Global challenges in 21st century make Australian Aid pivotal to protecting our national interests
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
The global challenges of the 21st century mean Australian aid is pivotal to any effort to protect our economic and security interests, according to the country’s largest humanitarian and development agency, World Vision says.
Aid is not just a moral imperative but should be acknowledged as a core asset in Australia’s efforts to protect its interests, World Vision CEO, Claire Rogers said upon the release of the the agency's submission to the Government's upcoming White Paper on Foreign Policy.
“Australia has a long history of working proactively to influence and shape events and issues in our region protect our interests, and the Australian aid program is core to that,” Ms Rogers said.
“Now in the 21st century it is impossible to isolate ourselves from the global challenges we face and which require a constructive and ambitious approach to foreign policy.”
“Overseas aid must be recognised as a core asset in Australia’s foreign policy as it is absolutely pivotal to any effort to build a prosperous, peaceful and stable region.
“World Vision’s submission notes that using aid to support economic development in our region, means today’s aid recipients can be tomorrow’s trading partners,".
The submission recommends investing in prevention and resilience because it saves lives and money. It also calls for multi-year flexible humanitarian funding to assist regions impacted by protracted crises such as Syria and Iraq where World Vision is working to support refugees as close to their homelands as possible.
The agency recommends that Australia should seek out and utilise international leadership opportunities through multilateral organisations such as the UN, WTO and G20 in order to support economic development and advocate for human rights.
However our submission also notes that Australia’s credibility in advocating for human rights is dependent upon our obligations being upheld in domestic policy Ms Rogers said.
"World Vision Australia echoes the recent concerns raised by UN members states during the recent Universal Periodic Review regarding Australia’s indefinite detention of people seeking asylum."
The submission, including a full list of recommendations, can be found at WVA White Paper Submission
Media Contact: Mary-Louise O'Callaghan 0427 413 816, mary-louise.ocallaghan@worldvision.com.au
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Africa,
Asia and the Pacific,
Latin America and Carribean,
Middle East, Eastern Europe & Central Asia,
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