On Thursday 26 March 2026, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will hear from the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) as part of its Inquiry into the role of Australia's international development program in preventing conflict.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 25 March 2026

On Thursday 26 March 2026, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will hear from the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) as part of its Inquiry into the role of Australia's international development program in preventing conflict. The Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, the Hon Tim Watts MP, explained the Subcommittee looked forward to hearing from ACFID, Australia’s peak body for international development NGOs. ‘ACFID represents organisations working at the frontline of peacebuilding, humanitarian response and community resilience across our region. Their on‑the‑ground experience will give the Subcommittee critical insights into the effectiveness of Australia’s development program in conflict settings,’ the Chair said. Witnesses from ACFID will be joined by representatives from Conciliation Resources and Action Aid Australia, two ACFID member organisations who contributed to the submission from ACFID as well as providing their own submissions to the inquiry. The Chair noted that the hearing would provide an opportunity for the Subcommittee to explore the practical realities of conflict‑prevention work in fragile and conflict‑affected states. Further information, including the full terms of reference, is available on the Inquiry webpage. Public Hearing Details Date: Thursday 26 March 2026 Time: 8:00–9:00 am (AEDT) Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Media inquiries Laura Green, Office of the Hon Tim Watts MP Ph: (03) 9687 7661 For background information Committee Secretariat Ph: 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

On Thursday 12 March 2026, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will hear from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for its inquiry into the role of Australia's international development program in preventing conflict.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 12 March 2026

On Thursday 12 March 2026, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will hear from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for its inquiry into the role of Australia's international development program in preventing conflict. The Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, the Hon Tim Watts MP, explained, ‘Australia’s international development program provides vital assistance to help build a peaceful and stable future for the Indo-Pacific region.’ ‘The Subcommittee looks forward to hearing from representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in relation to their role as the primary government agency administering Australia’s overseas development program.’ ‘Today’s hearing will allow the Subcommittee to hear directly from DFAT officials on a range of issues relevant to the inquiry terms of reference, including conflict prevention capability and expertise within DFAT and across government, and Australia’s approach to overseas development in a shifting global aid landscape.’ Further information, including the full terms of reference, is available on the Inquiry webpage. Public Hearing Details Date: Thursday 12 March 2026 Time: 8:00–9:00 am (AEDT) Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Media inquiries Laura Green, Office of the Hon Tim Watts MP (Member for Gellibrand, Victoria; Chair, Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee) Ph: 02 6277 4537 For background information Committee Secretariat Ph: 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, through the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, is commencing public hearings for its inquiry into the role of Australia's international development program in preventing conflict today in Melbourne.

Media release issue date: Monday, 23 February 2026

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, through the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, is commencing public hearings for its inquiry into the role of Australia's international development program in preventing conflict today in Melbourne. The Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, the Hon Tim Watts MP, explained, ‘The Subcommittee received a large volume of submissions to its inquiry, which provided key insights into stakeholder views about the challenges and priorities for Australia’s development program in the context of increasing conflict.’ ‘We look forward to meeting with practitioners, academics and advisory groups from the international development sector to expand on the suggested recommendations contributed by stakeholders in their submissions.’ ‘Australia’s international development program is a critical component of our statecraft toolkit –working alongside diplomacy, trade and defence - to advance a peaceful, stable, and prosperous future for our region.’ Further information, including the hearing program is available on the Inquiry webpage. Public Hearing Details Date: Monday 23 February 2026 Time: 10:00am – 3:15 pm (AEDT) Location: Cliftons Melbourne, 1/440 Collins St, Melbourne, Victoria The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Media inquiries Laura Green, Office of the Hon Tim Watts MP (Member for Gellibrand, Victoria; Chair, Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee) Ph: 02 6277 4537 For background information Committee Secretariat Ph: 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT), through the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, has commenced an inquiry into the role of Australia's international development program in preventing conflict.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 6 November 2025

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT), through the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, has commenced an inquiry into the role of Australia's international development program in preventing conflict. The inquiry was referred by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong with the below terms of reference. The Chair of the JSCFADT, the Hon Shayne Neumann MP, stated, ‘we are operating in a geopolitical context of change and uncertainty, and we are deeply concerned at how conflicts around the world are exacerbating existing humanitarian crises in many regions.’ The Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, the Hon Tim Watts MP, said, ‘in an increasingly complex and contested international environment the challenge of conflict prevention is becoming more acute.’ The inquiry will consider the role of Australia's international development program in preventing conflict, with particular reference to: the role of Australia's international development program in building resilience in fragile states, including by strengthening community and civic participation, governance, security reform and human capital; the strategic use of Australia's international development program to prevent conflict in the Indo-Pacific; options for effective support through Australia's aid program in pre-conflict and/or post-conflict zones; the impact of international development in the maintenance of peace and prevention of conflict, including for early identification and mitigation of conflict; and any related matters. The Subcommittee is now inviting written submissions responding to the inquiry’s terms of reference by 20 January 2026. Media inquiries Laura Green, Office of the Hon Tim Watts MP (Member for Gellibrand, Victoria; Chair, Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee) Ph: 02 6277 4537 For background information Committee Secretariat Ph: 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.