United Nations
A “beggar-thy-neighbour” approach keeps seafarers stranded
When a business manager is willing to spend US$200,000 to send home five employees whose contracts have expired and bring five colleagues to replace them on the spot, later…
Australia in focus at the UN Human Rights Council
Australia is a peaceful, prosperous nation that vocalises its support for human rights – and yet last week at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, one after another, countries…
Bringing space law into the 21st century
Throughout 2020, a renewed debate has taken hold over international legal frameworks and the governance of outer space. A flurry of outer space activities has ensured this debate…
Solve generational problems by listening to the youth who’ll live them
Youth voices are central to all peace and security issues. This is particularly important in the Asia-Pacific, where youth make up almost 60% of the population – in the Pacific…
A chance for the US to change its tune on justice
On Monday last week, 72 countries at the United Nations offered their “unwavering support” for the International Criminal Court (ICC). Among them were Australia, Canada, the UK,…
A backlash against the Women, Peace and Security agenda?
Twenty years ago, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1325, a landmark to formally recognised the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls…
Peace Prize to WFP: A win for international cooperation
The recent announcement that the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the World Food Program (WFP) attracted little attention in Australia. It is true that the spirit of…
But what does “rules-based order” mean?
Although the “rules-based international order” is central to Australian strategy, what exactly this concept means remains a work very much in progress. For Australia to achieve…
Nuclear Ban Treaty: Wishful thinking over realism
You could be forgiven for assuming that governments of the world inhabit two parallel universes. In July this year, Australia launched the 2020 Defence…
Diplomacy after Covid: No looking back
The 75th United Nations General Assembly held last month was unique. The media spectacle of leaders’ speeches gave way to resident diplomat introductions, pre-recorded video…