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Government of Australia — 782 found

Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Prime Minister Gillard today announced an increase in Australian aid to Afghanistan, to support the country’s development and stability.

Australia’s aid program will rise from $165 million to $250 million per year by 2015-16.

The Prime Minister advised President Karzai of the increase during their bilateral meeting at the Chicago NATO-ISAF Summit.

Despite recent gains in development, Afghanistan remains one of the world’s poorest countries.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr announced today that Australia will contribute an additional $16 million in much needed food and emergency medical assistance to respond to two major escalating crises in Africa.

Senator Carr said the money will assist millions of people affected by drought, local conflict, and the collapse of local markets.

"The food crises in West Africa and South Sudan are escalating at an alarming rate," Senator Carr said.

East Timor will celebrate its 10th anniversary of formal independence on 20 May 2012.

Sempei—who like many Indonesians goes by only one name—grew up playing in the forest and peat lands surrounding his village. 'In 1975, there were still big trees here in the forest,' said Sempei nostalgically, 'today, we barely have anything we can call a forest anymore.'

Sempei and around ten thousand other villagers along the banks of the Kapuas River in Central Kalimantan are forest dependent people who are now suffering from the result of illegal logging and irresponsible land clearing.

Australia is helping improve access to fresh, safe drinking water for every household on Ebeye, one of the major islands in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Richard Marles, said Australian-supplied water tanks were part of a continuing commitment to improve water and sanitation in the Marshall Islands.

'This year, Australia is supporting the provision of 220 water tanks on Ebeye, in addition to 150 water tanks supplied last year,' Mr Marles said.

Joint media release

Senator the Hon Bob Carr, Minister for Foreign Affairs
The Hon Dr Craig Emerson, MP, Minister for Trade and Competitiveness

Measures announced today in the 2012-13 Budget for the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio reinforce the Government's commitment to protect and promote Australia's interests abroad.

The Government will allocate $52.6 million over five years to enhance Australia's overseas diplomatic network through strengthening existing missions and establishing two new posts – an additional post in China and one also in Senegal.

Australia's Official Development Assistance (ODA) will increase to $5.2 billion in 2012-13 – an increase of $2 billion, or 60 per cent more, since the election of the Labor Government in 2007.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Carr, said this confirmed Australia could become the sixth largest aid donor in the OECD by 2015-16.

"The allocation in the 2012-13 Budget to ODA will increase by over $300 million from 2011-12 and maintain ODA at 0.35% of Gross National Income (GNI)," Senator Carr said.

The Federal Government has allocated more than $7 million towards overseas assistance projects supporting displaced and vulnerable people overseas, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, said today from Sri Lanka.

Mr Bowen, who is on a five–day visit to India and Sri Lanka, said funding was allocated for 15 projects, including five projects supporting displaced Sri Lankan people through improved health services and provision of shelter and protection.

Australia’s aid aims to save lives and help the poorest of the poor and that is the reason why we are working in the Palestinian Territories. Palestinians face poverty and disadvantage that has been prolonged by the complex nature of regional conflict and failures in the peace process in the Middle East.

Australia's appointment to the UN Women Executive Board will further strengthen our commitment to women's empowerment, Foreign Minister Bob Carr said today.

Australia and Solomon Islands will both take up seats on the UN Women Executive Board from 1 January 2013, providing a unique opportunity to increase the profile of issues facing women in the Pacific, in particular the prevalence of violence against women.

The Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce AC CVO, visited two Australian Government supported programs in Taguig City, Metro Manila as part of her State Visit to the Philippines earlier this month.

She met with women leaders and families who were affected by tropical storm Ketsana and the resulting floods that inundated Metro Manila in 2009.

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Senator the Hon. Bob Carr
22 April 2012

Foreign Minister Senator Bob Carr today announced Australia will join the global Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) Partnership.

Being a member of SWA will allow Australia to add its voice to the global call to support the world's poor with improved access to safe water and basic sanitation.

AusAID significantly reformed the use of advisers by the aid program in 2011, and these reforms are delivering clear results.

A new report, the Adviser Stocktake: Report 2 – 1 July to 31 December 2011, released on 26 March, shows that average rates of pay for advisers have fallen markedly following the introduction of a standardised adviser remuneration framework in February 2011.

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE BETWEEN AUSAID AND THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

The Australian Government’s recent assessment of multilateral aid agencies has ranked the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) as one of the most effective recipients of Australian aid funds.

The Australian Multilateral Assessment looked at the performance of 42 multilateral organisations funded by AusAID and arose from the recommendations of the Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness.

The Australian Government is supporting the democratic transition underway in Burma by easing autonomous sanctions and normalising trade.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Trade Minister Craig Emerson said today the Australian Government, along with the international community, warmly welcomed the changes currently underway in Burma.

"Reducing our sanctions and encouraging trade recognise the far-reaching political, economic and social reforms we are witnessing in Burma in recent times," Senator Carr said.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 13, 2012 Public Information: 202-712-4810
www.usaid.gov

JOINT RELEASE BY THE GOVERNMENTS OF AUSTRALIA, CANADA, ITALY, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

UNICEF has confirmed to a group of donors that an estimated US$4 million of donor funds has been misappropriated from its US$6.2 million school rehabilitation project implemented in 2009-2010 in Khyber Paktunkhwa Province, northwestern Pakistan.

Australia is providing humanitarian assistance to help meet the basic needs of Syrian people who are suffering due to food shortages and continued violence.

AusAID will deliver food assistance through the World Food Programme to support the 2.6 million people affected by the conflict in Syria. Further support will be provided to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to help increase humanitarian access.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr today said the value of investing in regional Tsunami early warning systems was confirmed following this week's earthquakes off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.

Senator Carr said Australia's regional neighbours received an Indian Ocean wide tsunami warning just seven minutes after the 8.5 magnitude earthquake occurred at 6:38pm Australian Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday 11 April.

"Early warning systems are critical to saving lives and to reducing the risks and costs of natural disasters caused by tsunamis.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr today announced the Australian Government will provide up to $1 million to help small island and developing states, including our Pacific island neighbours, to participate in the Rio+20 Conference in June.

Senator Carr said the Australian contribution to the Participation Trust Fund will help those most in need of financial assistance to participate in the conference.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr today announced Australia will provide a further $5 million to meet humanitarian needs in Syria and neighbouring countries.

The humanitarian assistance includes $3 million for food assistance through the World Food Program and $2 million for the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

"Amidst the ongoing violence, Australia will continue to help alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people," Senator Carr said.