 Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, can I firstly start in saying a few words to close this afternoon by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we gather, the land at which you've gathered over the last few days, the nun while people, and pay my respects to their elders past and present. Can also thank the organisers of the International Counter IED Leaders Forum, including staff from Interpol, for putting in much of the groundwork in developing this forum, as well as the Australian Defence Force and the AFP officers for their contribution to developing this program, in particular the efforts of the Counter IED Task Force and my own staff who have been heavily involved in the organisation of the last few days. Of course, without your efforts, this would not be a success and I thank you very much. I'd also like to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to all of the participants, all of you sitting out there in front of me now, especially the presenters, our special guests, including various heads of agencies, senior military, senior police, and of course our Interpol Secretary-General, Mr Jürgen Stock, welcome again to Australia. We've been privileged over the last few days to have a number of Australian ministers and their representatives also attend this forum and I'd like to particularly thank them for having made the time and to make this event a priority in their schedules, which we all know are very busy. I did have the chance to catch up with many of you, or some of you certainly at last night's dinner, and I've been very encouraged by the positive reaction that I've seen and the constructive developments that have occurred over the last few days. In fact, some of what was said last night has already been repeated here this afternoon. And while we talk about last night, let's reflect on what a lovely dinner it was and what a wonderful venue the Australian War Memorial is for an event such as that. I must say I personally never tire from the opportunity to visit the War Memorial, to reflect upon the messages and to visit the halls that it has. It was also not lost on me last night that it marked 100 years to the day since Australian Lieutenant William Dartnell sacrificed his life for the lives of his colleagues in 1915. An act of valor that as you now know would posthumously see him awarded Australia's highest military honour, Victoria Cross. So with the messages from last night in mind, it is encouraging that we're able to come together here in such great numbers I must say to discuss the impact of improvised explosive devices and to develop tangible objectives and outcomes for all of us to work towards. Your attendance at this initial forum demonstrates recognition of the risks posed by IEDs, especially when they are linked with the growing threat we're all facing from terrorism. But what encourages me the most is the bonds that I can see that have formed between the military and the police particularly this week. IEDs have always been a threat but in many people's minds they have been a threat that was evident in foreign conflicts mostly and therefore a challenge for the military, not necessarily a threat in the domestic context requiring a police response. This of course as we all know is untrue but unfortunately it has shaped much of our thinking. From an Australian perspective the fact that our citizens are participating in offshore conflicts is not a new phenomena for us. Outside of the present conflict in Syria and Iraq in recent times Australians have travelled far abroad to fight in such places as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Bosnia, Somalia, Yemen and elsewhere across the globe. In fact between 1990 and 2010 we estimate about 30 Australians are thought to have travelled overseas to participate in training camps or foreign conflicts. Of those that have returned, eight have been subsequently charged and convicted with terrorism related matters. So while the world's focus at the moment however is firmly upon events in Syria and Iraq and in particular the alarming and worrying trend that is the foreign fighter challenge. The scale of the threat posed by those returning from Syria and Iraq is unclear. Many foreign fighters who travel abroad may well stay there, invested in the conflicts that they are part of. Others of course will become disillusioned and return home. But as the number of international foreign fighters increases so does the talent pool available to those who have interests in planning attacks further afield. Now the extent to which foreign fighters are seen as a resource to use in attacking the west or other countries will play a major role in shaping that threat. We all know that IEDs have been a feature of conflicts and terrorist threats around the globe for some time. None of us and I think what's been cleared for the last few days are immune from that reach. And while the term IED may date back only to the 1970s improvised mortars could date their origins as far back as the 16th century. This is a phenomenon the world has had much experience with but starkingly, starkingly insignificant success in defeating. Last night's address by Mr. Ashley Eakins was both powerful and emotive. His reflection on the Vietnam War and the role of minefields and other forms of IED type devices played in that conflict left none of us in any doubt about their impact and their destructive nature. One in five Australian deaths, he told us, were as a result of the very effective deployment of those mortars and IEDs, of those mines and IEDs. So as leaders in our respective organisations, as leaders in our respective fields, as leaders in our governments and our communities, there was no other there was another powerful message from Ashley's address to us. He reminded us that misjudgments cost lives. In the Vietnam War case, he told us it was inability of our military leaders at the time to see the value in the use of explosive detected dogs that had they been properly deployed, may well have saved Australian soldiers lives. Now, of course, military and police leaders the world over have to make judgments each and every day. And of course, we know that lives depend upon the judgments that we make. The lesson, however, that I take from last night's address is that it is incumbent upon us, it is incumbent upon me, it is incumbent upon all of us as leaders to reduce the potential threat that our judgments are flawed or incorrect, because lives depend upon it. So that's why this week has been so important. Until now, intelligence gathered by field officers in response to IED attacks, in particular, IED attacks and conflict zones around the world have not always been available to law enforcement agencies. At the same time, law enforcement agencies have not always been able to share our intelligence with our partners in the military and elsewhere. Sharing this intelligence has at best been inconsistent and sporadic. This, of course, affects our judgments. Hopefully we've taken the first and most important step to address those judgments this week. This week, we've shared experiences, built partnerships, developed ideas that will all help to quell the impact IEDs are having around the world. The forum has recognised a significant threat IEDs represent in terms of experienced foreign fighters returning home with highly developed capabilities and dangerous intentions. The work done over the last two and a half days to develop a global strategy to counter IEDs will be invaluable to us all in addressing this aspect of the current terrorist threat. Closer engagement between intelligence, law enforcement, defence agencies, the private sector, supported, of course, by people in this room from the international agencies they represent is critical to ensuring that we can identify types of IEDs, that we can control access to the material that is used to construct IEDs, that we can limit access to information about IEDs and that we can identify and arrest IED manufacturers. All of that leading to a safer environment for all of our communities. We should view this and subsequent forums as opportunities to consolidate and build upon our collective knowledge and our capabilities to counter the growing nexus between IEDs and terrorism. I understand, and I've heard just now, that there are plans to develop working groups on a variety of topics with the aim of developing a global strategy to combat this threat. This, of course, is an admirable ambition. But to make it a reality, we need commitment. Positive steps that will ensure these plans are made meaningful and operational. I'm sure that the work of the counter IED task force, Interpol, our other partners in the room, other international organisations will be critical to the success and they will all work hard to build on the momentum that has been developed over the past few days and the goodwill created here this week. That is the challenge to us all, to build on the momentum that we have created. So before we part ways this afternoon, can I say on behalf of the Australian Federal Police and if I may, on behalf of my colleagues in the Australian Defence Force and I'm sure Interpol as well. Thank you for your attendance over the past week, but more importantly, your ongoing contributions that will start today. All up, this will help us achieve a greater understanding of IEDs, it will help us develop intelligence around their design, their use and their effect and it will help us engage in positive discussions to reduce and eradicate the terror associated around the world with IEDs. Your efforts are appreciated. Of course, one final word. If you are fortunate enough to be staying in Canberra or Australia over the coming days, please enjoy the wonderful weather we are putting on today. If not, and you have to travel back to your home, I wish you safe travels. I hope that we all do get back together in 12 months time and I hope that the last two and a half days have been everything that you had hoped that they would be. Thank you very much.