Australia’s Security Threats & Pacific Neighbors Policy

Australia faces a complex and volatile security environment in 2023, with multiple threats ranging from cyber-attacks to nuclear weapons. Australia's security challenges are diverse and complex, ranging from climate change and biosecurity risks to cyber threats and regional instability. According to a report by Sir Angus Houston and Professor Stephen Smith, Australia needs to adapt its military posture and structure, and invest in new and advanced capabilities to deter or respond to potential adversaries, such as China and Russia. Australia also needs to reassure its neighbors that its defense build-up is aimed at enhancing the collective security of the Indo-Pacific region. To achieve these goals, Australia requires a coherent and comprehensive national security strategy that involves all levels of government, industry, civil society and the community. Some of the major security threats to Australia are:

Cyber-attacks: Australia is a target of malicious cyber activities from state and non-state actors, who seek to steal sensitive information, disrupt critical infrastructure, or influence public opinion. Cyber-attacks can have significant economic, social, and political impacts on Australia and its allies. According to AustCyber, some of the top cyber security threats facing Australia in 2023 are phishing scams, ransomware attacks, and artificial intelligence-enabled attacks.

Nuclear weapons: Australia is a staunch supporter of the global non-proliferation and disarmament regime, but faces the risk of nuclear proliferation and escalation in its region. North Korea poses a direct threat to Australia and its allies with its nuclear and missile capabilities, while China and the US are engaged in a strategic competition that could undermine the stability of the nuclear order. Australia also needs to be prepared for the possibility of a nuclear incident or accident that could have radiological consequences.

Terrorism: Australia remains a target of extremist groups, such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda, who seek to inspire or direct attacks on Australian soil or against Australian interests abroad. The threat of terrorism is also evolving, with the potential for returned foreign fighters, home-grown radicals, lone actors, or ideologically motivated violence. Terrorism can cause death, injury, fear, and social division in Australia and its region.

Major power competition: Australia is an ally of the US and a partner of China, but faces the challenge of navigating the growing rivalry between these two major powers. The US-China relationship is marked by strategic mistrust, trade disputes, and military tensions over issues such as Taiwan, the South China Sea, and human rights. Australia's interests and values may be affected by the actions and reactions of both sides, as well as by the responses of other regional actors such as Japan, India, and ASEAN.

To safeguard its security and prosperity in this uncertain world, Australia needs to adopt a comprehensive and proactive approach that combines diplomacy, defense, development, intelligence, law enforcement, and resilience. Australia also needs to work closely with its allies and partners to uphold the rules-based international order and promote regional cooperation. Australia's security is not only a matter of national interest, but also a shared responsibility with its neighbors and friends.

Australia has a historic opportunity to enter into a new engagement with its Pacific Island neighbors in Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia. The strength of this engagement is grounded in deep and longstanding personal, historical and cultural ties. The Australian Government is working with its Pacific neighbours to improve trade and biosecurity in the region, as well as to support COVID recovery, climate and disaster resilience, and gender equality.

Some of the Pacific neighbors of Australia are Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Niue and Palau. The Pacific islands population in Australia is around 200,000 people, but it is heavily dominated by Polynesian communities. The former diplomat James Batley notes that our nearest Melanesian neighbors are seriously under-represented.

The current population of the Pacific island countries ranges from about 10,000 in Niue to about 9 million in Papua New Guinea. The economic outlook for the region is uncertain due to the COVID pandemic and its impact on tourism, trade and remittances. The security forces capability of the Pacific island countries varies depending on their size, resources and strategic partnerships. Australia provides assistance to some of the Pacific island countries in areas such as maritime security, defense cooperation and police training.

Australia's policy towards its Pacific neighbors should be based on the principles of partnership, recovery and resilience. Australia has a vital interest in supporting the Pacific region to cope with the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to address the long-term challenges of climate change, security and development.

Australia has already taken several steps to assist its Pacific neighbors during the crisis, such as providing emergency health and humanitarian aid, facilitating transit and repatriation of Pacific islanders, and redirecting existing aid programs to focus on COVID-19 response and recovery. Australia has also committed to sharing its vaccine doses with the Pacific once they are available.

However, Australia can do more to strengthen its policy towards the Pacific in the following ways:

Enhance regional cooperation and dialogue with Pacific island countries and other partners, such as New Zealand, France, Japan and the US, to coordinate efforts and share best practices on COVID-19 response and recovery.

Increase investment in the Pacific's economic recovery and resilience, especially in sectors such as tourism, agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure and digital connectivity, which are vital for the region's livelihoods and development.

Support the Pacific's climate action and adaptation, by increasing funding for climate finance, renewable energy, disaster risk reduction and resilience building initiatives.

Promote the Pacific's security and stability, by strengthening defense and police cooperation, addressing transnational crime and illegal fishing, and supporting good governance and human rights.

By pursuing these policy objectives, Australia can demonstrate its commitment to being a reliable and trusted partner for the Pacific region, as well as enhance its own national interests and values.

The security of Australia and the Pacific island states are closely intertwined, as they share common challenges and interests in the region. Australia has a strategic interest in ensuring that no power hostile to Western interests establishes a foothold in the region, and that the Pacific island states are resilient to threats such as climate change, transnational crime, cyberattacks and pandemics. To achieve this, Australia has been supporting the Pacific island states in various ways, such as:

1. Helping them define their maritime zones and settle shared boundaries, which contributes to regional stability, security, sustainable development and the management and conservation of ocean resources.

2. Providing defense, law enforcement, border management and human security cooperation through initiatives such as the Pacific Maritime Security Program, the Pacific Transnational Crime Network and the Defense Cooperation Program.

3. Supporting their climate and disaster resilience through initiatives such as the Climate and Ocean Support Program in the Pacific, the Australia Pacific Climate Partnership Support Unit and the Australia Assists program.

4. Supporting their COVID-19 recovery through initiatives such as the Partnerships for Recovery program, the Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative and the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway on COVID-19.

5. Strengthening their regional organizations and institutions, such as the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Community and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program.

6. Advancing their gender equality and women's empowerment through initiatives such as the Pacific Women Lead program, the Women's Leadership Initiative and the Fiji Women's Fund.

These measures are aligned with Australia's commitment to build a stronger and more united Pacific family, based on deep and longstanding personal, historical and cultural ties. They are also guided by the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional Security, which recognizes an expanded concept of security that includes human security, environmental security and cyber security. To ensure that Australia is not imposing its concept of security on the Pacific, and that the Pacific island states make informed decisions on their own security free of coercive influences, Australia needs to anchor its activities to meaningful, coordinated and sustainable plans via activities and outcomes prioritized by Pacific countries themselves.

Note: These are purely writers own views and should be taken as such.