Diplomacy
A slap in the face for diverse diplomacy
The US appointed its first openly gay ambassador in 1999. President Bill Clinton gave James Hormel a recess appointment as US Ambassador to Luxembourg after two years of a blocked…
Vale the Ambassador?
Every few months, the Australian media raises the embarrassing absence of an American ambassador in Canberra. As of last month, Australia was one of 34 vacant ambassadorial posts…
Not just a pretty place: Australia’s soft power
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's (DFAT) soft power review comes at a time when information is rising as an instrument of foreign policy. DFAT faces new challenges and…
Diplomacy in the post-broadcasting era
The Department of Communications is now reviewing submissions on the issue of Australian Broadcasting Services in the Asia-Pacific region. This is timely. As always, communicating…
International broadcasting: not so simple as ABC
Australia’s international voice, once strong, influential and broadcast across much of the Asia-Pacific, has become little more than a croak into the ether.
Substantial cuts to…
International rescue: the Thai cave response
As prime minister, Tony Abbott once called disaster response “an antidote to pessimism”. No less than eight countries – including China, the US, South Korea, and New Zealand …
The sports make-over
Before a ball had even been kicked at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, star Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah was courted for a photo-op with Head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan…
World Cup: diplomacy on the pitch
You thought the PyongChang Winter Olympics was this year’s premier sporting event with diplomatic characteristics? Think again.
The real deal began on Thursday night in Moscow,…
2017 Global Diplomacy Index: Asia’s ties to the world
The Lowy Institute has released an updated and expanded 2017 Global Diplomacy Index, which now maps and ranks 60 of the world’s most significant diplomatic networks. For the…
Foreign Policy White Paper: Australia faces an uncertain world
Australia has bet the farm on Donald Trump.
That’s the obvious headline to describe this Foreign Policy White Paper, although the gamble isn’t on Trump personally, but rather as…