Canada (82%), Germany (78%) Viewed as Having Most Positive Impact on World Affairs in Coming Decade, With Israel (33%), Iran (25%) Least

November 26, 2012: Eight in ten global citizens assess Canada (82%) and Germany (78%) as having the potential of having the most positive impact on world affairs in the next decade when compared to other countries, institutions or NGO’s on the world stage.

More Australians than the global average believe their own country has a positive influence on global affairs, while fewer Australians than their global counterparts believe the United Nations has a positive influence.

These are among the findings of a new poll conducted by global research company Ipsos for the Halifax International Security Forum. Included in the list of 14 specific world players evaluated by citizens for the first time were Israel (33%) and Iran (25%) who ranked at the bottom in terms of likely positive influence.

Specific findings about Australia are as follows:

• 86% of Australian participants reported that their country has a positive influence on world affairs, compared to 72% globally
• 69% of Australians reported that the United Nations has a positive influence on world affairs, compared to 75% globally.
• 71% of Australians agreed that Australia should help the growth of democracy in the world, below the global average of 77%.
• 69% agreed that Australia should assist countries that have less developed economies, above the global average of 65%.
• 75% agreed that ‘Given the difficult economic issues in my country today, my country needs to focus less on the world, and more at home’, below the global average of 79%.
• 77% agreed that Australia ‘has a responsibility to be a moral leader in the world and set an example for other countries to follow’, the same as the global average.

Mark Davis, Managing Director, Ipsos Public Affairs, said: “When Australia won a seat on the United Nations Security Council in October 2012, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said that the win was evidence that Australia was considered a ‘good global citizen’.

“The findings of this poll, taken less than a month after the decision, clearly reflect that this sentiment is shared by Australians who rate their own country higher on positive influence on world affairs than they rate the other world players presented.”

Established in 2009, the Halifax International Security Forum is an independent, nonpartisan, non-profit organisation based in Washington, D.C. Halifax is a forum and a network for leaders from militaries, governments, business, academia, and the media to work together to meet emerging security threats and discuss pressing global issues.

Halifax is important to the global security community because it promotes closer cooperation among democratic leaders and helps build partnerships across borders and sectors, creating strategies to strengthen international security. The fourth-annual Halifax International Security Forum took place from November 16-18, 2012 in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada.

Ends

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Global @dvisor poll conducted between September 4th and September 18th, 2012. The survey instrument is conducted monthly in 24 countries via the Ipsos Online Panel system. The countries reporting herein are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States of America. An international sample of 17,172 adults aged 18-64 in the US and Canada, and age 16-64 in all other countries, were interviewed. Approximately 1000+ individuals participated on a country by country basis with the exception of Argentina, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Russia and Turkey, where each have a sample 500+. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to the most recent country Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls are calculated using a credibility interval. In this case, a poll of 1,000 is accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points and one of 500 is accurate to +/- 5.0 percentage points in their respective general populations. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error. For more information on credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website athttp://ipsos-na.com/dl/pdf/research/public-affairs/IpsosPA_CredibilityIntervals.pdf

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination forms the world’s third largest market research company.

With offices in 84 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specialisations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management. Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe. Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of €1,363 billion (1.897 billion USD) in 2011.

For further information about Ipsos in Australia, please visit: ipsos.com.au