What role should Australia play in helping our regional and Pacific neighbours in the fight and recovery from COVID-19? How will the efficiency and depth of our response impact our regional and broader relations?

Asia Society Australia and the Australian Council for International Development warmly invite you to a virtual address with the Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and Assistant Defence Minister, as he outlines changes to Australia’s international development and aid program as we respond to the COVID-19 crisis and the possible implications this could have for our regional relationships.

The recently announced pivot in Australia’s development program will see $280 million AUD redirected to support medical and humanitarian needs across the Pacific, Timor Leste, and Southeast Asia. The Partnerships for Recovery policy is a direct response to the coronavirus pandemic and the disproportionate impact it is having on the health systems, economies, and societies of many developing nations.

Simultaneous to Australia’s commitments, major powers, like China are emerging as prominent aid and development donors across the region, while traditional givers, like the United States are focused on dealing with the domestic challenges of the pandemic. This dynamic has compounded the already complex relationship between recipient and donor and forced many nations to navigate the currents of bigger global tensions within their own aid programs.

Join us as we discuss what this means for Australia’s role and how our government balances responsibility, competition, security, and relationships when it comes to aid and development in the region.

Date: Tuesday 14 July 2020
Time: 11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m. AEST

Please note this event will run as a webcast only and is open to the public. Registration is essential. For further enquiries contact: [email protected]