Aid & Development

The recent contributions on the 1951 Refugee Convention from Khalid Koser and Jane McAdam are heartening. It is good to read rational and reasoned discussion by two experts on the international refugee regime and the challenges it faces. If timing is anything to go by, Khalid Koser has hit the

In recent years, strategic rivalry between India and China has been evident across the Indo-Pacific, with Beijing progressively growing its diplomatic, economic and military influence on India's land and maritime periphery, and India belatedly pushing back to preserve its once privileged position in

By Eva Westfield, who was an Australian volunteer based in Port Vila. Consistently rated the most dangerous countries in the world in terms of disaster risk, Vanuatu is no stranger to the destruction caused by natural hazards. Talk of Cyclone Pam hitting Vanuatu started about a week before it

Should Australia join the Chinese-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)? As often happens in international affairs, the answer is not found in the technical pros and cons of the proposal, but in the politics. America seems to have strongly encouraged its close Asian friends (Japan

On 3 March, Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said, 'We must use the celebration of International Women's Day to highlight the plight of women still fighting for freedom and equality, for when that is achieved it will be for the betterment of us all.'  That fight is ongoing in the Asia-

Mapping Chinese aid in the Pacific, an interactive map launched by the Lowy Institute today, is the first comprehensive survey of Chinese-funded aid projects in the Pacific Islands region. Lowy Institute Research Associate Dr Philippa Brant drew on over 500 sources including budgets, tender

Eight months until new development goals are agreed.  But then what? Good analysis on the Guardian and in this podcast.  15 things you may not have known about EU development cooperation in 2015. A Chinese-built 338 MW hydropower dam begins operation in Cambodia. How lawyers can help promote

Jenny Hayward-Jones is Director of the Lowy Institute's Melanesia Program and Philippa Brant is a Research Associate at the Lowy Institute. Pacific Island leaders have had the rare opportunity to meet the international leader of the moment, Narendra Modi, and the president of the world's

A few months ago I stood on a beach in Tarawa, the most populous of islands comprising the Micronesian nation of Kiribati. It's long and thin sliver of land where you can walk from one side of the island to the other in minutes. It has a population density up to twice that of Sydney or New York, but

The debate about whether Australia should join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has gone beyond the realm of economic development and investment to hit at the core of Australia's apparent security dilemma. The initial concern revolved around the governance arrangements and whether

Poverty among Australians is on the rise; one in six children struggling, says new Australian Council of Social Services report. China is at the bottom of the pack among major donors in making foreign aid information accessible, according to the latest edition of a global index on aid transparency

In July 2014, Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Chris Baggoley, assured us that the risk of the deadly Ebola virus spreading to Australia from West Africa was very low. At that stage, cases of this most recent outbreak of the disease had been confined to West African countries and in particular

At the upcoming APEC Summit in Beijing, China is hoping to announce a formal MoU for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Offers to join the Bank have been sent around the region, including to Australia. So should Australia sign on? Little is publicly known about how the Bank would work

With Fiji elections happening tomorrow, be sure to read Jenny Hayward-Jones Policy Brief on the significance of the elections for Australian policy towards Fiji.  Who gives humanitarian aid? To whom? How much? The 2014 Humanitarian Assistance Report was released last week and provides a great

After eight years of Voreqe Bainimarama's military rule in Fiji, there is much excitement about the prospects for Fiji's return to democracy with elections next week. Seven parties and one independent candidate will contest 50 parliamentary seats. 591,095 Fijians have registered to vote; 120,000

We know a lot about the lives of the very poor in developing countries, but how is it different to be poor in the richest country in the world? The Atlantic highlights new research by Laurence Chandy and Cory Smith on poverty in America. How can China and other development partners cooperate to

All photos by Vlad Sokhin. In a new Lowy Institute Analysis published today, Jo Chandler presents a devastating picture of the endemic violence against women in Papua New Guinea and the role Australia can play in supporting local initiatives to address the problem. Below, Jo reflects on how

An innovative agreement on renewable energy technology transfer has been signed between China, Denmark, Ghana, Zambia and UNDP. UN agencies and NGOs are struggling to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq. Even the $500 million Saudi aid grant, which they wanted spent as fast as possible, has

Ebola fears undermine regional peacekeeping plans in Africa. China will install  more solar power this year than the US. The biggest rises and falls in press freedom around the world in 2014? Read the new Reporters without Borders Freedom Index. 842 million people in the world do not have enough

This week our links are focused on the Pacific Islands Forum taking place in Koror, Palau. On the Devpolicy blog, Seini O'Connor asks: what can the people of our region expect of the regionalism project? Islands Business provides a detailed backgrounder on what Pacific leaders will be addressing

The news today is that the establishment of a BRICS Bank has (finally) been confirmed. It is officially called the New Development Bank. Headquartered in Shanghai, the US$100 billion development bank will feature a 5-year rotating presidency, and provide financing for infrastructure and sustainable

The Chinese Government is frequently criticised for not being transparent about its aid program. As I mentioned in my quick summary yesterday, there's not a lot of specific data in the Chinese aid white paper. But we can make a few comparisons — on geographical spread, type of aid, and income

Today, the Chinese Government released its much-awaited second White Paper on Foreign Aid. It's been in the pipeline for a while, as I've noted a number of times, and follows the first white paper published in April 2011.  So what does it say? First, it is an overview of China's foreign