Letts advocates for a stronger Australia

Ambassador Martine Letts shared a vision for a more globally significant Australia during a visit to Huntsman Hall yesterday as part of the 2008 International Relations Speaker Series, "Think Tanks, Civil Society, and Public Policy."

Letts is the former Australian ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay as well as the Australian Deputy Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency. She spoke to a group of 10 for about an hour, primarily focusing on her specialty: nuclear proliferation and disarmament.

She highlighted the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, proposed by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and preparations for the 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. The meeting will focus on issues of enforcement and "getting industry to make a global commitment to work with governments on safety and safe disposal."

As Deputy Director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy, a Sweden-based international policy think thank, she hopes to see the institute's research and advice implemented in the final ICNND treaty.

She would also like to see Australia play a larger role in international affairs, and she supports the country's bid for a permanent U.N. Security Council seat in 2012.

"You're seeing the political and economic center of gravity shifting to Asia, but there tends to be a lot of North Atlantic focus, which does not correspond with where developments are actually happening," she explained.

Letts said that although "the U.S. has a good attitude and understanding of the situation . in a globalized world, it is not acceptable to put all the weight on U.S. shoulders. Other countries must take on some of the responsibilities."

According to program director James McGann, Letts is one of a few leading scholars from around the world who visit the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, a collaborative effort with the International Relations Program at Penn and the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

"The purpose of the visit is threefold: to discuss global trends in public policy and policy research; to have scholars meet with students and faculty to discuss issues of regional or global significance; and to explore the feasibility of placing our students in internships at think tanks around the world," McGann wrote in an e-mail.

In the coming months, the program will host speakers from Lebanon, Israel, China and Brazil, among others.

Letts was the third in the series, which has already included presenters from Mexico and Italy. The International Relations program has successfully coordinated internship programs in both countries.

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