R2P scholar heads to Cambodia conference
Sponsorship from the British High Commission in Canberra supports recent graduate’s participation in ‘Responsibility to Protect’ conference.
Tom Burn of the British High Commission, Canberra, with essay competition winner Aneta Peretko
Last year the British High Commission in Canberra launched an essay competition to find and sponsor an Australian scholar to attend the ‘Responsibility to Protect at 10 in the Asia-Pacific’ conference taking place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, later this month.
This week, the winner of our competition, Adelaide-based Aneta Peretko, joined us in Canberra for a busy day of discussions focused on the key issues surrounding Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in the Asia Pacific region. As well as meeting with Tom Burn, the British High Commission’s R2P specialist, Aneta was able to exchange ideas directly with experts from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and the Australian National University.
Tom Burn says: “I was impressed by the contributions Aneta made throughout our day of meetings and I am delighted that our sponsorship is going to allow her to take part in this year’s conference. The UK supports the development of the principle of R2P in the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere. Through Aneta’s participation, we aim to get a better idea of how the concept of R2P relates to our own work in preventing sexual violence in conflict, both in the Asia Pacific region and across the globe.”
Aneta will be reporting on her experiences at the conference in Phnom Penh so keep an eye on our @UKinAustralia Twitter for updates on her progress.
Notes
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The sponsorship covers travel, accommodation and living costs for both the pre-conference trip to Canberra and the conference itself.
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The ‘Responsibility to Protect at 10 in the Asia-Pacific’ conference will include a session looking at the prevention of sexual violence in conflict. This issue continues to be a priority for the UK government, as demonstrated by the Global Summit on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict which took place in London in June last year and the recent opening of the Women, Peace and Security Centre at the London School of Economics which was supported by UK government funding.