Newsletter: Humanitarian fund | Aid rankings and transparency | Budget time | Our PNG work | Pacific Update call for papers

3786Why the world needs a humanitarian fund

Based on his recent policy brief [pdf], Robin Davies authored an op-ed for The Guardian, published last week, putting forward the case for a global humanitarian fund. One commenter on The Guardian called the proposal “possibly the most sensible proposal to dramatically improve the way humanitarian assistance is provided”. It’s a timely topic at a moment of unprecedented humanitarian need, and as we approach the Global Humanitarian Summit, which will be held in Ankara next month, those working in this space should read and consider Robin’s proposal.

Australia tumbles down aid rankings, keeps data in the dark

The OECD DAC just released its preliminary aid numbers for 2015, and, unsurprisingly for those in the know, Australia has fallen further behind the efforts of other donors.

Globally, aid keeps going up and up – for the third year running, it has reached a new high.

But Australia’s rankings among DAC donors are down and down. We have fallen from 13th to 16th on generosity (ODA/GNI). On ODA per capita, we’ve dropped from 11th to 14th place. On aid volume, we went from 9th to 12th place.

Read analysis on the 2015 DAC numbers from Robin Davies and Ashlee Betteridge here. The Australian Aid Tracker website has now been updated with the newest DAC numbers, so do take a look.

Another area of our aid performance was under scrutiny in the past fortnight – transparency. In the 2016 Aid Transparency Index, Australia scored poorly. Robin Davies wrote on how Australia could improve its performance.

Budget time

We’re just a week and a half away from budget. The question on everyone’s lips is whether the government will proceed with additional $224 million cut to aid that is currently in the forward estimates. If they do, which countries and programs will feel the brunt? Considering last year’s decimation, and some of the new commitments made since, there are going to be tough choices. Join us for our annual aid budget breakfast the morning after budget (Wednesday 4 May, 9am – register here). We’ll also be livestreaming the event for those outside of Canberra and overseas – the link will be up on the blog soon.

New approaches to tackling gender-based violence in Papua New Guinea

Join us on Thursday 19 May (12pm, Barton Theatre) for a panel discussion on new approaches to tackling PNG’s gender-based violence epidemic. The panel will include Denga Ilave, Operations Manager of Femili PNG, Secretary Anna Solomon of the PNG Department for Community Development and Religion, and Kymberley Kepore, Chief Executive Officer of the Oil Search Foundation. Save the date! Registrations will open soon.

Picture14Busy days for ANU-UPNG team

The past week was a particularly busy one for the ANU-UPNG partnership, with the University of Papua New Guinea hosting diplomatic visits, workshops, guest lectures as well as the annual economics student-lecturer forum (where the ‘selfie’ on the right was being taken!). Read more about it here. And a reminder, applications for our Associate Lecturer positions at UPNG are open until May 1.

Mark Dybul address now published

For those who missed the 2016 Harold Mitchell Oration with the Global Fund’s Executive Director Mark Dybul, the full speech has now been published – download a copy here [pdf], or pick one up from the publications table at one of our upcoming events.

Pacific Update call for papers closing soon

Our call for papers for the 2016 Pacific Update, to be held at the University of the South Pacific in Suva on 18-19 July, closes on 30 April. Get your abstracts in if you wish to participate in this year’s conference – it promises to be a great event. More details on submitting a paper, and on the conference itself, are available on the website.

State and societal responses to corruption in PNG

We’re pleased to announce that the centre has been awarded funding, for two years, to research state and societal responses to corruption in PNG. The project will see us collaborate with the University of Birmingham’s Developmental Leadership Program (DLP) to carry out an innovative experiment, integrity mapping, and a survey. The project will provide policy makers and others with recommendations on how to support anti-corruption efforts. Grant Walton leads the project from our side, while Caryn Peiffer heads DLP’s engagement. We’re grateful to the Australian Government aid program, in partnership with the University of Birmingham, for funding this research.

Upcoming events

2016 aid budget breakfast
Wednesday 4 May, 9am, Molonglo Theatre. Register here.

New approaches to tackling gender-based violence in Papua New Guinea
Thursday 19 May, 12pm, Barton Theatre. Registrations will open soon.

2016 PNG Update
16-17 June, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby. Details here.

2016 Pacific Update
18-19 July, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. Details here.

Blog highlights

Is culture really the cause of gender violence in the Solomons?

Saving feet in Samoa

The tough life of a PNG district administrator

On the blog

Give Directly and intra-household distribution by Scott Wisor

Shared military heritage and developing ‘Kokoda culture’ by Gregory Bablis and Kirstie Close-Barry

Scholarships and women’s leadership: power, privilege and measurement by Ashlee Betteridge

The world is talking about migration — so should we!By Giff Johnson

The rise of global aid in 2015, and the fall of Australia by Robin Davies and Ashlee Betteridge

A snapshot of a district struggling against the odds by Rebecca Robinson

Aid transparency: how to track Australian aid to activity level by Robin Davies

What’s culture got to do with it? Causes of intimate partner violence by Anouk Ride

The cost of conflict: Syria’s shattered economy by Emma Wanchap

Samoa’s solution to the burden of diabetic foot complications by Katrina McGrath

In brief

Fortnightly links: maternal health, corporate abuses, Angola, happiness, and more…

A big week for the ANU-UPNG partnership

The world needs a humanitarian fund to assist long-term crises

Join the ANU-UPNG team as an associate lecturer

This is the fortnightly newsletter of the Development Policy Centre at Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University, published every second Friday.

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