ASPI-KINU 1.5 Track Strategic Dialogue

17 April, 2013 -- 1.5 Track Dialogues

The purpose of the Dialogue is to discuss strategic issues of mutual concern to Australia and South Korea and identify practical steps for both countries to address these challenges. 

Drawdown from Afghanistan and implications for the 2013 White Paper

16 April, 2013 -- External Events

Mr Stephen Smith MP, Minister for Defence

Minister for Defence, Mr Stephen Smith, spoke at an ASPI lunch on the drawdown from Afghanistan and its implications for the 2013 Defence White Paper. The Minister provided details on the transition to Afghan security forces, and the drawdown from Afghanistan of Australia’s military commitment, including post-2014. The future commitment includes ongoing training, advisory support and funding for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and potentially a continuing Special Forces contribution to training and counter-terrorism under an appropriate mandate. He highlighted the importance of ensuring that the mistakes following the transition and drawdown from Vietnam wouldn't be repeated, and said that there'll be a focus on supporting our returned veterans, including mental health services.

ASPI-Hewlett Packard Defence and Security Lunch: "US Pivot to Asia - A view from Europe"

28 February, 2013 -- Defence and Security Luncheons

Lord Michael Williams of Baglan, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Chatham House

Michael Williams is one of the UK’s leading experts on Asia. He is currently a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Chatham House in London. He is also a member of the BBC’s Board of Trustees. He was formerly the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East from 2006 – 2011, and before that he served as the special adviser to former British Foreign Secretaries Robin Cook and Jack Straw. He was made a member of the House of Lords in 2010.

Alliance 21: Australia's future defence spending and its alliance with the United States

28 February, 2013 -- Speeches

Dr Mark Thomson - Senior Analyst, ASPI

Australia’s alliance with the United States shapes every aspect of its defence policy, including how much it spends on defence. Conversely, how much Australia spends on defence affects its alliance with the United States. This paper explores the nexus between Australia’s defence spending and its alliance with the United States looking forward.

Alliance 21: Alliance burden-sharing and force interoperability

28 February, 2013 -- Speeches

Dr Andrew Davies - Senior Analyst and Director of Research, ASPI

During President Obama's visit to Australia in 2011, he announced a greater use of Australian facilities by US forces, including ships, aircraft and—most visibly—2,500 Marines rotating through Northern Territory training areas. While in some ways this was simply a more visible reinforcement of a relation that was already deep and multi-faceted, the symbolism wasn’t entirely accidental. The United States has been reassessing its strategic policy and disposition of forces in the Asia-Pacific region and Australia has a role to play.

Lunch with the Generals

21 January, 2013 -- External Events

Chief of the Defence Force General David Hurley and Chief of the British Defence Staff General Sir David Richards

For its first event of the year, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, with the kind support of Hewlett Packard, hosted a luncheon with Australian Defence Force Chief General David Hurley and Chief of the British Defence Staff General Sir David Richards. A panel discussion, moderated by the Australia Network's Catherine McGrath, covered a broad range of issues, including the recent hostage crisis in Algeria, the crackdown on insurgents in Mali, Syria and other areas like Yemen, Somalia and Iran, and the wind-down in Afghanistan, the Solomons and East Timor in 2013.

Australia-New Zealand 1.5 Track Security Dialogue

13 December, 2012 -- 1.5 Track Dialogues

ASPI-Hewlett Packard Defence and Security Lunch: "The future of organised crime and cybercrime"

05 December, 2012 -- Defence and Security Luncheons

Mr Roger Wilkins AO, Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department

Mr Roger Wilkins AO outlined the future of the organised crime and cybercrime threat facing Australia, focusing on the implications for governments and business. Mr Wilkins canvassed the need for a strong understanding of the threat, and the tools which have been developed to strengthen our response to this threat to date, such as the Organised Crime Strategic Framework. He proposed ways in which government and business can better work together to address this threat into the future, including through developing shared responses to a shared problem, continuing to build resilience within the Australian community and ensuring Australia is a hard target to organised criminals.

ASPI-Telstra lunch with Robert D. Kaplan: "The Revenge of Geography"

05 November, 2012 -- External Events

Robert D. Kaplan

ROBERT D. KAPLAN is Chief Geopolitical Analyst for Stratfor, a private global intelligence firm. He is the author of 14 books on foreign affairs and travel translated into many languages, most recently The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us about Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate. He has been a foreign correspondent for The Atlantic for over a quarter-century. In 2011, Foreign Policy magazine named Kaplan among the world's "100 Top Global Thinkers." New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman calls Kaplan among the four “most widely read” authors defining the post-Cold War. 

Presentation to the Submarine Institute of Australia

01 November, 2012 -- Speeches

Dr Andrew Davies, ASPI

Dr Andrew Davies' presentation to the Submarine Institute of Australia, November 2012. You can download the speech below.