Australia at global forum on aid effectiveness

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd endorses the New Deal for International Engagement in Fragile States. Photo: YEO, Seung-jin

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and AusAID Director General Peter Baxter attended the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea, from 29 November to 1 December 2011.

The Forum drew together leaders, foreign ministers, aid organisations and representatives of civil society and the private sector from 160 countries around the world.

For the first time, the pre-eminent global gathering on aid effectiveness was attended by major countries like China, Brazil and India as aid donors, rather than recipients. These emerging economies, as well as the more traditional donors, were asked to agree to action to make their aid more effective and more transparent.

Australia's participation

A New Deal for fragile states

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd endorsed an agreement on a new global direction for assisting fragile states—the New Deal for International Engagement in Fragile States [external website]. The New Deal sets out goals to give clarity on priorities, highlights the importance of fragile countries taking ownership of their own development, and sets out a road map for better use of both international and domestic resources. In the first practical demonstration of the New Deal, Australia and East Timor have signed a development agreement committing both countries to work together.

Education for all

World leaders and representatives from leading development agencies also joined Mr Rudd and Indonesia’s Minister for National Development Planning Dr Armida Alisjahbana at an event to discuss challenges in the education sector [external website]. Participants agreed to a Statement of Principles on Effective Aid for Education, which reaffirms a commitment to the development effectiveness principles and their application to the education sector.

Empowering women through mobile technology

Focusing on women and enabling their ownership and use of mobile technology has a powerful impact on improving lives and livelihoods. Photo: USAID

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced a new three-year partnership [external website] to increase women’s access to mobile phones. The partnership between AusAID, USAID, Visa and the GSMA mWomen Global Development Alliance will lead to real improvements in women’s lives through access to financial services, education and healthcare via mobile phones.

Australia has welcomed the outcome document from the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan—the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation [external website] . In particular, Australia welcomed the agreement reached in Busan to establish a new mechanism for international dialogue on aid effectiveness, the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, which reflects the changing reality of aid and development—including the increasing importance of development finance from emerging economies such as China and Brazil. The Busan outcome builds on the Paris Declaration (2005) and the Accra Agenda for Action (2008).

Australia’s involvement in the Forum demonstrates our commitment to aid effectiveness, building on the launch on 23 November 2011 of the new Transparency Charter and our good progress in implementing the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI).

Australia also ensured a focus on Asia and the Pacific at the Forum, where important challenges to meeting the MDGs remain.

About the Forum

Bringing together political leaders, aid organisations and representatives of civil society and the private sector from
160 countries around the world, the Forum provides an opportunity to focus on and discuss global efforts to reduce poverty. It builds on previous aid effectiveness discussions Australia has been involved in, held in Accra in 2008 and Paris in 2005.

The forum is held every three years and is an important opportunity to review the progress of aid effectiveness measures and decide on new commitments to ensure that aid continues to deliver results globally.

The Forum aims to establish a new Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation that better reflects the changing landscape of aid and development - including the increasing importance of development finance from emerging economies such as China and Brazil; and the crucial role the private sector plays as an engine of economic growth in developing countries.

More information

Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness [external website]
Statement of Principles on Effective Aid for Education
Transparency Charter
International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)
Aid Effectiveness
Building Towards Busan

Last Reviewed: 2 December, 2011