The world is at a turning point
Two decades of progress fighting infectious diseases, empowering women and girls and building education and economic prosperity stalled when the Pandemic hit.
Now, overlapping challenges are hitting us all at once.
Dangerously hot and unpredictable weather, fuel shortages, hunger, conflict and the mass movement of people. All of which are linked, yet preventable.
This is best for the world and best for Australia. But it won’t happen on its own.
We are a movement of Australian individuals, community groups and organisations, calling on our leaders to act now to build a safer world for all.
We need to increase investment in Australian aid
Right now, Australia’s aid spending is at its least generous point in our history.
At just 0.2% of GNI it’s amongst the lowest of all wealthy countries, and less than half of what many other countries give. This puts at risk the progress we’ve made on ending extreme poverty.
To secure a more peaceful, stable and prosperous Asia Pacific region, and address the most pressing humanitarian crises in places like South Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine, we need to:
- Lift Australia's foreign aid budget to 0.37% of gross national income by 2027 with a bipartisan commitment to reach 0.5%
- Double the Humanitarian Emergency Fund to $300 million annually for responding to new crises as they emerge
- Invest an additional $350 million per year to better prepare for mounting natural and humanitarian disasters, through disaster risk reduction, tackling root causes and preventing conflict
Together, we can build a fairer global economy
In its current state, the global financial system is contributing to inequities between countries.
It is becoming harder for developing countries to fend off cascading crises without falling into severe debt.
Servicing debt restricts spending on the building blocks of development, such as health systems, education, and social services.
Australia can use its influence as a middle power to:
- Support global efforts to make debt, tax, trade, and investment fairer for developing countries
A safer climate future is possible
Climate change impacts such as more severe droughts, floods, bushfires, and storms are impacting us all, but not equally.
Communities living in poverty are often most vulnerable and yet have fewer means to respond.
Australia can support our neighbours to reduce climate change impacts, recover from disasters and shift to renewable energy by taking the following actions:
- Make an annual commitment of $4 billion for climate finance to support communities in the Pacific and Asia to act on climate change
- Provide a $100 million initial contribution to the Loss and Damage Fund to provide crucial support to vulnerable nations facing the brunt of climate-related challenges (forced migration, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, etc.)
- Advance a global, just, and equitable phase out of coal, oil and gas through endorsing the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
