Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived in the United States for a week-long visit that will see him formally launch Australia's campaign for a seat on the United Nations Security Council, while calling on the world's major powers to agree on binding international rules for artificial intelligence before the technology outpaces humanity's ability to control it.
Albanese touched down in San Jose, California, on Saturday morning Australian time, greeted by Australian Ambassador to the US Greg Moriarty. From there, he will travel to New York, where Australia's Security Council bid will be officially unveiled — with the Albanese government positioning the country as a principled middle power capable of helping to shape global responses to AI, armed conflict and mounting geopolitical tensions.
A Middle Power's Case for the Security Council
Australia is seeking one of ten non-permanent seats on the 15-member UN Security Council, targeting a two-year term covering 2029 and 2030. A vote will not be held until June 2028, but lobbying efforts are already under way. The campaign is built around the slogan "We listen. We partner. We protect." and features a kangaroo in its logo and promotional materials.
So far, Australia and Finland are the only nations to have nominated for the two available seats from the Western Europe and Others Group. Despite being uncontested, both countries still need to secure two-thirds of UN members present and voting in a secret ballot — a threshold that, if all 193 member states participate, would require at least 128 votes.
Albanese has argued that a Security Council seat would give Australia meaningful influence over major conflicts, including those in Ukraine and the Middle East, while elevating issues such as AI governance, climate security, ocean protection and international law on the global agenda.
"The hopes of Australians are the hopes of people everywhere — to live in peace and to build a better future," the prime minister said. "Australia played a pivotal role in the founding of the United Nations — because we have always understood how important it is for small and mid-sized nations to have their voices heard on the challenges facing our world."
Australia will point to its track record on the council, having served five previous terms including holding the first Security Council presidency in 1946, and a more recent stint in 2013–14 during which it pushed for accountability following the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, humanitarian access, and international peacebuilding. A campaign brochure also highlights that more than 65,000 Australian personnel have served in more than 60 UN and multilateral peace and security operations since 1947.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said Australia had a practical role to play as an "active and ambitious middle power".
Albanese Calls for an AI Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Security Council campaign is running alongside a broader push on artificial intelligence that Albanese has taken to the highest levels of international diplomacy. Speaking ahead of the New York visit, he urged Washington and Beijing to work together toward a global agreement on AI — one he compared in ambition to nuclear non-proliferation treaties — to ensure humans "remain in control" of the technology.
"The truth is, they're the big two giants here," Albanese said, referring to the United States and China. "We want to see co-operation. We've seen that in the past with new technologies, even on nuclear weapons, for example. I think middle powers, such as Australia, have a role to play here as well."
His remarks came as US President Donald Trump doubled down on Washington's ambitions for AI supremacy, announcing an "AI force" and declaring the United States must maintain its lead over China. "We are leading China, and the rest of the World, and I intend to keep it that way!" Trump posted on social media, adding he would not "hinder or stifle" growth in the industry.
Albanese said he hoped for progress on the issue when Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House. "We need to make sure we shape its use in the interests of humanity, rather than allow it to shape us," he said. "This is something that goes beyond national boundaries and that's why it requires discussion at the multilateral level."
Apple Meeting, Online Safety and Awards on the Agenda
Before heading to New York, Albanese met with Apple's Tim Cook at the tech giant's California headquarters to discuss digital safety — particularly protections for children online. The meeting followed an invitation Cook extended after a conversation with the prime minister in June about Australia's world-first social media ban for users under 16. Apple has said its parental control measures were partly inspired by that ban, and Albanese received demonstrations of how those protections are implemented on Apple devices.
Online safety will continue to feature during the UN visit, with Australia planning to promote efforts to compel tech companies to remove harmful content through a digital duty of care, as well as measures giving social media users the ability to opt out of algorithmic content feeds. National standards requiring AI companies to be powered by renewable energy and obligating data centres to underwrite new power supply are also expected to feature prominently in Australia's addresses at the forum.
Albanese noted that countries around the world were grappling with rapidly expanding AI technology. "Other nations are reaching out, looking at the work that Australia has done," he said of the country's online safety record.
On the sidelines of the UN, the prime minister will also receive an Atlantic Council Global Citizen Award in recognition of his role in promoting security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. He will be recognised alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali and actress Cynthia Erivo.
The trip reflects the broader pattern of Albanese's diplomatic engagement across the region and beyond, as Australia seeks to cement its role as a constructive and influential voice in global affairs.
