Publications

A proposed Australian strategy for Latin America to 2020

Martine Letts

Summary

In a speech to the 2008 Annual Australia Latin America Business Council dinner, Deputy Director Martine Letts argues for a comprehensive whole of government Australian strategy to engage with Latin America to diversify and strengthen relations with an increasingly successful and influential region. A government-led strategy could make a substantial impact on developing new allies, new commercial relationships, new markets and new cultural linkages to support growing Australian business interests and an increasingly ambitious Australian international agenda on issues where Latin America exercises considerable influence. From the consolidation of the role of the G 20 in international financial regulation to our UN Security Council bid for 2013/14 and our ambitious World Cup bid for 2018, Latin America has a lot to offer, but we will need to invest.

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Peace with illusions
It would be dull to join the already large chorus of commentators predicting failure for the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, launched this week in Washington. Assuming that...Read more

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The 2010 Lowy Institute Poll

The sixth annual Lowy Institute Poll surveys Australian public opinion on a range of foreign policy issues. New questions this year cover the Rudd Government’s handling of foreign policy issues during its first term in office, whether Australia should develop nuclear weapons, attitudes towards Indonesia and US power, sanctions against Fiji and the morality of Australia’s foreign policy.

The Poll also repeated questions asked in previous years, revealing trends in public opinion on topics such as climate change, Australia’s military involvement in Afghanistan, and attitudes towards the United States and China.

A panel discussion about the poll can be heard here:
The 2010 Lowy Institute Poll - MP3 (23MB)Download item (1.3MB)

Power and choice: Asian security futures

Recent events in the seas off South Korea and Japan emphasise the fragility of Asia’s security order and the strains the region’s changing power distribution are placing on it. A new major Lowy Institute Asia Security Project report, 'Power and Choice: Asian Security Futures', analyses the likely security futures for Asia and Australia and recommends steps countries should take to ensure growing regional competition does not lead to conflict. This report was made possible by the generous support for the Project by the MacArthur Foundation.

A copy of the report, launched by Dennis Richardson, AO, the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 1 June, can be downloaded here.Download item (6.5MB)