Australia's Global Roles and Responsibilities

Flashcards covering Australia's involvement in international peacekeeping, specifically focusing on UN operations and the East Timor crisis.

Australia’s global responsibilities

The provision of foreign aid, peacekeeping, and participation in international organizations such as the United Nations.

U.N. Peacekeepers

Personnel tasked to develop and maintain peaceful interactions between social, ethnic, or political groups, primarily using non-violent methods.

Military force (UN Peacekeeping)

Allowed only in self-defense or if the essential goal of the mission is under threat.

Peacekeeping missions

Operations that enforce ceasefires and/or conduct democratic elections.

Blue Berets

A distinctive name for UN peacekeepers based on their blue hats and helmets.

65,000

The number of personnel Australia has sent to various UN peacekeeping missions since 1948.

Composition of Australian peacekeepers

Includes doctors, engineers, diplomats, and military servicemen and women.

East Timor

A small country located to Australia’s north-west, settled by the Dutch and colonized by the Portuguese.

1975

The year East Timor declared independence and was subsequently invaded by Indonesia.

Impact of Indonesian rule

An estimated $100,000-180,000$ soldiers and civilians were killed or starved to death.

Suharto

The Indonesian dictator who ordered the 1975 invasion of East Timor and was ousted in 1998.

INTERFET

The International Force East Timor; a multinational peacemaking taskforce organized and led by Australia from 1999-2000.

1st U.N. mission (East Timor)

A program that successfully organized and conducted a referendum which resulted in East Timorese independence.

2nd U.N. mission (East Timor)

A program launched to help develop more effective military and law-enforcement strategies.