ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the prominent role of Australians in developing and advocating RtoP—notably the norm entrepreneurial role played by Gareth Evans but also the roles of Alexander Downer and former Permanent Representative to the UN, John Dauth. It sets out the Australian government’s commitment to RtoP and briefly discusses the sources of that commitment. The chapter explores the use of national focal points as a first step towards implementing RtoP into foreign policy. It reflects on how Australia interprets and is implementing its own focal point strategy. The chapter explains and evaluates this approach and argues for the establishment of a ‘task force’ to examine the adoption of a more comprehensive strategy for implementing RtoP. It identifies two particularly important contributions that prominent Australians have made. First, former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans formulated the RtoP principle itself. Second, Evans and Australia’s permanent mission to the UN played an important norm entrepreneurship role.
