development

Civil society groups from the Pacific including churches, trade unions, gender groups,indigenous rights groups and advocacy groups launched a statement calling for a moratorium on negotiations for a new Pacific-wide free trade agreement known as PACER-Plus. The statement, launched in Port Vila, Vanuatu, to coincide with the annual Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting, called on Leaders to put the developmental priorities of the Pacific ahead of political timelines.

AID/WATCH’s Gary Lee comments on the findings of the Review of PNG-Australia Development Cooperation Treaty.

AID/WATCH Committee member, Dr James Goodman was one of the discussants on Radio National's Life Matters program on Australian aid. The focus is on the recently released Review of PNG-Australia Development Cooperation Treaty, which found significant portion of aid to PNG is spent on consultants.

Australia's government is under new pressure to do more about waste in the country's increasing foreign aid program, with a big focus on the use of highly paid consultants and private companies. More tabloid headlines about big salaries for advisors and dubious programs are fuelling calls for a public inquiry into the aid program. Canberra is also releasing a damning report on Australia's aid for Papua New Guinea which says about a quarter of all aid to the country has little lasting benefit, and that the aid program is spread too thinly. Australia' Foreign minister Stephen Smith has hit back at critics, stressing the aid program is not all bad and insisting his government is working responsibly to solve problems.

AusAID’s budget statement, ‘Agency Resources and Planned Performance’, released last night, announces government spending on overseas aid to help developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change and to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. AID/WATCH, the overseas aid monitor, has condemned the measures as inadequate and misleading.

This AID/WATCH publication presents Melanesian and Australian voices in defence of Melanesian customary land. The chapters touch on the broad themes of customary land in the region, as well as particular issues in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. Those issues include land tenure conversion, incorporated land groups, leases, the productive value of customary land, women and land, land tenure reform programs, and the social security features of traditional land tenure systems.

Two leading campaigners for land rights in Melanesia are in Australia this week to speak with the Australian public and government officials about the central importance of customary land, and the risks posed by Australian-funded land tenure reforms in Melanesia.