Source

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.