4 February 2009
OECD praises Australia's overseas aid program
An Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) review has praised the targeting and effectiveness of Australia’s overseas aid program.
The OECD review was presented to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, today by the Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), Eckhard Deutscher.
The OECD review welcomes the Government’s renewed commitment to reducing poverty, its promotion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and its support for international agencies like the United Nations.
In particular, the OECD acknowledges the Government’s:
- Strategic focus on the Asia Pacific, including assistance to East Timor and the Solomon Islands;
- Pacific Partnerships for Development as a key feature of the aid program;
- Commitment to a targeted engagement with Africa; and
- Integration of gender equity into the aid program.
Australia’s Agency for International Development, AusAID, was also commended for its efforts to promote aid effectiveness including by opening up contracting arrangements to global competition.
The establishment of the independent Office of Development Effectiveness, to report on the effectiveness of Australian aid and identify areas of improvement, was also highlighted as an important step in improving the aid program’s efficiency.
The review also welcomed Australia’s commitment to increase its support for developing countries to 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income by 2015.
Development assistance provided by Australia has meant that:
- Polio has been virtually eradicated in the Pacific;
- 380 new Indonesian schools have been built;
- More than 1.5 million children in PNG have received measles vaccinations;
- Almost 9,000 teachers were trained in the Philippines; and
- More than 980 schools have reopened in East Timor.
A complete copy of the OECD review is available at www.oecd.org/dac/peerreviews/australia.
Media inquiries: Mr Smith's office 02 6277 7500 - Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555