Australia to increase aid to Asia and Africa

[pampango]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2011/jul/12/australia-aid-programme-2011-review

Last year, the Australian government commissioned an independent review of its aid programme to assess the effectiveness of the current programme and to recommend improvements. The review found that Australia was an effective performer by global donor standards, but made 39 recommendations.

In 2009–10, total Australian aid came to A$3.8bn, or 0.3% of gross national income. The Australian government says there is bipartisan commitment to the millennium development goals (MDGs), and to increasing aid to 0.5% of GNI by 2015-16. Beyond 2015-16, Australia wants to boost aid to 0.7% of GNI, a policy adopted by Australian governments since 1970.

The review received a positive response from Oxfam Australia, which welcomed the review's emphasis on the importance of people rather than countries. The organisation said it was important that Australia's aid programme delivers on its commitment to promote and support human rights in developing countries.

"Addressing power imbalances, or increasing peoples' voice in democratic processes too often end up in the too hard basket because they require complex - and at times politically sensitive - approaches that do not yield quick, easily measurable results. Yet addressing these issues is a fundamental part of lifting people out of poverty," said Oxfam Australia.

Good that Australia's government plans to increase foreign aid and takes its commitment to millennium development goals seriously. Naturally this positive change is occurring under a liberal government rather than the previous conservative one.