Global Heads of Mission Meeting

Australian ambassadors will meet for a Global Heads of Mission Meeting from 28–30 March in Canberra, state and territory capitals, and rural and regional Australia.

It will bring together for the first time our ambassadors, high commissioners and consuls-general to discuss foreign, trade and development policy objectives and the global environment in which we are seeking to achieve them.

They will make a direct contribution to the formulation of the Foreign Policy White Paper that will define how we maximise our engagement with, and influence in, the world to advance our national interests.

• More details: Global Heads of Mission Meeting facts
• Speech: Foreign Minister Julie Bishop addresses the Global Heads of Mission Meeting, 28 March 2017
• Secretary Frances Adamson's opening statement at Additional Budget Estimates, 2 March 2017

A message from Frances Adamson, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Reflections from Australia's Ambassadors

• Blog: Is it hard being an Ambassador?, by Harinder Sidhu, Australia's High Commissioner to India
• Blog: Shaping engagement beyond borders, by Arthur Spyrou, Australia's Ambassador to United Arab Emirates
• Blog: Towards an International Indigenous Design Charter
  , by Damien Miller, Australian Ambassador to Denmark, Norway and Iceland
• Blog: 'Unknowns' confronting Australia: Harder than anything I remember
  , by Margaret Twomey, Australia's High Commissioner to Fiji
• Blog: Australia's Ambassadors: Grappling with changing realities, by Amanda Gorely, Australia's Ambassador to the Philippines
• Blog: A Day in the Life of Australia's Consul-General in Chengdu, by Christopher Lim, Australia's Consul-General to Chengdu, China
• Blog: The Australian Ambassadors' Meeting: helping Australia chart a better way forward, by Richard Mathews, Australian Consul-General in Makassar, Indonesia
• Blog: The walk of a High Commissioner, by Andrew Ford, Australia's High Commissioner to Tonga
• Blog: A Day in the Life of Australia's Ambassador to Afghanistan, by Richard Feakes, Australia's Ambassador to Afghanistan
• Social media stream: Australian Ambassadors social media posts
• Complete list of all of Australia's Ambassadors and other representatives

Outreach

Ambassadors will participate in discussions in Canberra involving ministers and outside stakeholders on our responses to challenges in foreign policy; trade, investment and economic diplomacy; innovation; security; counter-terrorism; and global development.

After the Canberra component, they will travel to state and territory capitals, and regional and rural Australia, to meet business and community groups, explain how the work we do overseas delivers benefits to all Australians and seek feedback on how DFAT can better serve the community.

Our people are visiting places like Karratha (WA), Naracoorte (SA), Devonport (TAS), Mildura (VIC), Wagga (NSW) and Mackay (QLD).