Australia-ASEAN Youth Summit

I begin by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet.

I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here with us today.

Welcome to Parliament House today, and a special welcome to the young leaders joining us from across Southeast Asia.

I'm particularly excited to be addressing this Summit, and you as a group, because we all live in one of the most dynamic regions of the world.

Southeast Asia is the fastest growing region in the world.

It is projected to become the world's fourth largest economy, as a block, by 2040.

But the dynamism of Southeast Asia isn't just economic – it's demographic.

Our region is also one of the youngest regions in the world.

Sixty per cent of the world's population aged between 15-35 currently live in ASEAN – that's 213 million people.

That's the majority of the world's young adults – 6 in every 10 – living in our region.

And I promise you, 35 is still young.

Fifty-five per cent of Southeast Asia's 687 million population is under the age of 35.

In Indonesia alone, 110 million people – or 40 per cent of the population – are aged under 24.

Your generation will play a key role in determining how major dynamics of change – like climate change, technological innovation and disruption, geostrategic competition – will unfold in the region.

What happens in our region, and perhaps the world more broadly, in the future, will be in your hands.

I was reflecting on this while watching the recent Paris Olympics.

The Paris Olympics proved that many young people in our region are already world beaters – that you're already capable of performing and succeeding on the biggest of stages.

Just two weeks ago, Australia's Arisa Trew became the youngest Australian ever to win a gold medal at the Olympics.

She was just 14 years and 86 days old when she won the Skateboarding Women's Park event.

Meanwhile Thailand's Vareeraya Sukasem became the first skateboarder of Team Thailand to make the Olympics at only 12 years old.

The Philippines' Carlos Yulo, 24, won gold medals in both the gymnastics floor exercise and vault events at the Paris Olympics.

Thailand's Panipak Wongpattanakit became a two-time Olympic champion by again winning the women's 49kg Taekwondo event in Paris after winning it in Tokyo – she's only 27.

And Indonesia's Veddriq Leonardo, also 27, won the first Olympic gold in men's speed climbing – climbing a 15m inclined wall in just 4.75 seconds to win.

These examples show that young people are ready to contribute.

That you are already capable of achieving remarkable things.

So I say to you.

Don't take what you see in the world as a given.

Don't accept the status quo if you believe in change for the better.

Don't just observe the world – shape it.

What you are doing here today is important.

You have a key role to play in deciding what happens on climate change, technology, jobs, education, and on preventing conflict coming to our region.

These are challenges that cannot be solved without cooperation across national borders – between people, between businesses, between NGOs and between governments.

The Australian Government is seeking to work with our Southeast Asian partners to shape our region for the better.

Australia wants a region that is peaceful, prosperous and secure.

A region that operates according to agreed rules, norms and international law, where sovereignty is respected and where individual countries are free to make their own choices.

A region where no country dominates, and no country is dominated.

How are we seeking to achieve these objectives?

We're using all the tools of statecraft – diplomatic, defence and economic.

But in the Albanese Government we say that our foreign policy begins with who we are, it begins with our identity.

So who are we?

More than half of Australians were born overseas, or have a parent born overseas.

Over a million of us have Southeast Asian ancestry.

Over 827,000 of us say we speak a Southeast Asian language at home.

This diversity connects Australia with every part of the world – but especially Southeast Asia.

Anyone from anywhere in the world can look to Australia, and see part of themselves reflected.

And similarly, Australia can look within ourselves as Australians and find a point of connection, a source of understanding, with anyone, anywhere in the world.

Nowhere is this connection more strong than among the young people of the world and our region.

And importantly, this aspect of Australia's national identity is on the younger side.

The median age of migrant arrivals to Australia in 2021-22 was 27, substantially lower than the nationwide median of 38.5.

These connections between Australia and our Southeast Asian neighbours – and in particular, between our young people, between you – are so important.

They will form the foundation that will enable our countries to deal with the challenges of today and of the future.

Global challenges that will require our future leaders to think, work and act globally to find solutions.

Building young Australians' understanding of our region, and building connections to the young people of the region matters.

That's why when I was a young person I participated in youth dialogues just like this – I was a participant in the Asia Society's Asia21 Young Leaders Summit in the Philippines, and have participated in forums like the Australia-China Youth Dialogue, the Australia-India Youth Dialogue and the Conference of Australian and Indonesian Youth.

That's why today is about you.

Get to know one another.

Foster mutual understanding.

Appreciate that each of you brings something different to the conversation and learn from each other.

These lessons and connections will be vital as you go on in life and in whatever professions you choose.

I'm really glad that we are able to bring you together today.

And thank you all for investing your time in this worthwhile program.

The end of the Australia-ASEAN Youth Summit is not an ending, but a start of your international journey.

Whether your next step is to study overseas…

… or to work in a field that involves dealing with people around the world.

Each and every one of you is now a part of the ASEAN-Australia partnership…

… now and into the future.

I wish you all the best.