Australian Institute of International Affairs SubmissiontotheForeignPolicyWhitePaper

28February2017

Australiacannotcontrolthecrisesandchallengesitfacesininternationalaffairs.Asaresult,

Australia should seek to build its capacity to respond appropriately and to capitalise on

whateveropportunitiesariseinachanginginternationalenvironment.TheAIIArecommends

thatAustralia’sstrategyfocusonbuildingcapacityinthreebroadareas:

1. ImprovingAustralia’sDiplomaticCapacity

2. EngagingtheWorldthroughPublicDiplomacy

3. BuildingAustralians’SkillsandUnderstandingofInternationalAffairs

Recommendationsineachareaareoutlinedbelow.

TheAustralianInstituteofInternationalAffairs(internationalaffairs.org.au)isanindependent,non-profitorganisationthatpromotesinterestinandunderstandingofinternationalaffairsinAustralia.TheAIIAwasformedin1924asabranchoftheRoyalInstituteofInternationalAffairs(ChathamHouse)andestablishedasafederalbodyin1933.TheAIIAprovidesaforumfordiscussionanddebatebutdoesnotseektoformulateitsowninstitutionalviews.TheAIIAachievesitsmissionthrough:• Morethan200eventsperyearnationwide• Books,journalsandonlinepublications• Internationaldialogues• YouthandcommunityprogramsIn2017theAIIAwasrankedtopthinktankintheSoutheastAsiaandPacificregionintheGlobalGoToThinkTankIndexforthethirdconsecutiveyear.

ForeignPolicyWhitePaperQuestion6Whatassetswillweneedtoadvanceourforeignpolicyinterestsinfutureyears?HowcanwebestuseourpeopleandourassetstoadvanceAustralia’seconomic,securityandotherinterestsandrespondtoexternalevents?HowcanGovernmentworkmoreeffectivelywithnon-governmentsectors,includingbusiness,universitiesandNGOs,toadvanceAustralia’sinterests?

1.ImprovingAustralia’sDiplomaticCapacity

Australianeedstobuilditsstructuralcapacitytoensureitssecurityandprosperityinthelong

term.ItisvitalthattheDepartmentofForeignAffairsandTrade(DFAT)beappropriately

resourcedtopursuethisagenda.

IthaslongbeenknownthatAustraliawasunderinvestinginitsdiplomacy;a2011Lowy

InstitutestudyshowedthatAustraliahadthesmallestnetworkofdiplomaticmissionsofall

theG20countriesandonlynineoutof34OECDcountriesstudiedhadfewerdiplomatic

missionsthanAustralia.Morerecently,Australiahasexpandeditsdiplomaticrepresentation,

openingnewmissionsinChinaandPapuaNewGuineainpursuitofitseconomicdiplomacy

objectives.Thisisanimportantdevelopmentandshouldbecontinued.TheAIIAcommends

theendeavourofmaintainingastrongdiplomaticnetworkacrosstheglobethatwillhelp

Australiatostayrelevantandabletoexertitsinfluence.Thismodestinvestmentneedsto

continueandincrease.AppropriatefundingforDFATwouldbeaninvestmentwithabig

impactasaproportionofthefederalbudget:DFAT’sfundingbaseislowatone-twentiethof

theDefencebudget,whichaimsataspendingtargetoftwopercentofthecountry’sGross

DomesticProduct(GDP).Australiashouldalsoaimtorestoreitsoverseasdevelopment

assistance(ODA)andincreaseitgraduallytoreachtheinternationalbenchmarkof0.7per

centoftotalGDP.

WhiletheAIIAacceptsthatthereisaneedtocurtailpublicexpenditure,itbelievesthatthe

importanceofpromotingAustralia’sforeignpolicyinterestsinthefaceofunpredictable

internationaldevelopmentswarrantsincreasedspending,asDFATmanagesthekey

interactionsbetweenAustraliaandtheworld.Theongoingimpositionofanefficiency

dividendwillaffectDFAT’scapacitytoformulateanddeliverpolicyduetotheinevitable

reductionofstaff.Withthe2016-17budgetestimatingacontinuousdecreaseinexpenditure

onareasincludingforeignaidanddiplomacyoverthenextthreeyears,anyfurthertightening

ofthebudgetforDFATwillhaveimplicationsforAustralia’sinfluenceglobally.Australia

shouldaimtomeettheaveragebudgetthatOECDcountriesallocatetotheirforeignaffairs

departmentsasabenchmark.

2.EngagingtheWorldthroughPublicDiplomacy

TheAustraliangovernmentshouldstrengthenitsengagementwithoverseasaudiencesto

reinforceAustralia’spresenceandinfluenceatagloballevel.HowAustraliaandthe

AustralianpeopleareperceivedbythecitizensofothernationsisoneofAustralia’skey

interests.

Australiainfluenceshowitisseenintheworld,andparticularlyinitsregionthroughpublic

diplomacy.Publicdiplomacyreferstocommunicationsbyacountrywhichattemptto

influencetheviewsofforeignpublics.Accurateandcredibleinformationisrequiredto

promoteeffectivepublicdiplomacy.InAustralia’scase,itsformulationshouldstemfrom

awarenessthattheimageAustraliapresentstotheworldisoftenonethatdoesnotmatch

Australianself-perceptions.

.

Australiashouldprioritiseandinvestinbestpracticetoengageinternationalaudiences

throughitspublicdiplomacyincluding:

• Conductingpublicdiplomacythataimstoengageindialogueratherthanself-

promotion

• ContinuingtoimproveDFAT’sdigitaldiplomacycapacitytoincreaseexposureof

Australiatoforeignpublicnetworksonline

• Recognisingtheimportanceofinternationalbroadcastingservicesandsocialmediaas

powerfulpublicdiplomacytools

• EngagingAustralianoverseascommunitiestosupportpublicdiplomacyactivities

• UsinglinksformedbyeducationinAustraliatodevelopandmaintaininfluential

connectionsabroad

• Properlyresourcingculturaldiplomacyasalow-costwaytoengagewithforeign

publics

Australiashouldcontinuetoseekcosteffectiveandcreativewaysofengagingtheworldand

buildingrelationshipswithaudiencesincountriesthatareofpriorityforAustralia’s

immediateandlong-termforeignpolicyobjectives.

3.BuildingAustralians’SkillsandUnderstandingofInternationalAffairs

AustralianeedstoconsiderhowitcanbestutiliseAustralianpeopleandassetsinorderto

advanceAustralianinterestsintheworld.TheAustralianpublicshouldbeengagedand

educatedininternationalaffairsforatleastthreereasons.

First,Australianeedstoequipitscitizenswiththeknowledge,toolsandopportunitiesthat

enablethemtomake,understandandsupportwiseforeignpolicychoices.TheAIIAarranges

variousprogramsthataredesignedtoinvigoratewide-rangingandmeaningfuldiscussionof

internationalaffairsinAustralia.Ithasexperienceinsuccessfullyengagingthebroaderpublic

throughmorethan200eventsperyearacrossAustralia,includingaNationalConferencewith

400attendees.ItspublicationshaveawidereachincludingtheAustralianJournalof

InternationalAffairs(83,419full-textdownloads)andAustralianOutlookblog(29,000unique

visitorspermonth).TheAIIAengagesyoungpeoplethroughvariousinitiativesincluding

internships,careersforums,youngprofessionalprograms,scholarshipsandyouth

publications.Theseeffortsresultinwideandcontinuingsupportandappreciationof

Australia’sforeignpolicydecisions.

Second,educatingtheAustralianpubliconinternationalaffairscangeneratenewideasfor

foreignpolicy.Australiacanmaximisetheutilityofthisassetthroughgreatercollaboration

withnon-governmentsectorsandresourcestoprovideopportunitiesforAustraliansto

makeinputstoimprovethequalityofforeignpolicy.Greaterattentionshouldbegivento

DFAT’sInternationalRelationsGrantProgram(IRGP)whichfinanciallyassistsinstitutesaswell

asindependentorganisationssuchastheAIIAforprojectstosupporttheseaims.Other

countrieshavededicatedgreatinvestmentinthisareaandreapedthebenefits.

Third,alertingAustralianstotheimportanceofinternationalaffairscandevelopintoatool

forforeignengagementintheformofcitizendiplomacy.Citizendiplomacy,or

maintainingpeople-to-peoplelinksandfacilitatingexchangesbetweenindividualsindifferent

countries,createsmutuallybeneficialopportunitiesforbothindividualsandcommunitiesto

engagewithvariousculturesandpeople.Thepromotionofcitizendiplomacyencourages

Australianstoviewthemselvesas‘ambassadors’forAustralia;asrepresentativesofitsvalues,

interestsandimageabroad.

The AIIA applauds the success of initiatives including theNewColombo Plan and Australia

AwardsthatengageandeducateAustraliansoninternationalaffairs.Suchinitiativesnotonly

serve as a platform for enduring relationships to develop at an individual level, the cross-

culturalknowledgeandskillsattainedfromtheseexperiencescanfurtherenrichAustralia.The

AIIAbelievesthatAustraliashouldcontinuetofundprogramsthatencourageAustraliansto

buildinternationalrelationshipstoensurethatAustraliaremainsrelevantinthemindsofits

neighbours.

Thereareawidevarietyofpeople-to-peoplelinksbetweenAustraliansandoverseasnations

thatcanbefurtherstrengthened.Thesemayariseinarangeofsectorsincludingscienceand

technology,energy,education,businessandtourism.Forinstance,volunteerismintheformof

governmentinitiativessuchastheAustralianVolunteersforInternationalDevelopment(AVID)

promotesculturalunderstandingthroughthedevelopmentofinterpersonalrelationshipswith

thelocalpopulationbasedondailyinteractions.TheAIIAhasfacilitatedsimilarlinksthrough

programsincludingannualAIIAStudyTourstovariousnationsaroundtheworldandhosting

second-trackdialogueswithsisterinstitutesofinternationalaffairs.TheAIIArecommendsthat

thegovernmentactivelypromoteorganisationsthatengageAustraliansininternationalaffairs

toprovideopportunitiesthroughwhichAustralianscanactivelycontributeandimprovetheir

knowledgeandskills.

The Australian Institute of International Affairs National Executive

NationalPresident NationalVice-President NationalExecutiveDirector

TheHonKimBeazleyACFAIIA MsZaraKimptonOAM MsMelissaConleyTyler

ResearchChair AJIAEditor Treasurer

ProfessorMarkBeeson ProfessorNickBisley MsKylieBell

ACTPresidentNSWPresident QLDPresidentSAPresident

MrBobLowry MrRichardBroinowski MrGeoffreyEwingAssociateProfessor

FelixPatrikeeff

TASPresident VICPresident WAPresident

EmProfPeterBoyceAOMrPatrickMoore MrJohnRGoodlad