The Commonwealth: Australia’s traditional 'window' into Africa

Abstract

The Commonwealth’s importance for Australia’s overall foreign policy is often seen as relatively negligible, but its importance historically for Australia’s foreign policy engagement with African states should be seen as quite central. Since the 1960s, the Commonwealth forum has provided Australia with the most extensive multilateral (and to an extent bilateral) opportunity to engage with African states and issues, and as such should be recognised as Australia’s traditional ‘window’ into African affairs. This article for the first time brings together a discussion of all of the major episodes of Australia’s foreign policy engagement with African states taking place within the Commonwealth forum and argues that, at least until the late 2000s, the Commonwealth was indeed the main vehicle for Australia’s most prominent foreign policy engagement with African issues.