Statement by Senator Kerry O'Brien, Parliamentary Adviser to the Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations General Assembly Plenary regarding the joint debate on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support; causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa and the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, particularly in Africa. As delivered 14 October 2010.
(as delivered)
Mr President
Thank you for convening this joint debate on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries. I will address each item in turn.
First, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) continues to provide an important framework to address the critical challenges facing the African continent. We welcome the integration of NEPAD into the structures and processes of the African Union. This represents a new era for NEPAD in the implementation of NEPAD priorities towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.
The Australian Government is pleased to be supporting Africa’s own efforts to achieve the MDGs by 2015. We have doubled our Overseas Development Assistance to Africa over the last three years, and on current projections, our development budget will double again by 2015. In doing so, we have aligned our efforts with those of African governments, institutions, multilateral partners and other donors, in order to ensure the effectiveness of our increased cooperation with Africa.
Australia’s four year $100 million food security program in Africa is being implemented in partnership with key regional organisations under NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP). Australia recognises that CAADP represents a key mechanism for implementing the L’Aquila principles on global food security and sees NEPAD as an important tool for moving it forward.
In the area of water and sanitation - another key NEPAD priority area - Australia’s water and sanitation efforts are aligned with African owned and driven priorities, especially achievement of the Africa Water Vision 2025.
Australia is also strengthening its partnerships with the African Union more broadly. Last month, we were pleased to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Union Commission which should serve to strengthen coordination and cooperation in areas of mutual interest in Africa. By way of illustration, Australia will work closely with the African Union Commission as part of our $140 million program to support maternal and child health in eastern Africa in recognition of the Commission’s unique role in continent-wide advocacy on these issues.
Australia shares the Secretary-General’s frustration with the lack of progress being made in the Doha Round of trade negotiations. Australia is pursuing an outcome which is good for development, good for agricultural trade reform, and good for the multilateral trading regime. Such an outcome in the Doha Round, together with effective aid-for-trade activities in the region, will assist Africa to trade its way out of poverty.
Mr President
As Foreign Minister Rudd said during the Millennium Development Goals Summit last month, donor countries need to do that which we say we will do; to honour our commitments. That is what Australia seeks to do. And as such, we look forward to discussing with other Member States the Secretary-General’s suggestion for an improved monitoring mechanism of the commitments to Africa’s development, to strengthen the sense of partnership and mutual accountability that should exist between donor and recipient Member States.
Mr President
I turn now to the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries. As we near the end of that decade, the disease continues to have a serious economic and human impact across the globe. Malaria fuels the cycle of poverty, afflicting primarily the poor and most vulnerable. It is an unacceptable tragedy that malaria remains a major killer of African children.
We can draw some encouragement from the progress that has been made in combating the disease, and by the results that we are beginning to see. The reduction of malaria cases and deaths in those high-burden African countries that have achieved high-coverage of their populations with bed nets and treatment programs demonstrates that we know what is needed to combat this disease. Our efforts, however, must continue.
The Global Fund for HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a critical player in combating malaria in developing countries. Last week Australia announced its commitment of $210 million over three years to support the critical work of the Global Fund. This commitment represents a 55 per cent increase over Australia’s last three year pledge to the Global Fund, and demonstrates our commitment to supporting global efforts to build on the successes of the past decade and to reverse the incidence of malaria world-wide.
Australia’s bilateral programs complement our support to the Global Fund. Australia is playing a leading role in reducing the malaria burden in the Asia Pacific region, where around 62 per cent of of malaria cases outside of Africa occur.
Through the Pacific Malaria Initiative, Australia is providing targeted technical and management support to assist governments implement their national malaria action plans. This initiative is already making impressive progress. In Solomon Islands, malaria incidence has reduced from 199 malaria cases per thousand people in 2003 to 77 cases per thousand in 2009, while in Vanuatu the rate has fallen from 74 to 15 cases per thousand. This initiative has highlighted the importance of working within partner government systems; of strong political leadership; and of providing appropriate technical expertise.
Australia will continue to support malaria control in the Asia Pacific region and globally. We aim to build on successes so far, and to achieve the goals set for us in MDG 6 by 2015.
Thankyou Mr President.