Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to warn that the international order established after the Second World War is no longer fit for purpose, as he calls for a new framework to meet changing global challenges.
In a speech to the Atlantic Council in New York, delivered on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr Albanese will argue that alliances and partnerships remain essential despite the pressures facing the global system.
He is expected to say that assumptions which shaped international affairs after the Cold War — including that openness brought security, efficiency was more important than resilience and international rules would be followed — can no longer be relied upon.
“The post-1945 world order is no longer fit for purpose,” Mr Albanese will say. “Universal institutions that remain necessary are now not always sufficient for the challenges we face.”
The Australian prime minister will call for countries to help shape a replacement for the old order while maintaining diplomatic rules. He will identify strategic competition between the United States and China in the Indo-Pacific as the region’s most consequential issue.
However, Mr Albanese will caution against viewing the Pacific solely through the rivalry between the two powers, with Australia maintaining close ties with the US as a security partner and China as a key trading partner.
“The Indo-Pacific is not a chessboard on which superpowers move the pieces,” he will say. “Its countries are not spectators, they are shaping its future and writing their own script.”
Pacific partnerships will be a central part of the address. Mr Albanese is expected to emphasise his government’s engagement with countries including Papua New Guinea, whose prime minister, James Marape, will introduce him at the event.
“The Pacific has been a priority for my government since day one,” Mr Albanese will say. “Our approach to the Pacific is characterised by respect. Respect for Pacific priorities, for their incredible culture and for their sovereignty.”
He will also describe relationships with Pacific nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as important to regional stability, security and prosperity.
The speech follows Mr Albanese’s receipt of the Atlantic Council’s Global Citizen award, recognising his role in strengthening alliances and promoting security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. He is one of four recipients, alongside Formula One chief Stefano Domenicali, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and actress Cynthia Erivo.
Mr Albanese met US President Donald Trump briefly at a gala dinner hosted by the American leader a day before the speech. The two have taken different positions on whether the use of artificial intelligence should be restrained over safety concerns or accelerated.
The prime minister will argue that the changing global environment has also increased the importance of resilience in critical minerals and energy. He will link that need to the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Iran, which have placed pressure on supply chains and pushed up fuel prices.
“The rules that connect our nations remain essential, and they matter to Australia, to the Indo-Pacific and globally,” Mr Albanese will say.
