Strategic Insights 66 – Cold calculations: Australia’s Antarctic challenges

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This Strategic Insights looks at the range of Australian objectives in Antarctica, the assumptions that underpin those goals, and the options open for us to best achieve our aims. It’s hoped that this report will inform those responsible for formulating and implementing our Antarctic policies. 

The paper looks at a range of strategic policy interests we have in Antarctica and whether we need to trade off any of these goals: 

  • preserving our sovereignty over our Antarctic territory 
  • maintaining the continent free from confrontation and militarisation 
  • protecting the Antarctic environment 
  • taking advantage of the special opportunities Antarctica offers for science 
  • deriving economic benefits from Antarctica 
  • insuring against unpredictable developments down south.

How we weigh and set both complementary and competing priorities among our Antarctic objectives (even if it’s somewhat imprecise) will be a key challenge, as will judging how other Antarctic players react to our policy objectives and our pursuit of them. Some of our policies mightn’t be complementary with those of other Antarctic players.

Special Report – Compelled to control: conflicting visions of the future of cyberspace

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This report looks at the desire among states for greater control over the digital domain. It considers the convergence of controlling desires among the major cyberpowers and examines some of the main dynamics of the Russian and Chinese positions. Their positions are examined relative to each other and to the Western consensus.

The paper analyses the potential implications for the global internet and the impact that developing countries may have on the dialogue.