Details
Context
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation Regional Programme Australia and the Pacific is delighted to hold its 4th KAS Australia Security Conference on German-Indo-Pacific common security concerns to be held in Canberra on 28 October 2025.
This year, we are proud to be supported by the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA), The Centre for Future Defence and National Security (Deakin University), and the National Security College (based at the Australian National University).
The conference seeks to bring together parliamentarians, experts, practitioners, and representatives from relevant government institutions and the diplomatic corps for open, policy-relevant exchanges and discussions on common security concerns, potential areas of future cooperation, and effective strategies for dealing with the current international security environment. It will examine issues ranging from regional conflicts and geopolitical tensions to (economic) interdependence, and the challenges of weighing up national vs. international interests, exploring innovative strategies and collaborative frameworks that can reconcile seemingly divergent objectives.
Conference Theme
This year's security conference will convene under the theme of 'International Order at Crossroads: Democracy, Migration and the Future of Global Governance'.
Never since the Cold War have we seen such relentless turmoil in global politics as we do today. The Russian war on Ukraine has been ongoing for three years and continues to pose an imminent threat to European security. The Middle East remains an unstable region, with the Israel-Palestine crisis as the most predominant issue dividing the world. While, on the other side of the globe, unpredictable and shifting policies in foreign affairs and trade among the superpowers are creating spillover effects in the Southeast Asian and Pacific regions.
The liberal international world order is under distressing attacks from all sides, not only from its adversaries but also from some who have previously been called its strongest allies. While the authoritarianism trend is on the rise across many parts of the world, the one-time leader of democracy is seemingly turning their backs on those fighting hard to defend it, causing unease among its partners through erratic and contradictory messaging, and, once again, calling into question its reliability in times of crisis.
In addition to state-level dilemmas, we are also witnessing other critical impacts that the international system is facing. International and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and its agencies, the World Health Organization, and the Paris Agreement, among others, are facing existential threats caused by membership and funding withdrawal.
The rules-based order, as we know it, appears to be standing at a defining moment. The question is: Will history record what is happening right now as a crossroads or merely a condensed period of stormy waters for the liberal international order?
Keynote Speakers
- Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, Australian Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
- Mr Michael Gahler MP, Member of the European Parliament (EP), Member of the EP's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Standing Rapporteur on Ukraine, and Spokesperson of the EPP Group on Foreign Affairs
Up to Date Information
For more detail of the conference, click here.
To attend the conference, register here now for free (limited seats).
