Australia, international organisations and foreign policy

The chapter notes that Australian governments had several decades of experience of working within international organisations before they gained membership of the OECD. It argues that much of the hope placed in the UN and its specialised agencies was not realised as the Cold War developed, leading to the renewed growth of regional organisations. Australia was not a member of any of those established in the North Atlantic and Western European areas, so Australian decision makers were relatively isolated from important discussions held within their boundaries. This isolation was exacerbated by the decline in the value of the Commonwealth, Australian perceptions that British governments were not taking their interests sufficiently into consideration and, perhaps most importantly, by the feeling of betrayal that accompanied the first British application for membership of the EEC. It was in this context that Australian officials began to consider and promote the value of OECD membership. Key words: international organisations; regional; isolation; EEC