Aid & Development

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Foreign aid: Is Afghanistan a welfare state?

Somewhere high in the dent of the shale grey mountains is a narrow water course. More than a stream, but not quite a river, it flows for four months of the year through the canyons of the various offshoot valleys towards the flat sandy vistas of the lower Panjshir River. The river itself tracks a

By Claire Stewart

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Aid & development links: China pollution, UK aid, cycling in Afghanistan and more

The UK's Department for International Development released a new strategic framework that focuses more directly on economic development. Owen Barder offers an excellent analysis of what's missing. Another great piece on PNG from Jo Chandler. This one on logging, land grabs, and the demise of PNG'

By Stephanie Dunstan

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Julie Bishop focuses on PNG's women

On her first visit to Papua New Guinea as Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop has reconfirmed the high priority the Australia-Papua New Guinea relationship has for Australian foreign policy and declared her deep affection for the country. A frequent visitor to PNG as shadow minister,

By Jenny Hayward-Jones

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Aid & development links: Rosling, Equator Prize, Iran's water, Why Aid Fails and more

Why Aid Fails, from the authors of the best selling book Why Nations Fail. Does India have more polluted air than China? And why is there not the uproar in Delhi like there is in Beijing? Interesting pieces in the NY Times and Bloomberg Businessweek. Relatedly, the 2014 Environmental Performance

By Stephanie Dunstan

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Chinese development financing to Africa: An update

Last year, AidData and the Center for Global Development launched a massive online database of China's development financing in Africa. At the time, many concerns were raised about its methodology and the headline figure reported extensively in the media. As I explained at the time, 'understanding

By Philippa Brant

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China's humanitarian assistance: Signs of improvement?

China's humanitarian aid has recently been subject to much criticism – both international and domestically. But the signs are positive for some reforms. Last week I was in Beijing for a workshop on humanitarian aid (or 'foreign disaster assistance', as the Chinese prefer to call it) hosted by the

By Philippa Brant

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Fiji: An election in 2014 and Bainimarama will stand

In what may be the clearest sign yet that Fiji Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama (pictured) intends to make good on his promise to hold elections in 2014, he has announced that he will resign as head of the military on 28 February and stand for election. Bainimarama has promised that his

By Jenny Hayward-Jones

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Aid & development links: Convergence, global inequality, polio and more

As noted in last Friday's India links, India is marking three years since its last reported polio case, a landmark in the global battle against the disease. This BBC story on India's success in combating polio also has an interesting pictorial history of the disease. The World Bank's Global

By Stephanie Dunstan

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Reader riposte: Aid & development links

Garth Luke from World Vision Australia writes: Thanks for your useful posts on aid. I had a read of the Maxwell article which you quote and I don't think I would characterise it as you have below: "In one of these contributions, the ODI’s Simon Maxwell considers how development ministries

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Aid & development links: Fragile states, Easterly vs Sachs, America's war on poverty and more

Remember the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States, agreed at Busan in 2011? Here’s how some African fragile states are putting it into practice. The World Giving Index of 2013, published by the Charities Aid Foundation, measures the scope and nature of personal giving around the world

By Philippa Brant

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Aid & development links: Poverty, Syria, Latin America, China's environment and more

The OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) just released detailed final aid figures for 2012. The database is hard to navigate but DAC has provided us with a handy infographic to help us compare donor countries. 2014 set to be a good year for Latin America. New Gallup household income data

By Philippa Brant

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The best aid & development writing in 2013

Philippa Brant The world of foreign aid has changed dramatically over the past few years, with new actors, new forms of assistance, and new goals being negotiated. A great overview of the shifting geopolitical realities and implications for aid and development, Emma Mawdsley's From Recipients to

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Julie Bishop's Pacific Islands trip: A good precedent

Reviving a mid-December tradition established by former foreign minister Alexander Downer, Julie Bishop has just completed a three-day whirlwind trip to Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Nauru. As a backbencher, Bishop was part of Downer's delegation in December 2002*, and just as Downer did, Bishop

By Jenny Hayward-Jones

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China throws away a chance to lead

In this piece for the Wall Street Journal, Rory Medcalf argues that China has allowed its territorial dispute in the South China Sea to distort its diplomatic response to Typhoon Haiyan

By Rory Medcalf

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Typhoon Haiyan: Disaster response highlights diplomacy of aid, boosts countries' influence

In this piece for ABC News, Rory Medcalf looks at the strategic consequences already evident in responses to Typhoon Haiyan in Asia

By Rory Medcalf

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China's aid program: Why the numbers matter

Dr Philippa Brant is a Lowy Institute Research Associate. China’s aid policy, like almost everything China does on the world stage, attracts close scrutiny and often criticism. The forthcoming release of China’s second White Paper on Foreign Aid (likely within the next month) will

By Guest Blogger

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Charity begins at home

Lowy Institute Research Associate Dr Philippa Brant writes for Foreign Affairs about why China's foreign aid won't replace the West's. The full article is available here

By Philippa Brant

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Judicious ambition: international policy priorities for the new Australian Government

In this new Lowy Institute Analysis, a number of Lowy Institute experts outline what they believe should be some key international priorities for the new Australian Government.

By Michael Fullilove, Anthony Bubalo, Rory Medcalf, James Brown, Mike Callaghan, Linda Jakobson, Jenny Hayward-Jones, Philippa Brant, Khalid Koser

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Australian anxiety over China's South Pacific aid efforts is misplaced

In this comment piece for the Guardian's global development blog Dr Philippa Brant explores Australia's ongoing dominance in the South Pacific and the opportunities for cooperation with China

By Philippa Brant

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2012 Australia-India Roundtable Report: Outcomes Statement and Summary of Proceedings

The relationship between Australia and India is poised at an historic moment. Consciously overcoming a challenging period, leaders of the two countries have realised new levels of mutual trust and confidence that are in turn generating policy momentum. Ahead of preparations for the 2013 Australia-

By Rory Medcalf, C Raja Mohan

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A new aid order in the Asian Century: reflections on The Future of International Development in the Asia Pacific conference, 9-10 May 2013

The Lowy Institute, together with The Asia Foundation and the Development Policy Centre at ANU, co-hosted the conference The Future of International Development in the Asia Pacific in Melbourne on 9-10 May 2013. Below is a summary of the conference proceedings and reflections on the main themes

By Graham Brown, Robin Davies, Anthea Mulakala, Annmaree O’Keeffe

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Chinese aid in the South Pacific: linked to resources?

Lowy Institute Research Associate Dr Philippa Brant has published an article in the journal Asian Studies Review, Volume 37 (2) 2013, on the implications of China's emergence as a global development actor

By Philippa Brant

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In conversation: Philippa Brant on China's aid to the Pacific

Earlier this month, Myer Melanesia Program Director Jenny Hayward Jones released a new paper, Big Enough for all of us: Geo-Strategic Competition in the Pacific Islands, challenging assumptions about what China is up to in the Pacific. Jenny's work drew on the research of Dr Philippa

By Stephanie Dunstan

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Big enough for all of us: geo-strategic competition in the Pacific Islands

China's growing engagement in the Pacific Islands has fueled talk of great-power competition in the region. But viewing China's activities in the region in geo-strategic terms is inappropriate and potentially counter-productive.

By Jenny Hayward-Jones

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Chinese aid to Africa: A detective story

Philippa Brant is a Lowy Institute Research Associate. Earlier this week a massive database of Chinese development finance activities in Africa (warning: big PDF) was launched by AidData and the Center for Global Development. This endeavour involved a team of researchers and has

By Guest Blogger

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The future of women in Afghanistan

Military Fellow James Brown participated in a panel discussion hosted by Amnesty International to discuss how Australia can help Afghan women fighting for their rights. He spoke alongside Wazhma Frogh, receipient of the 2009 International Women of Courage Award, and SBS journalist Karen Middleton

By James Brown

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Digital islands: how the Pacific ICT revolution is transforming the region

The Pacific Islands region is in the midst of an information and communications technology (ICT) revolution that could have profound implications, particularly for democratic governance and the region’s development.

By Danielle Cave

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Fiji at home and in the world: public opinion and foreign policy

The Lowy Institute’s first Fiji Poll was a wide-ranging survey of public opinion in Fiji about the performance of Fiji’s military-led government and Fiji’s relations with the world. Questions focused on the implementation of government promises, the role of Fiji’s military, and democracy.

By Jenny Hayward-Jones

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Turning the tide: improving access to climate financing in the Pacific Islands

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) commits developed countries to provide climate financing to developing nations, to address climate impacts on food security, water supply, agriculture and public health. But despite recent commitments of 'fast start' climate funding

By Nic Maclellan

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Improving access to climate financing for the Pacific Islands

One of the central pillars of global climate change negotiations is the need to improve access for developing countries to funding and technical resources. But efforts to establish effective mechanisms for climate financing are complex, with governments trying to balance the accountability required

By Nic Maclellan

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China in the Pacific: the new banker in town

This is the fourth Lowy Institute report on China’s aid program in the Pacific. The series, covering the period 2005-2009, offer the most detailed picture available of China’s activities in the region

By Fergus Hanson, Mary Fifita

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Health system strengthening in Papua New Guinea: exploring the role of demand-responsive mechanisms

This Lowy Institute Analysis by Julienne McKay and Dr Katherine Lepani, exploring the role of demand-responsive mechanisms in health services delivery in Papua New Guinea, accompanies the Policy Brief, 'Revitalising Papua New Guinea's health system

By Julienne McKay, Katherine Lepani

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Revitalising Papua New Guinea’s health system: the need for creative approaches

The scale of public health challenges in Papua New Guinea heightens the need to improve management capacity and ensure value for money. Proposed changes to health facility financing and plans to replace drug supply system open up possibilities for wider use of delivery mechanisms previously

By Julienne McKay, Katherine Lepani

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Linking growth and poverty reduction in Papua New Guinea

Recent impressive economic growth has helped many Papua New Guineans escape poverty. Those lifted from poverty retain strong connections to the economy, its active participants and the government. For those whose connections are weak or absent, economic growth provides no obvious reward. To increase

By Laurence Chandy

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China: stumbling through the Pacific

A new Policy Brief on China's aid program in the Pacific provides the most detailed picture yet of China's approach to aid-giving in the region.

By Fergus Hanson

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Fiji: the flailing state

The abrogation of Fiji's constitution could precipitate an economic collapse in Fiji, jeopardising regional stability and Australia's interests

By Jenny Hayward-Jones

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Shared challenges and solutions: Australia unique contribution to the future of African development

As part of its commitment to increase spending on overseas development assistance, the Australian government has announced a substantial re-engagement with Africa

By Joel Negin, Glenn Denning

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Beyond good governance

Australian aid has not been effective in helping the Pacific Islands region make significant progress in meeting the Millennium Development Goals

By Jenny Hayward-Jones

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The dragon in the Pacific: more opportunity than threat

China runs an opaque aid program in the Pacific that has fuelled suspicions about its motives in the region and that undermines efforts to improve accountability, governance and stability

By Fergus Hanson

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The dragon looks south

China refuses to release figures on the size of its aid program. In this new Lowy Institute Analysis, Fergus Hanson takes a region-wide look at the scale of China’s aid program, revealing a dramatic increase in aid pledges since 2005

By Fergus Hanson

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China and Taiwan in the South Pacific: diplomatic chess versus Pacific political rugby

In this Lowy Institute Policy Brief, Graeme Dobell looks at how the competition for diplomatic recognition between China and Taiwan is destabilising Island states and undermining Australia's interests in the region

By Graeme Dobell

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Re-imagining PNG: culture, democracy and Australia role

Australia has, perhaps, no closer or more complicated a bilateral relationship than that with Papua New Guinea. Australia is deeply entwined with its nearest neighbour and has a major stake in its future

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Financial liberalization, financial sector development and growth: evidence from Malaysia

The objective of this paper is to examine whether financial development leads to economic growth or vice versa in the small, open economy of Malaysia. We argue that the results obtained from cross-sectional studies are not able to address this issue satisfactorily and highlight the importance of

By Warwick McKibbin

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Asset markets and financial flows in general equilibrium models

This paper discusses the importance of asset markets and financial flows in general equilibrium models. Asset markets and financial flows play an important role in the adjustment process to economic shocks and policy changes.

By Warwick McKibbin

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