ASEAN-Australia Week (1-8 March) was a celebration of the relationship between Australia and ASEAN Member States, with a program of academic, cultural, educational and business events. The events focused on regional engagement, showcasing the depth and diversity of links between ASEAN and Australia, and events were optional for Summit participants.
The below activities and events were organised and delivered by external partners and were not official Special Summit events.
| Date Location | Event and Overview |
|---|---|
01/03/2024 Melbourne | ASEAN-Australia Youth Diplomacy Networking Night Australian Indonesia Youth Association To mark the 50th Anniversary of the ASEAN-Australia Dialogue relations, the Australia Indonesia Youth Association and Monash Herb Feith Indonesian Engagement Centre hosted a panel discussion and networking night. The panel discussion focused on the current state of the ASEAN-Australia relationship, future of ASEAN and the role that young people can play in strengthening Australia’s engagement with the ASEAN region. |
01/03/2024 Melbourne | Launch Event for Research Report: Comprehensive Strategic Partners: Australia and ASEAN after the first 50 years Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, University of Melbourne, Asialink Research report co-authored by Professor Nicholas Farrelly (University of Tasmania), Ms Sharon Seah (ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute), Dr Lina Alexandra (Centre for Strategic and International Studies Jakarta), and Dr Kimly Ngoun (Asian Vision Institute), reflected on 50 years of ASEAN-Australia ties and beyond. The launch event was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, academics and think tankers and diaspora leaders. |
03/03/2024 Melbourne Museum
| Global Indigenous Runway: Ancestral Bloodlines Global Indigenous Co The Global Indigenous Runway is a unique cultural experience presented once a year in Melbourne as part of PAYPAL Melbourne Fashion Festival's Independent Programme 2024. The Runway celebrates the diverse ancestry of participating designers and the profound influence of heritage on their unique fashion styles. It features designers from various cultural backgrounds, showcasing rich histories and traditions through bold graphics, intricate textiles, and accessories. This year, Global Indigenous Runway was proud to feature designers and models from four ASEAN members states Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Laos, celebrating the connections between First Nations’ Culture and Peoples from Australia and the ASEAN region. |
03/03/2024 Melbourne | AustCham ASEAN Special Summit Board Meeting Australia-ASEAN Chamber of Commerce / AsiaLink Business AustCham ASEAN is a key advocate for Australian businesses in Southeast Asia and supports its members in deepening Australian business engagement in the region. A meeting of Directors will w asheld in Melbourne in parallel with the special summit. Hosted by Asialink Business. |
03/03/2024 Melbourne | Asialink Business Welcome Reception Asialink Business, Victorian Government, and AustCham ASEAN Asialink Business, in partnership with the State Government of Victoria and AustCham ASEAN, hosted a networking reception for distinguished guests from business and government, marking the start of this landmark ASEAN week and welcoming summit participants. |
04/03/2024 The Capitol Theatre
| ASEAN Artistic Collaboration Showcase Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) An artistic collaborations showcase offered insights into the rich and diverse creative partnerships between Australia and ASEAN nations. Featuring Alice Pung OAM, and a performance from Lucy Guerin Inc and EkosDance, the event explored the benefits of collaborating within our region and offer insights into the frameworks that exist to enter or initiate new creative collaborations. |
05/03/2024 Melbourne | Bridging Business for Growth – Breakfast Networking Event The Business Council of Australia and King & Wood Mallesons This event offered a prime opportunity for CEOs, senior executives, and decision-makers to expand their business horizons and forge strategic partnerships. It was dedicated to fostering collaboration and networking among major business entities, senior officials from the ASEAN delegations and major Australian businesses. The event showcased a key government initiative, the Young Professionals Exchange Program, underscoring our commitment to nurturing talent and promoting global partnerships. |
03/03/2024 – 06/03/2024 Melbourne
| Australia-ASEAN Emerging Leaders Program (A2ELP) Australia-ASEAN Council, Social Good Outposts, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade This was a flagship program for the Australia-ASEAN Council curated and run by Social Good Outpost. The program will bring together 15 young social entrepreneurs from across ASEAN and Australia to build leadership skills and networks for social impact. Participants will gain expertise from leading regional experts, entrepreneurs, government, community leaders and business, plus gain high-level mentoring, access to the alumni network and more. Further information about the A2ELP can be found at https://ausaseanleaders.com.au/ |
06/03/2024 RMIT | Safety by Design – It makes good business sense The eSafety Commissioner with Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) The digital economy in Southeast Asia is expected to be worth $1 trillion by 2030. However, the race to digitalisation and economic cooperation must coincide with efforts to safeguard communities from online harms. The panel included representatives from government, academia, think tanks and industry to discuss the safety implications of the complex and ever-changing digital landscape, alongside cyber security, data privacy and engagement on critical tech standards, and how taking a ‘Safety by Design’ approach can benefit governments, businesses and end users across ASEAN and Australia. |
06/03/2024 Victorian Chamber of Commerce | Chamber Change (Women in Business) ASEAN Collaboration Forum Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry The ‘Chamber Change’ program provides women in business with the opportunity to mentor, network, empower and grow alongside each other. This session, aimed at Southeast Asian attendees provided an opportunity to learn more about the ‘Chamber Change’ program and find out how the program and key lessons can be taken back to the region, organisations and communities. The session included an introduction to the ‘Chamber Change’ program with presentations from Victorian Chamber Staff, Champions, Participants and Experts. |
06/03/2024 Melbourne | Southeast Asia-Australia Networking Breakfast Yulgilbar Group The Networking Breakfast provided an opportunity for ASEAN and Australian young professionals, to connect with one another along with leaders in climate, business and civil society over a private, informal and relaxed breakfast setting. The event created people-to-people links raising awareness of markets and sectors and deepening investment opportunities to promote economic growth and prosperity. |
06/03/2024 RMIT | Strengthening Regional Cooperation on Marine Plastic Pollution and Biodiversity Protection in the ASEAN Region Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources & Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong Presented by the Australian Government in collaboration with Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, RMIT University and the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) of the University of Wollongong, the topics of maritime plastic pollution and biodiversity protection were explored, focusing on the challenges of driving cross-border and regional collaboration and opportunities to foster sustainable and inclusive ocean governance in the ASEAN region. Further information about the Indo-Pacific Plastic Innovation Network can be found at https://ippin.org/ |
06/03/2024 La Trobe City Campus | Contested Waters: Maritime Security in Southeast Asia – Public Lecture La Trobe University The maritime region is becoming increasingly contested, particularly in Southeast Asia. From tensions rising in the South China Sea, grey zone issues, challenges to international law, and environmental issues such as sea level rise and overfishing, maritime security is important for Indo-Pacific security. This event provided insights into maritime security issues in Australia and Southeast Asia and explored opportunities for collaboration and cooperation. |
| 06/03/2024 | Southeast Asia-Australia Maritime Cooperation Tabletop Exercise Australian Civil-Military Centre (ACMC) ACMC ran a Tabletop Exercise with officials and non-governmental experts on maritime safety to strengthen coordination on maritime issues. The one-day tabletop exercise explored cooperative arrangements for maritime safety and related issues, focused on a theoretical civilian maritime disaster. Further details on the ACMC can be found at https://www.acmc.gov.au/ |
07/03/2024 RMIT
| Diaspora Roundtable: Engaging Australia’s Southeast Asian Business Community RMIT Asia Trade and Innovation Hub, in partnership with Asia Society Australia This roundtable brought together diaspora in Australia from key ASEAN countries to discuss strengthening business links and identify key activities and opportunities to support SMEs in Australia to engage in two-way trade with the region. Further details can be found at ASEAN Diaspora Business Leaders Roundtable | Asia Society |
07/03/2024 Melbourne | Invest ASEAN Melbourne ASEAN Exchanges and Macquarie Group ‘Invest ASEAN Melbourne’ was organised by the ASEAN Exchanges and Macquarie Group in conjunction with the ASEAN-Australia Summit. Event attendees heard firsthand from the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim and the ASEAN Exchange CEOs on investment opportunities in ASEAN and policy updates to attract investments into the region. |
07/03/2024 – 08/03/2024 Melbourne | Australia Award Scholars – Resilient Cities City of Melbourne, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade In collaboration with the City of Melbourne, RMIT and the University of Melbourne, the Australia Awards program showcased local expertise and build connections between practitioners by inviting ASEAN-based Australia Awards scholars, to share experiences of enhancing state and community resilience, disaster preparedness and economic development to tackle a resilient urban future. |
Port of Melbourne Tour Port of Melbourne The Port of Melbourne hosted a guided catamaran tour of the largest port for containerised and general cargo in Australia. This tour provided an overview of the Port of Melbourne precincts and infrastructure for a maximum of 200 people. |