Australia in International Politics

Book excerpt: The World has changed greatly for Australia since the mid-1980s. The threat of nuclear war between the superpowers has passed into history. The UN's role in international security is changing. Economic activity is increasingly globalised. International financial markets determine economic development. Australia in International Politics shows how this nation has responded to these changes. It explores the way Labor and Coalition governments answer the traditional foreign policy questions. It analyses the policies adopted to deal with new questions of foreign policy. It explains why economics now comes first in Australia's foreign policy; provides extensive coverage of initiatives including APEC, ASEM, the Cairns Group and the Uruguay Round; describes the role of international organisations including the WTO, World Bank and IMF. It deals with contemporary issues such as the Asian economic crisis, Australia's contribution to peacekeeping initiatives, its role at the Kyoto conference on climate change, and its participation in the Iraq/US contest.