smartening up people-to-people links
Universities play an essential role in everyday diplomacy, fostering a genuine affection between the two countries. -
27 Oct 2023
Climate negotiations in a fossil fuel state: What to expect from COP28
Even with outcomes uncertain, there are three big topics likely to dominate the upcoming talks in Dubai. -
23 Oct 2023
A sign of the times: the resurgence of pacts, treaties, and alliances
Once dismissed as a “scrap of paper”, the vogue for written pledges has returned. -
16 Oct 2023
Australia’s next challenge for Indigenous foreign policy
The defeat of the Voice referendum may be a chance to tell a broader story about the challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. -
6 Oct 2023
Pump up the volume: Music diplomacy as soft power
From jazz ambassadors to Eurovision, it’s time Australia employed the persuasive power of pop and beyond. -
29 Sep 2023
Great expectations: Australia’s elusive Southeast Asia vision
Diplomacy, economic partnerships, copper mines and instant noodles - the Moore Report has much to reflect on. -
25 Sep 2023
Australia’s support for Bangladesh will bolster regional stability
It's not clear what Washington hopes to achieve in isolating Dhaka, but Canberra must take a different tack. -
16 Aug 2023
Can the Matildas waltz onto the world stage for Australia’s sport diplomacy?
Sporting ambassadors have previously helped with big international investments. Let’s go again. -
4 Aug 2023
Women belong everywhere and this World Cup proves football can be the great equaliser
Respect for female athletes “tearing it up on the pitch” must translate into respect off the field, too. -
3 Aug 2023
The vanishing options for Julian Assange
Extradition for the WikiLeaks founder to the United States looks likely unless Anthony Albanese can persuade Joe Biden otherwise. -
6 Jul 2023
Australia’s absent ambassador must return to Ukraine
If the PM won’t provide more than a few military off-casts in support, sending back the top envoy should be an easy step. -
21 Jun 2023
O'Farrell leaves India with ties to Australia at a high point
The incoming High Commissioner has big shoes to fill after a remarkable time of rekindled relations. -
25 May 2023
Economic diplomacy: Taking cover from the summit war of words
Proliferating regional institutions risk becoming shooting stars, with a long trail of bureaucratic half-lives behind. -
25 May 2023
Decoding diplomatic dynamics in Asia: The numbers tell a captivating story
China, Japan and Indonesia each lead the US with a higher tempo of top-level diplomatic activity in the region. But defence ties differ. -
17 May 2023
Biden’s trip cancellations reveal pitfalls of a crowded diplomatic calendar
Bailing on Australia and PNG highlights the growing risk of disappointment when leaders are clambering to summits here, there, everywhere. -
16 May 2023
Indigenous Voice: Getting ready to explain to the world if Australia votes “No”
The referendum is a pivotal moment for global perceptions of Australia. Diplomats must be ready whatever the outcome. -
9 May 2023
DFAT: Show me the money
Reports of a boost to spending to Australia’s diplomatic machinery need to be judged against what has been cut before. -
14 Apr 2023
No Albo at NATO, no worries
Australia’s diplomatic effort has been in overdrive. That doesn’t change by not sending a minister to Vilnius. -
14 Apr 2023
A strategy for engaging for small developing states
If Australia is serious about climate change, it needs better relationships with island nations – near and far. -
13 Apr 2023
The urgent humanitarian need to get diplomats back to Afghanistan
Aid workers are pressed enough to deliver much needed relief without a burden of also speaking for the global community.