2026 OSCE Asian Conference - National Statement by Australia
Delivered by H.E. Ambassador Jane Duke, Australia's Ambassador to Counter Modern Slavery, People Smuggling and Human Trafficking
28 May 2026
Excellencies, Ministers, Secretary-General, distinguished delegates,
I commend the Kingdom of Thailand and Finland for their generous efforts in co-hosting this Conference.
Australia welcomes the opportunity for the Asian Partners to bring an Indo-Pacific perspective to the deliberations of the OSCE.
It is especially meaningful to speak this year from Thailand, in our region, on the peace and security challenges we share.
Despite our distant geography, the effects of Russia’s invasion, and conflict in the Middle East, continue to be felt deeply in the Indo-Pacific.
At the same time, in the digital sphere, emerging cyber threats and criminal networks proliferate across borders.
More than ever, we see that peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and OSCE regions are intertwined.
And building preventative architecture, near and abroad, is a common project and an interest we share.
Australia affirms our support for ASEAN centrality and ASEAN-led rules-based architecture, and the Pacific Islands Forum, in addressing common challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
We commend the leadership of the Swiss chairperson of the OSCE.
Australia values the work of the OSCE in upholding the spirit of the Helsinki Principles, including in the domains of human rights, democracy and emerging technologies.
Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine is a grave threat to regional and global security.
Deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including arms transfers, is providing North Korea with more tools to threaten its neighbours.
Australia advocates for an immediate end to the war.
We call on China to refrain from dual-use goods trade with Russia, and to use its influence to support an end to hostilities.
Australia values this opportunity to engage on new threats in the digital era.
Enabled by new technologies, international threat actors and criminal networks operate in the digital realm to spread disinformation, undermine cohesion and exploit those who may be in vulnerable situations.
Australia is deeply concerned by the growth of online scam operations.
These scam centres are global threats with significant economic and social costs which destroy the lives of victims.
In a domain without borders, countering digital and cyber threats depend on human rights-respecting, inter-regional collaboration.
This includes addressing the social and economic conditions which increase vulnerability to these threats.
The strategic challenges we face are multiplying, and they affect us all.
Australia recognises that we all have a role to play in preventing conflict.
All countries – large and small – have a responsibility to act, and to coordinate efforts to address challenges to peace and stability.
This is the guiding purpose of Australia’s conflict prevention agenda.
We hope to continue to deepen engagement on conflict prevention with the OSCE.
I look forward to a rich discussion on regional and global security challenges in the coming days.
Thank you.