Asialink and the Australian National University's Korea Institute were proud to host the launch of the "Challenges to the Rules Based Order: Agendas for Australia-ROK Cooperation" report on May 2nd, 2023, at the Australian National University. The report is a major policy-oriented research project that explores the opportunities for collaboration between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Australia in advancing the regional and international rules-based order (RBO) and its institutional architecture.
The project, conducted by Dr Lauren Richardson, supported by the Korea Foundation, provides a comprehensive framework for how the two countries can coordinate bilaterally and multilaterally to achieve a more open and inclusive RBO, elevating the ROK-Australia bilateral relationship, enhancing the role of Seoul and Canberra in the international system, and encouraging their mutual ally, the United States, to deepen its engagement with regional governance and rulemaking.
The launch event featured a keynote address by the Hon. Gareth Evans followed by a panel discussion with Dr Lauren Richardson, Professor Ruth Barraclough and Dongkeun Lee, moderated by Professor Tony Milner. Asialink Group CEO, Martine Letts, opened and closed the event.
Given the challenges posed by great power rivalry, the increasingly competitive regional order, and the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a growing fragility of the RBO and the institutions that support it. As middle powers, the ROK and Australia share mutual interests in promoting a set of open and inclusive rules and institutions for the mediation of interstate relations in the region. It is incumbent upon likeminded middle powers in the region to find practical ways to develop a more open and inclusive RBO and promote a transition to a multipolar world.
Event Highlights
