The Australian Agency for International Development is the Australian government agency responsible for managing Australia's international assistance program. The goal of the assistance program is to help developing countries reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development in line with Australia's national interests.
| Australian Agency for International Development | |
|---|---|
| (AusAID) | |
| |
| Headquarters | |
| Site | ausaid.gov.au |
AusAID provides advice and support to the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary on policy development, and plans and coordinates poverty reduction efforts in partnership with developing countries.
As an independent agency under the Law on Financial Management and Accountability, it is still part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade according to the Law on Civil Service, which covers reporting on human resources and non-financial reporting. AusAID is headquartered in Canberra . AusAID also has offices in 25 Australian diplomatic missions overseas.
History
- 1974 Australian Development Assistance Agency
- 1976 Australian Bureau of Development Assistance
- 1987 Australian Bureau of International Development Assistance (AIDAB)
- 1995 Australian Agency for International Development
In 2005, John Howard ordered Australia to double Australian aid to $ 4 billion a year by 2010. From the budget of 2007-2008 the government announced a total of $ 3.2 billion in aid and expectations "to continue to increase development assistance to $ 3.5 billion in 2008-2009, to $ 3.8 billion in 2009-2010 and up to $ 4.3 billion in 2010-2011. "
Types of Help
- Implementation of the Millennium Development Goals
- humanitarian assistance in emergencies and natural disasters
- Food aid
Australia provides about 150 thousand tons of food aid each year for a total of about $ 65 million for people in times of crisis in countries such as Bangladesh , Indonesia , Sri Lanka , Sudan and Chad . At least half of this tonnage comes from Australian farmers and suppliers.
- Refugees
Australia provides funds to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR ) and other key humanitarian organizations to provide protection and assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons. Australia also supports programs that facilitate durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons during crises and reunion of returnees, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Recovery and reconstruction
- Mine Action
The Australian assistance program provides support for mine clearance, mine awareness, victim assistance and advocacy, in collaboration with a number of international, regional and local organizations.