Despite the challenges we have confronted in responding to the global economic crisis, we have injected new life into our foreign policy, allowing Australia to once again be recognised as an important and constructive regional player, and as a source of ideas and a key contributor to finding solutions to global challenges: 1. Protecting Australia’s interests in the global economic crisis: We recognised the early dangers of the global financial crisis, and ensured that Australia was a key driver of the international response through the G20 process We used creative, active middle power diplomacy to help shape the international response to the crisis and ensure that the G20 has become the new body for tackling global economic challenges.
in favour of freedom and human rights, for example freedom of speech, assembly or against state coercion or for individualism