Australia's Nation-Building

An Assessment of Its Contribution to Regional Security in the Pacific, and a New Policy to Guide Its Future

This paper discusses Australia's experience in nation building and its ability to contribute to regional security in the Pacific. It examines Australia's experience in Timor Leste, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea (PNG) and assesses how these interventions have contributed to regional security. Further, the author presents three alternatives: more traditional aid for PNG, a 'do-it-yourself' tendency for local interventions, or allowing greater Chinese influence in the region. The paper concludes with policy prescriptions that feature cross-government, whole-of-nation participation.

Download: