Terms of Reference

Opportunities for advancing Australia’s strategic interests through existing regional architecture, with particular reference to:

  1. the suitability of existing regional architecture and country-groupings to address key human security issues in the Indo-Pacific, including health security, the impacts of climate change, human rights and labour rights;
  2. the interactions between and complementarity of regional security groupings - including the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum and the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative - and other regional cooperation mechanisms such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the East Asia Summit;
  3. using existing regional architecture to deepen Australia’s defence engagement and strategic cooperation across the Indo-Pacific;
  4. how regional security groupings deliver Australia’s objectives of promoting a stable, resilient and inclusive Indo-Pacific, including:
    1. progress on thematic focus areas already identified (maritime security, cyber and critical technology, critical minerals, counter-terrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief) and potential for additional thematic focus areas,
    2. the feasibility of institutionalising certain regional security groupings and the potential for expansion, and
    3. deepening cooperation between regional security partners on economic and development issues in the Indo-Pacific; and
  5. any related matters.

Committee Secretariat contact:

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee
Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 3535
fadt.sen@aph.gov.au

About this inquiry

Opportunities for advancing Australia’s strategic interests through existing regional architecture.



Past Public Hearings

24 Aug 2021: Canberra
19 Aug 2021: Canberra

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Inquiry Status

Accepting submissions

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