There is a myriad of facets to the socio-economic, political and security challenges we are facing across the world. In a hyper-connected and interdependent world, economic well-being, political stability and security are interlinked across continents. Despite the geographical distance, Australia and Germany have a longstanding partnership based on shared values and trust. Both countries are committed to their international responsibilities and exercise them wisely. This is especially important in the face of existing and emerging systemic challenges which also threaten multilateral cooperation and international institutions.
In order to capture the many aspects of the challenge we face from a wider arc of vision, we bring you PERISCOPE – a platform for publications and analysis on contemporary issues in the area of:
Just like the real-world sighting instrument, PERISCOPE is meant to broaden our insights – taking in views from different angles. It is reflective of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s commitment to enhance understanding of the key drivers of global developments and promote knowledge-sharing and dialogue among key stakeholders in the political process. This way, it seeks to bring together perspectives from Germany, Europe, the Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region to help address the pressing problems of our time.
Especially developments across the Indo-Pacific (including the South Pacific) region are a central concern not only for Australia, New Zealand and its immediate geographical neighbours: what is happening in the Indo-Pacific does matter to Europe as well. And Germany and the European Union have long emphasized their interest and determination to enhance collaboration with Australia in the Indo-Pacific. Germany’s recent adoption of an Indo-Pacific Strategy and policy guidelines aimed at diversification and new partnerships reflects a growing recognition that geopolitical shifts and power imbalances in the region will have direct reverberations in Europe.
This way, as the COVID-9 pandemic has laid bare vulnerabilities, the resulting upheavals and globally reverberating crises are at the same time underscoring the common interests between Europe and Australia. And Australia, with the support of like-minded nations like Germany, is stepping up its leadership in shaping the international order in the Indo-Pacific. And the vision behind PERISCOPE is to provide a platform for generating insights that can contribute towards these efforts.