Global Outlook

On 29 September, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a joint press conference to announce a peace plan for Gaza. The plan’s title could well have been “Gaza: Today, Tomorrow and the Day After”.

While the ambition to rule the world, or at least to dictate the rules, has since long been a hallmark of American politics, what is new is the blatant arrogance with which the Trump administration is attempting to enforce this claim to American dominance.

It's no secret: the era of multilateralism is over, and the age of a liberal world order has come to an end. The reasons for this have been apparent since the 2010s, with the rise of China and the confident formation of the BRICS-plus group while the liberal world order is being undermined even more significantly from within: by the former hegemon.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sought to strengthen security ties with Pacific island nations and counter China’s growing influence during a trip to the region this week. If he walks away with one lesson, it’s that Australia’s climate policy remains a significant sticking point.

The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the United States on 10 September 2025 signals a renewed threat to democratic stability in the United States and beyond.

The region’s evolving discussions about a proposed ‘Ocean of Peace’ should not dilute or distract from existing commitments under the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2018 "Boe Declaration on Regional Security".