Melbourne Dialogue
Communiqué by the Melbourne Group
The Melbourne Group: A partnership between the The National Centre for South Asian Studies and theMonash Asia Institute
Friday 28 August 1998, The Windsor Hotel, Melbourne, Australia
During the last three days, the Melbourne Group has brought together around the table experts on Asia-Pacific affairs from a number of countries, not least of them India and Pakistan, to discuss ways in which we can strengthen regional security. We have engaged in constructive discussion of a range of issues affecting security in the region as a whole, and we have done so in a mood of goodwill and even friendship. A report on the dialogue will be issued shortly. The Melbourne Group has reached consensus on a number of matters which we seek to bring to the attention of governments, journalists, business houses, students and scholars, and the general public in the various nations which make up the Asia-Pacific region.
Our conclusions have stressed the urgency to encourage those processes which will lead us towards minimising the risks of nuclear, conventional and other forms of conflict in the coming decades. We call on all governments and the policy making communities to commit themselves to the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons.
Specifically we urge that the following steps be taken to minimise the risk of nuclear accidents and confrontations:
- treat all nuclear weapon states, including India and Pakistan, equally so that effective arms control measures can be introduced more quickly;
- take nuclear forces off alert;
- remove warheads from delivery vehicles;
- appeal to all countries, including India and Pakistan, to sign and ratify the CTBT;
- support the decision by the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva to commence negotiations on a 'cut-off' treaty to ban the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons purposes;
- give serious and urgent consideration to ways of curbing missile development, transfers and use;
- consider the Report of the Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons;
- undertake a range of confidence-building measures, dialogues and restraint to prevent crises and conflict and encourage the resolution of disputes and the alleviation of tensions;
- take concrete steps to safeguard the security of non-nuclear weapons states;
- take measures to encourage enhanced economic links, people-to-people contacts and regional and subregional cooperation.
In the course of its deliberations, the Melbourne Group became aware of the extent to which the Australian government had disengaged from India and Pakistan. In the light of this, and in order to further the positive goals set out above, we urge the Australian government to take steps to re-establish official visits and dialogue with India and Pakistan.
As part of the process
of confidence building, which we recommend, the Melbourne Group wishes
to maintain an on-going dialogue amongst its original participants
and also to broaden that dialogue. We recognise that an important
factor in building trust and confidence is the ability to share information
and expertise, and to do this in a way which is quick and timely.
Hence, the Melbourne Group proposes to establish a South Asia Security
Network.
The components of the network will
be as follows:
- an information service providing timely summaries of news and analysis throughout the region;
- a policy forum on-line on South Asian Security to facilitate the sharing of data, documents and ideas;
- a repository for important documents, agreements and texts;
- an international, collaborative research program to promote the analysis of regional security questions;
- a series of further round-table discussions in Washington, Beijing, Tokyo, Dhaka, Colombo, Islamabad, New Delhi and other capital cities as a way of informing governments and the general public about the conclusions reached by the Melbourne Group.
- identify institutions willing to acts as autonomous nodes in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, United States and other countries;
- identify funding sources and seek support for the network;
- establish appropriate links between this network and the existing Nautilus Institute Northeast Asia Peace and Security Network.
For further information about the Melbourne Group
Associate Professor Marika Vicziany
or Professor John McKay
Monash Asia Institute
Monash University
Clayton, Melbourne,
Australia
Tel: 61 3 9905 9256
Fax:
61 3 9905 5370
Email: marika.vicziany@arts.monash.edu.au
, john.mckay@arts.monash.edu.au
The Melbourne Group acknowledges the support
it received for this first dialogue from the
Australia-India
Council, the Melbourne City Council, Monash International,
Qantas and
the Windsor Hotel.
List of Participants and Observers
Non Australian Based Particpants
- Dr Brahma Chellaney Prof of Security Studies Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, India
- Dr Wade L Huntley Program Director, Asia Pacific Security The Nautilus Institute, San Francisco, USA
- Dr Syed Rifaat Hussain Dept Intl Relations Qaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad Pakistan
- Mr Inder Malhotra Journalist New Delhi, India
- Dr Vernon Mendis Director Bandaranaike Diplomatic Training Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Mr Kabir Muhammad Humayun Senior Research Fellow Bangladesh Inst Intl & Strategic Studies, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Ambassador Abdul Sattar Former Foreign Minister Islamabad, Pakistan
- Air Commodore Jasjit Singh Director Institute for Defence Studies & Analysis, New Delhi, India
- Mr N N Vohra Director India International Centre, New Delhi, India
Australian Based Participants
- Dr Qamrul Alam Dept of Economics La Trobe University, Melbourne
- Dr Ahmed A Azad Scientist - HIV Research CSIRO, Melbourne
- A. Prof Robert Bruce Head, Social Sciences & Asian Languages, Curtin University of Technology, Perth
- Mr Michael Coultas President Australian Institute of International Affairs, Melbourne
- Dr Peter Friedlander Dept of Asian Studies La Trobe University, Melbourne
- Prof Bruce Grant Fmr Aust H.C. to India Monash University, Melbourne
- Dr Devin T Hagerty University of Sydney, Sydney
- Prof Robin Jeffrey Politics La Trobe University, Melbourne
- Dr Chen Jie Taiwan Research Fellow Monash Asia Institute, Melbourne
- Dr Martand S. Joshi Geology Department RMIT, Melbourne
- Dr David Kelly China Specialist Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra
- Hon Jim Kennan QC Immediate past Chairman Australia-India Council, Melbourne
- Dr Damien Kingsbury Indonesia Specialist Monash Asia Institute, Monash University, Melbourne
- Mr Philip Knight Fmr Aust H.C. to Islamabad, Melbourne
- Dr Salim Lakha Economics Monash University, Melbourne
- Mr Alister Maitland Chairman Australia-India Business Council, Melbourne
- Dr Mohan J Malik Visiting Fellow The Australian National University, Canberra
- A. Prof Peter Mayer Politics University of Adelaide, Adelaide
- Prof John McKay Director, Monash Asia Institute Monash University, Melbourne
- A. Prof Oliver Mendelsohn School of Law La Trobe University, Melbourne
- Dr Byung-Seong Min Economics Monash University, Melbourne
- Dr Siang Ng Economics Monash University, Melbourne
- Mr Ian Porter Executive Director - Intl Affairs Monash University, Melbourne
- Mr Harun ur Rashid Frmr Bangladesh Ambass(Aust, Phillipines, Nepal, UNO - Geneva) Melbourne
- Prof Bob Rice Economics Monash University, Melbourne
- Prof Amin Saikal Australian National University, Melbourne
- Ms Sharmini Sherrard, Australian Council for Overseas Aid, Melbourne
- Dr He-ling Shi Economics Monash University, Melbourne
- Mr C Snedden Politics La Trobe University, Melbourne
- Dr Pradeep Taneja Manager Intl Programs La Trobe University, Melbourne
- Hon Andrew Theophanous Australia-India Parliamentary Group Parliament of Australia, Canberra
- Prof Keith Trace Economics Monash University, Melbourne
- A. Prof Marika Vicziany Director National Centre for South Asian Studies, Melbourne
- A.Prof Colin White Economics La Trobe University, Melbourne
- Dr Samina Yasmeen School of Politics University of Western Australia, Perth
Observers
- Mr Cameron Anderson India Project Department of Defence, Canberra, Australia
- Mr Rodney Arambewela Hon. Consul for Sri Lanka Melbourne, Australia
- Mrs Layanya Rekha Bahadur Faculty HR College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai, India
- Mr Paul Barsdell Secretary Senate Committee Australian Senate, Canberra, Australia
- Ms Kathleen Dermody Principal Researcher Australian Senate, Canberra, Australia
- Mr Tom Fayle Journalist Asia Pacific - ABC Radio, Melbourne, Australia
- Mr Henry Fox Nuclear Policy Section Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra, Australia
- Sen John Hogg Chairman Senate Committee Parliament of Australia, Canberra, Australia
- Mr Bryce Hutchesson Dir, India & Indian Ocean Sctn. Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Canberra, Australia
- Prof Ms Kamal Jadhav Faculty Member Jai Hind College, Mumbai, India
- Ms Berenice Owen-Jones Office of National Assessment Government of Australia, Canberra, Australia
- H.E. G Parthasarathy High Commissioner of India Canberra, Australia
- Ms Vanessa Ralte Honours Student, Economics Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Dr Jana Rao Hon. Consul for India Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- Mr Ben Scott India & Indian Ocean Section Deparment of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra, Australia
- Mr Dudley Wijeratna Former UNO Official Sri Lanka, Melbourne, Australia.