The Blue Ribbon Panel Established July 2008 to review the state of Australia’s instruments of international policy First public report on Australia’s overseas network in over 20 years

The Blue Ribbon Panel Jillian Broadbent AO Professor Peter Shergold AC William Maley AM Brad Orgill Professor Peter Shergold AC Ric Smith AO PSM Allan Gyngell (Chair)

How the panel functioned Met formally four times, with regular communications from August 2008 to March 2009 Meeting and correspondence with DFAT (root and branch review, consular and public diplomacy, trade) Communications with other government departments and agencies Formal information requests from review countries (UK, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Netherlands)

Part 1 – shaping a changing world Globalisation Information revolution Wicked problems Shifting centre of world economic power Increasing number of non-state actors

Part 2 - Instruments of international policy Australia’s overseas network Consular services Public diplomacy tools Trade and investment promotion agencies Australia’s overseas aid program International policy bureaucracy Defence, intelligence and law enforcement cooperation Companies, NGOs and think-tanks

Australia’s international engagement 13th most globalised nation (Foreign Policy’s Globalization Index 2007) 15th largest economy $A the 6th most traded currency 1 in 5 jobs depend on exports 12th largest defence budget 13th largest aid budget 1 million Australians live overseas 1 in 4 Australians was born overseas

Resourcing - staff 25% drop in DFAT overseas staff 1996-2008 15% fewer DFAT total staff overall AFP up 151 per cent ASIO up 139 per cent ONA up 75 per cent DFA in 1986: 780 overseas staff DFAT in 2008: (combined department) 517 overseas staff: 1/3 fewer

Consular services 57,706 (1997-8) ↓ 184,992 (2007-8) 6 million Australian residents travelled overseas 2007-8 9.6 million hold passports 1 million live overseas Consular assistance cases 57,706 (1997-8) ↓ 184,992 (2007-8) Travel advisories 122 – 80 destinations (1998-9) 1,165 – 165 destinations (2007-8)

Funding for consular and passports 19% departmental expenditure (+/- 1% since 1998-9) Passports and consular combined in departmental reporting: masks inadequate consular funding Passports funding formula

Public diplomacy Definition: diplomacy directed at publics, rather than governments of foreign countries to shape opinion of key target audiences in ways that further policy objectives “… the ability to shape proactively the global agenda and operating environment in ways favourable to the United States’ enduring interests and objectives .. requires coherent and persuasive public diplomacy backed by sufficient resources and shaped by a long-term vision of the nation’s strategic interest…” Advisory Committee on Transformational Diplomacy, State Department in 2025 Working Group

International policy machinery Amalgamation of DFA and Trade National Security Committee (1996) PM&C expanded role and size 30 international division staff in 1997-98 80 staff covering similar issues in 2007-08 IDCs Informal policy networks National security adviser (PM&C) National intelligence coordination commitee

DFAT vs other agencies overseas A-based staff overseas (excluding Defence): DFA (not incl. Trade) in 1986: 780 Non-DFA in 1986: 438 DFAT in 2008: 517 Non-DFAT in 2008: 572 fewer DFAT staff now than DFA alone in 1986

Non-government actors 61,000 multinational corporations 5,000 think tanks internationally NGOs Private philanthropists challenge: successfully leveraging non-state actors to work towards similar objectives

Reinvesting in the overseas network 75 new A-based staff to redress overstretching - now 20 new properly staffed missions – next ten years 40% overseas staff goal

Diplomats for the 21st century investment in skills incentivise leadership, initiative, transparency, results

Consular services Separate head, budget Boost consular staff pool Education (public and media) Reciprocal obligations

Public diplomacy Senior strategic communications coordinator (whole-of-government) Review guidelines on contact with media New media techniques Targeted cultural diplomacy

Economic diplomacy Partner with private sector Plan to grow markets and boost exports Marketing Australia – students, skilled migrants, tourists

Aid Adapt for GFC impact International policy aims Badging Engagement with civil society

Outreach Build domestic constituency Policy task groups New media

International policy machinery Coordination and integration across agencies Goals and priorities – measurability Include regular review of language and other diplomacy skills