A majority of Australians of voting age are in favour of the recent budget cuts to Australia’s overseas aid to developing countries, according to Lowy Institute polling conducted last weekend by Newspoll. Although nearly one in five express strong opposition to the budget reductions to overseas aid (19% saying they are ‘strongly against’ the reductions)...

On Thursday Thursday 14 May, the Hon Peter O’Neill, MP CMG, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, delivered an address to the Lowy Institute. In his address, Prime Minister O’Neill reflected on Papua New Guinea’s place in the world as it celebrates 40 years of independence from Australia. He examined PNG's opportunities for improved GDP...

The Papua New Guinea economy will record the highest GDP growth rate in the world in 2015 but will also formally fail to meet any of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals in their deadline year. Overview This paper represents conclusions reached by thirty participants at a Roundtable meeting, Papua New Guinea in 2015 –...

Overview: New polling commissioned by the Lowy Institute following the executions in Indonesia of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran last week suggests that Australians have a strong preference for a restrained diplomatic response from the Australian Government. ‘Private diplomatic protests’ are the course of action most Australian adults would prefer their Government to take, with...

Summary Australia’s signature on 22 January 1954 brought into force the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It is now time for Australia again to take the lead, by pressing for a review of the 1951 Convention and the international protection system of which it is a cornerstone. While the Convention itself...