Peace, Conflict Response and Veterans

The Australian Greens are committed to building a peaceful and just world, seeking nonviolent means for resolving conflict when it arises. Where violence and militarism does arise, we are committed to using the resources Australia has to minimise and reduce the incidences of armed conflict and violence. We must also ensure that current and former defence and military personnel are treated fairly, appropriately and with the respect they are due.

Principles

The Australian Greens believe that:

Peace

1. War is immensely destructive of human lives and the natural world. 
2. Every effort should always be made to minimise the risk of war and to build a world where war is impossible.
3. International relations policy should prioritise collaborative action to address the climate crisis and environmental degradation which are pre-eminent causes of conflict.
4. Non-military conflict resolution is the most effective way of building and promoting peace. 
5. Global cooperation facilitated by peaceful nonviolent conflict resolution is essential to ensuring human and environmental wellbeing. 
6. Deliberately restricting any nations or group's access to critical resources, such as food and water, is a hostile act.
7. The glorification and normalisation of armed conflict discounts the significant loss of life and the human and environmental devastation that is the reality of war.
8. The use and promotion of violence against civilians or elected governments or representatives, whether perpetrated by a state, an organisation or individuals, should be rejected as a means to achieve political ends.
9. Lasting solutions to conflicts, either between or within nations, depend on delivering social, environmental and economic justice to the peoples involved, and on ensuring they can exercise their civil and political rights.
10. Sexual violence committed during and in connection with an armed conflict must be treated as a war crime.
11. Australia must act constructively within UN-supported operations and also use humanitarian or non-military measures to prevent and oppose acts of genocide and violations of international human rights law and to bring perpetrators before the International Criminal Court. 
12. Australia should support non-violent movements striving for peace in countries which are subject to conflict.
13. The struggle of peoples for independence and liberation from colonial domination, apartheid and foreign occupation must be supported in accordance with UN resolutions and international law.
14. The development of regional non-aggression and disarmament pacts to replace the ANZUS treaty and the AUKUS agreement to end military escalation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Disarmament

15. All nuclear weapons, and the policy of “nuclear deterrence” which perpetuates their existence, must be abolished. 
16. Investment in social development and environmental sustainability necessary to support global cooperation and non-military resolution of conflicts must take priority over offensive military capabilities.
17. No nuclear armed or powered forces, or equipment able to be modified into nuclear arms, should be deployed within Australia’s territories and maritime boundaries.
18. Lethal autonomous weapons are a serious threat to global peace.
19. Conscription has no place in a democratic society.
20. The deployment of Australian Defence Forces (ADF) must only be for defence of Australia, emergency relief and international peace-keeping operations.
21. Any deployment of Australian military forces in international conflicts, including for UN-sanctioned interventions, must require the approval of both houses of Australian federal parliament.
22. Australia’s defences require an ability to respond to natural disasters if requested by civil authorities in times of serious emergency.
23. Military bases on Australian territory must be under Australia’s control, and all military activities must be accountable to the civilian authorities and the Australian parliament.
24. Joint defence facilities and the presence of foreign troops puts Australia at unnecessary risk of attack and prevents us from building cooperative peace-based relationships with our regional friends and neighbours.
25. The operation of joint defence facilities (such as Pine Gap) makes Australia complicit in the United States' offensive military strategies and operations.
26. Continued militarisation of the digital space undermines peace and democracy.
27. The militarisation of space undermines peace and should be opposed.

Veterans

28. Veterans and their families face unique financial, employment and health challenges which require supportive policy responses.
29. Veterans and their families have historically been subjected to systemic injustices caused by failures of government administered Veterans support systems. These systems require significant change to ensure Veterans and their families receive the support they need to live a good life.
30. First Nations Veterans have historically been subjected to discrimination and have had their contribution to Australia’s war history erased.
31. Involvement in military actions has broad and long-lasting consequences, including economic and social costs to those directly involved, their families and the broader community.

Aims

The Australian Greens want:

Peace

1. Full implementation of Australia’s obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and other UN resolutions on Women, Peace and Security, and the Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.
2. Peace can only be achieved with a community-led approach to conflict prevention, peacemaking, and post-conflict resolution that includes civil society organisations such as ethnic or women's groups. This approach must not be undermined by interference from corporate or imperialist powers.
3. Support for giving young people a voice at every level of governance, through educating, encouraging and assisting youth participation.
4. To use our bilateral relationships and multilateral forums to ensure that all nations act to prevent acts of genocide and/or violations of human rights and avoid the hypocrisy of Australia engaging in these acts itself.
5. The Australian Government and parliament to be briefed and consider non-military responses to overseas conflicts, including humanitarian, diplomatic and economic approaches. Such briefs should be provided by government and non-government groups with relevant expertise, and formal processes should be established to facilitate this. 
6. For civil society to inform the Cabinet of the impacts of Australia’s response to conflict on the ground, and for the parliament to be briefed.
7. The Australian government to fund community-led reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of armed conflicts overseas.
8. All civilians and military war criminals to face accountability for their crimes through a judicial process which accords with international human rights obligations.
9. Perpetrators of the war crime of sexual violence must be held accountable and prosecuted along with their protectors, breaking the cycle of impunity.
10. To ensure that trade embargoes and other economic sanctions are used as part of a strategy of conflict resolution, and have minimal harm to civilians.
11. To reinvigorate peace and conflict studies in Australian schools, universities and national institutions.
12. The active promotion of peace and non-violence through education.

Disarmament

13. Australia to sign and ratify the Treaty on the prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
14. An explicit rejection of the doctrine of 'nuclear deterrence' in Australia’s domestic and international relations policy.
15. Decisions on defence procurement to be based solely on Australia's territorial defence needs.
16. The elimination of weapons of mass destruction, including biological, chemical, radiological, and nuclear weapons.
17. To seek international support for peoples living under military rule or foreign occupation to realise their right to self-determination.
18. Australia to prosecute and assist in prosecution of war crimes, including those perpetrated by Australian citizens.
19. A high-level international peace conference, under UN auspices, to reach consensus on a comprehensive global disarmament strategy.
20. To ensure that the Australian Defence forces are ready and available to assist civilian-led climate and disaster responses if needed. 
21. An Australian Defence Force that is equipped, trained, and resourced to meet Australia’s peacekeeping commitments and self defence needs.
22. Ensure parliamentary oversight of all peacekeeping missions undertaken by the Australian Defence Force.
23. A legislated requirement for military neutrality in international conflicts in the absence of parliamentary approvals..
24. The Government to prioritise peaceful and non-military actions in determining Australia’s response to an international conflict.
25. The Australian Defence Force to have an inclusive and non-discriminatory culture, and to be subject to an independent and transparent military justice system.
26. The Australian Defence Force and other public security agencies to adopt a zero tolerance approach to all forms of abuse, degradation and exploitation within their organisations.
27. Undertake a independently-monitored reform process to ensure accountability of perpetrators of all forms of abuse, within the Australian Defence Force and other public security agencies, including justice and compensation for victim-survivors.
28. An Australian Defence Force where personnel have the right to conscientiously object to taking part in actions they believe to be illegal.
29. To ensure that Australian Defence Force personnel are not used in strikebreaking or policing activities which go beyond their remit.
30. An international ban on the manufacture and use of arms that indiscriminately kill, maim or cause long-lasting pollution including but not limited to landmines, cluster bombs and depleted uranium and; an immediate end to Australian Defence Force participation in any joint training or military operations with other military forces, where those forces are utilising such weapons.
31. An international ban on the development of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems.
32. No Australian participation in United States missile defence programs and a global ban on the militarisation of space.
33. To ensure that regional defence agreements support an independent and peaceful role for Australia in the region and are consistent with our international and human rights obligations.
34. The closure of all existing foreign bases and joint defence facilities on Australian territory and an end to foreign troop deployment, training and hosting on Australian territory.
35. The demilitarisation of border and coastal policing.
36. An end to training and joint exercises by the Australian Defence Forces with armed forces known to have committed human rights abuses.
37. Australian military training overseas to be based on international humanitarian and human rights law, to promote a democratically-controlled minimal security sector, focussed on sustainability and democracy issues.
38. Regular, comprehensive and transparent accounting of the costs, including social, health and environmental costs, associated with all Australian Defence Force military action and defence equipment acquisition.
39. An end to Australia’s participation in the development and production of military systems for the international arms trade.
40. An end to Australian government subsidies for the sale of weaponry or components, and a prohibition on arms fairs and on the promotion of weaponry in public places.
41. To raise the minimum age for recruitment to 18 years and end recruitment programs targeting school leavers and school-aged young people into the Australian Defence Force.
42. To end proactive public recruitment advertising campaigns by the Australian Defence Force.
43. The extension of the UN Register of Arms Transfers to include production and stocks and the establishment of an independent inspectorate associated with the Register to ensure transparency.
44. The United Nations and associated agencies to strengthen the push for strong limits on the manufacture and trading of armaments of all kinds.
45. Defence procurements that do not restrict the operations of the Australian Defence Forces by increased reliance on any one country.
46. Democratic cross-party parliamentary oversight of the Australian military, Australian military engagements and Australian military exports.
47. A ban on issuing Defence Export Licences, particularly to nations where evidence exists of significant breaches of international human rights law or international humanitarian law.

Veterans

48. To ensure that our care systems for veterans and their families are fully resourced so they are comprehensive, respectful, accessible, transparent, and accountable; and that they support both the mental and physical wellbeing of veterans and their families.
49. Recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide to be implemented [in full].
50. Veterans to be treated with respect and fairness when making claims for support through government systems, and all claims processed in a timely manner.
51. Veterans who have experienced trauma, including those abused within the defence forces, to be provided ongoing support to pursue justice, accountability and compensation through an independent process.

(Peace, Conflict Response, and Veterans Policy as amended by National Conference June 2024)