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The Government of Australia is
committed to beginning a new era of cooperation with the island nations of the
Pacific.
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Australia respects the
independence of the island nations, and the diversity and complexity of
development challenges across our shared region.
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Economic growth across the Pacific
island nations, while improving in some, generally lags behind other developing
regions. Progress towards the United Nations’ Millennium Development
Goals has been mixed.
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The Pacific has significant
natural resources – minerals, timber and marine resources. Managing them
wisely and sustainably is a challenge for the region.
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Australia and the Pacific island
nations face a common challenge in climate change. Many of our Pacific
neighbours, especially low lying atolls, are particularly vulnerable to the
effects of climate change, including devastation from more frequent and severe
extreme weather events.
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The Government of Australia is
committed to working in close cooperation with the Pacific island nations to
meet our common challenges and to raise the standard of living for people
throughout the region.
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The Government of Australia
proposes to pursue Pacific Partnerships for Development with our Pacific island
neighbours. These Pacific Partnerships for Development will provide a new
framework for Australia and the Pacific island nations to commit jointly to
achieving shared goals.
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Under the Pacific Partnerships for
Development, the Government of Australia will be prepared to provide increased
development assistance over time in a spirit of mutual responsibility embracing
commitments by the Pacific island nations to improve governance, to increase
investment in economic infrastructure, and to achieve better outcomes in health
and education.
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The Pacific Partnerships for
Development will be a mechanism to provide better development outcomes for the
Pacific Island nations. These Partnerships will embrace:
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improving economic infrastructure
and enhancing local employment possibilities through infrastructure and
broad-based growth;
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enhancing private sector
development, including better access to microfinance;
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achieving quality, universal basic
education;
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improving health outcomes through
better access to basic health services; and
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enhancing governance, including the role of civil
society, and the role of non-government organisations in basic service
delivery.
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Working jointly to help the
Pacific island nations meet their Millennium Development Goals will also be a
focus of the Partnerships.
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Australia will increase its
practical cooperation with the Pacific island nations to meet the challenge of
climate change and sustainable management of resources.
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Australia will make a direct
contribution to education and training opportunities for citizens from the
Pacific island nations – including through the enhancement of regional
education institutions and a significant program of scholarships to study at
Australian education institutions.
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Australia is also committed to
linking the economies of the Pacific island nations to Australia and New
Zealand and to the world, including through pursuing a region-wide free trade
agreement and enhancing other private sector development opportunities.
This will help to secure a sustainable and more prosperous future for the
region.
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As we announced in Canberra on 27
February, the Governments of Australia and New Zealand will work more closely
together and with our partners to coordinate our development assistance to the
Pacific. Together, Australia and New Zealand provide around $1 billion of
development assistance to the region. By working together we can improve the
impact of our development assistance and provide better results for the people
of the Pacific islands.
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Australia will also work to
increase its cooperation with other donor countries and organisations, and
international financial institutions such as the World Bank, including through
more coordinated delivery of development assistance programs across the region
and joint programs where feasible.
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Australia is committed to close
and strong relationships with our Pacific neighbours and with regional
organisations, particularly the Pacific Islands Forum. We are also
committed to fostering stronger linkages between Australian, national and
regional institutions.
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Australia’s relationships in the
region already have considerable depth – across people-to-people links,
economics and trade, and government cooperation. But Australia wants a
new era of cooperation to begin. The Government of Australia is committed
to working with the Pacific island nations on the basis of partnership, mutual
respect and mutual responsibility.
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Australia proposes that,
progressively over the course of the coming years, we negotiate Pacific
Partnerships for Development with those of our Pacific neighbours that share
this vision.
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Australia believes that, with
long-term commitment and by working towards agreed goals, we will be able to
build strong, stable nations in a more prosperous region.
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Australia believes that the
Millennium Development Goals agreed by the international community at the
United Nations Millennium Conference in 2000, provide an appropriate framework
for developing nations world-wide, including in our region. At the
mid-point, progress towards the Millennium Development Goals has been
mixed. Australia wants to reach a common resolve with the island nations
of the Pacific to strive towards greater success against the Millennium
Development Goals by 2015.