Australian aid | PNG and the Pacific | Global development policy| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The notion of “locally led development” should be reserved for leader-led development through local communities, civil society, churches, small businesses and Indigenous NGOs; something that pre-exists and endures independently of external aid, regardless of the benefits it derives from such aid. DFAT released its Guidance Note on Locally Led Development last year to critical acclaim, ... Read moreAbout the author/s Mark Moran Mark Moran PhD is a development effectiveness analyst, writer ...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The Seasonal Worker Program (SWP), now under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme as its “short-term” stream, was launched in 2012 with two objectives: “to contribute to economic development in partner Pacific countries” and “to provide benefits to Australian employers and the domestic economy”. There is ample evidence to assess the SWP against its ... Read moreDisclosure This research was supported by the Pacific Research Program, with funding from the Department ...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
With the golden jubilee celebrations having just passed, Papua New Guinea is equal parts festive and reflective. The national broadcasters have played their part in fostering the latter: screening history-themed documentaries and news segments in between the comprehensive live coverage of official events across the nation’s capital. Universities and training centres such as the Somare ... Read moreDisclosure Funding for the Revitalising the PNG Dictionary of Biography project is provided by...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Australian aid Australia has been supported by over 100 other countries at the 80th United Nations General Assembly session in New York at the launch of a new global Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. Foreign Minister Penny Wong also announced $15 million in funding to support “new, concrete measures to keep humanitarian personnel ... Read moreDisclosure Material for this update has been collected by Devpol staff; editorial responsibility lies with Cameron Hill. Devpo...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
As Papua New Guinea celebrates 50 years of independence, we reflect on progress made in improving health and strengthening relationships. Our experience through a major program on maternal and child health, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies (HMHB), is that having strong, resilient health systems is a key foundation for independence — and the partnerships that sustain ... Read moreAbout the author/s James Beeson Professor James Beeson is a Deputy Director (Research Strategy) and Head of the Mal...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Polopa means “go ahead, I will come after you”. It is the name given to the Polopa-speaking people of the Southern Highlands Province — a population of about 10,000 people living in the Erave local level government area. They live in nine council wards: Kerabi, Balowei, Tiri, Waraga, Waposale, Kele, Puputau (Mt Tawa), Sirigi and Sopuse. ... Read moreAbout the author/s Busa Jeremiah Wenogo Busa Jeremiah Wenogo is a Papua New Guinean development economist who specialises in issues relati...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Port Vila’s tiny literati scene has been abuzz with celebrations of home-grown, modern storytelling in recent months: first through the national micro-fiction writing awards and then the long-awaited book launch of The Writings of Grace Mera Molisa (1946 – 2002): Kastom, Politik mo ol Raet blong ol Woman long Vanuatu by Blackstone Publications. An acclaimed ni-Vanuatu ... Read moreAbout the author/s Anna Naupa Anna Naupa is currently a ni-Vanuatu PhD candidate at the School of Culture, H...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
PNG’s minimum wage has been K3.50 per hour (K28 per eight-hour day) since July 2016. However, prices of food and non-food items have continued to increase over time. Consequently, urban minimum-wage earners in the first quarter of 2025 could purchase one-quarter less food and other goods and services compared to July 2016 — a significant ... Read moreDisclosure Funding for this research was provided by the Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Australia High Commis...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Four important reports were published in July that shed new light on trends in international development assistance for health (DAH) — bilateral and multilateral aid financing specifically to the health sectors of developing countries. These reports are particularly timely and relevant given the sharp cuts to DAH this year from several developed country donors. This ... Read moreAbout the author/s Ian Anderson Ian Anderson is an associate at the Development Policy Centre. He has a PhD from ...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
My first article in this three-part series summarised recent key trends in health aid financing globally. This article focuses on the growth in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) — the leading cause of death in the world — as an international development issue. I draw on a number of important reports on NCDs published in the last ... Read moreAbout the author/s Ian Anderson Ian Anderson is an associate at the Development Policy Centre. He has a PhD from the Crawford School of Public Policy,...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The first article in this series reported on the latest trends in development assistance for health and the second focused on the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) globally and especially in low- and middle-income countries. This final article provides recent insights into trends in diabetes, a particular challenge in the Pacific. The Diabetes Atlas 2025, ... Read moreAbout the author/s Ian Anderson Ian Anderson is an associate at the Development Policy Centre. He has a PhD from the Cr...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Police motorcades, close personal protection for VIPs and Solomon Islands police with assault rifles in military uniform cosplay milling around venues spoke of a very un-“Pacific way” at this year’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM) in Honiara. Every PIF is different and most noticeable this year was the high level of security around leaders ... Read moreAbout the author/s Tess Newton Cain Dr Tess Newton Cain is an Associate of the Development Policy Centre and an adjunct As...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The delay on the Australia-PNG Pukpuk security treaty invites consideration of the risks of disproportionate investment in defence, says Michael Kabuni.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Keith Jackson remembers deceased PNG historian and politician John Wako, an actor in and chronicler of PNG' shifting fortunes before and after independence.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The Australian National University and Papua New Guinea – a special relationship| Pacific Economic Bulletin Archives
If history teaches us anything, it is that peace is fragile and contingent. Like any healthy and productive garden, it needs constant tending. The renewed outbreak of fighting in Wapenamanda in Enga Province in August, following the hard-won peace symbolised by the signing of the Peace Accords at the Airways hotel in Port Moresby in ... Read moreAbout the author/s William Kipongi William Kipongi is a research officer in the National Security and International Relations Research Program at the...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
First launched over 20 years ago to highlight Australia’s interests in African mining and energy, the Africa Down Under Conference has become the largest African-focused mining event outside the African continent. This year’s gathering in Perth once again brought together senior African and Australian officials and business leaders. Among them was Guinea’s Minister for Planning ... Read moreDisclosure From September 2024 to May 2025, the author was the Chief of Party for the Citizen Obs...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Civil society in the Indo-Pacific is frequently viewed through several narrow frames: as a counterweight to government, as a low-cost substitute for public service delivery or as a box to tick in participatory consultations. Each of these roles matters. Civil society often does play an important role in resisting authoritarian drift, filling important gaps in ... Read moreAbout the author/s Nicola Nixon Nicola Nixon is Senior Director, Governance, at The Asia Foundation, based in Hanoi. She i...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Today Papua New Guinea celebrates 50 years of independence. Independence days are usually marked by speeches, feasts and cultural dances. The celebrations are the largest yet, with several other countries joining PNG to mark the occasion, including Prince Edward of the United Kingdom, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and ... Read moreDisclosure This research was undertaken with the support of the ANU-UPNG Partnership, an initiative ...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
On the occasion of Papua New Guinea’s 50th anniversary of independence, I want to acknowledge some of my favourite elements that make up the nation of PNG. These are some of the things that impress me, teach me and bring me joy. They have kept me coming back over the past seven years living in ... Read moreDisclosure The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of his employer. About the author/s Luke McKenzie Luke McKenzie works as an advisor to the Papua New...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The $4 billion Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) is Australia’s largest single development financing vehicle. The AIFFP currently comprises up to $3 billion in non-concessional loan and guarantee capital and up to $1 billion in aid grants. While spending under the latter can be fully counted toward Australia’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) ... Read moreDisclosure This research was undertaken with the support of the Gates Foundation. The views re...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
When people think of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), they often picture emergency teams responding in conflict zones or epidemics. But MSF’s approach continues to evolve, particularly as climate and environmental changes increasingly intersect with public health, even outside traditional crisis settings. That’s why MSF is working in Kiribati, a remote Pacific Island nation where health ... Read moreAbout the author/s Peter Clausen Peter Clausen is the Head of Mission in Kiribati for Mé...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The story of the relationship between the two national universities is also the story of the relationship between two nations, says Sinclair Dinnen.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
A factsheet on how to apply for Australia's 2024 Pacific Engagement Visa and ballot.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The Murder in the Pacific series reveals wider truths about the sustainability and impact of aid projects, says Gordon Peake.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Strengthening online safety and security is essential to ensure digitalisation benefits all Timorese citizens, say Tim Mann and Juvita Pereira Faria.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Pacific nuclear powers should accept responsibility for environmental destruction and adequately compensate victims of past injustices, says David Robie.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The re-elected Albanese Labor Government's domestic and international climate initiatives must address our Pacific family's concerns, says Melanie Pill.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre