Better aid. More aid. Just aid
09 July 2010
Better aid. More aid. Just aid
ACFID releases its Call to the Parties - 2010 Federal Election
The Australian
Council for International Development (ACFID) is the peak
council for Australian non-government organisations (NGOs) working
in the field of international aid and development. ACFID has more
than 70 members - including Australian Volunteers International
(AVI) - operating in over 100 developing countries.
This July, ahead of the 2010 Federal Election, ACFID calls on
all political parties and candidates to commit Australia to play
its full part in achieving the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs).
To help achieve these goals, Australian NGOs working in
international development, including Australian Volunteers
International (AVI), ask the next Australian government to commit
to delivering better aid, more aid and just aid through the
following actions:
ACTION: MORE AID
1. Announce a clear timetable for
accelerating growth in the Aid Budget to 0.7% of Gross National
Income and collaboratively develop a Strategic Framework to
position AusAID to manage the growth in the Aid Budget more
effectively
2. Support the introduction of the
'Robin Hood tax' on global financial market transactions to help
fund development assistance and climate change adaptation
ACTION: BETTER AID
3. Increase the share of development
assistance delivered through NGOs and skilled volunteer programs
from 7% to at least 10% of the Aid Budget
4. Create the position of Ambassador
for Women's Rights, to promote gender equality and women's
empowerment in our region
5. Develop a mechanism within the
AusAID Office of Development Effectiveness to monitor the impact of
development programs on the rights and well-being of the poorest
20% in focus communities
6. Promote the ratification,
implementation and monitoring of the United Nations Convention
against Corruption, especially in the Asia and Pacific regions
ACTION: JUST AID
7. Increase funding to: a. health to
20% of the overall Aid Budget (around $1200 million a year by
2012)3 - the emphasis of this funding should be on maternal and
child health to help achieve MDG outcomes b. primary and secondary
education to around $400 million per annum - with a focus on
supporting girls to complete primary school, in line with MDG
targets c. rural livelihoods to 12-14% of the Aid Budget over three
years ($800 million by 2013) - priority should be given to
supporting smallholder farmers, the majority of whom are women
8. Fully fund the government's
strategy 'Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive
Australian aid program 2009-2014'
9. Ensure assistance to meet the
challenge of climate change is new money (around $600 million by
2012-2013), not funds redirected from other development priorities
and that it is aimed, primarily, at assisting the most vulnerable
communities in our region
10. Increase humanitarian funding
within the AusAID Global Program budget to 10% and create
predictable multiyear contingency funding for emergencies.
To read ACFID's 'Call to the Parties - 2010 Federal Election'
publication, download this PDF - ACFID
Call to the Parties July 2010.pdf