First Nations traditions and strong sporting rivalries are being used by Australia in the Pacific as it works to respond and adapt to evolving security threats.
These threats included a permanent geopolitical contest in the region and the intensification of impacts from climate change, Foreign Affairs Department Pacific head Elizabeth Peak said.
A tussle for influence between China and the United States and allies like Australia is playing out in the Indo-Pacific as powers work to court smaller, developing island nations desperate for finance and infrastructure.
"We have sought to meet that challenge by employing all our tools of statecraft," Ms Peak said.
Australia's advantages include its proximity to island nations, First Nations connections to the region, provision of education and migration access, and sporting connections that "really generate enormous goodwill", she said.
"Our church partnerships and democratic values are ones that also show an understanding throughout the community," Ms Peak added, amid concerns of opaque Chinese influence and security agreements throughout the Pacific.
Several Pacific ministers attended the Garma festival, Australia's biggest Indigenous event, with traditional culture playing a large part in heritage and identity.
"They were moved by being invited to the heart of a political and cultural conversation in Australia, including understanding better our journey of reconciliation," Ms Peak said.
Officials have raised concerns about a United Nations fund seeking to aid developing countries affected by climate change impacts, after being pushed on why a contribution had not been made.
Rising sea levels present an existential threat to Pacific island nations.
Australia supported a "loss and damage fund" but did not want it to repeat the same mistakes of other multilateral climate funds such as difficulty accessing money, the nation's Ambassador for Climate Change Kristin Tilley said.
The fund needs to prioritise vulnerable countries, particularly in the Pacific, and Australia would consult with island nations in the region to determine what worked best for them, she said.
"We have a strong focus on making sure its implementation works for the Pacific, and we'll take that all into consideration about a possible Australian contribution," she said.
The fund had not begun distributing finance and Australia was watching it closely to determine whether it was the best place to invest, Ms Tilley said.
There had been improvements in regional representation, with East Timor and Fiji on the fund's board, she noted.
"I feel a lot more confident that the needs of the Pacific, particularly around access to global funds, is being understood," she said.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia was using other climate funds to help island nations access finance, including the Pacific resilience facility which the federal government had put $100 million behind as it was Pacific-owned and led.
