October 2, 2026, 9:04 am
Gary Quinlan was Australian Ambassador to the United Nations in New York 2009-2014. He was Australia’s Representative on the Security Council during our last term 2013-14 and President of the Council twice during that term. He was Deputy Secretary DFAT and Australia’s Senior Official to ASEAN and the East Asia Summit. He was Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security; Ambassador to Indonesia; and High Commissioner to Singapore. He had earlier diplomatic postings to UN New York and to UNESCO Paris. He has wide multilateral negotiating experience on law of the sea and on Antarctic matters. He was lead negotiator with Timor-Leste on the historic 2018 Maritime Boundary Treaty. He has been National President of the AIIA since May this year.
Event Description: The United Nations Security Council sits at the centre of the international system for maintaining peace and security. But in an increasingly divided world, how effective and relevant is it today? This discussion will examine what the Security Council is, what powers it has, and what it can realistically achieve amid renewed great-power rivalry and institutional gridlock.
It will also look at Australia’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the Council for the 2029–30 term. Why is Australia seeking election? What influence can a two-year term actually provide? And, if elected, what should Australia seek to accomplish? The conversation will consider both the opportunities and limitations of Security Council membership, and the priorities that could make an Australian term meaningful.
Image: Getty Images.
Content Creator – Australian Institute of International Affairs
