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Official News - September 2007
► Australia strengthens global action against landmines
The Australian Government has announced a major boost in efforts to improve the effectiveness of mine action programs.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Greg Hunt, has announced a series of initiatives to support landmine clearance in Jordan and throughout the Asia-Pacific.
Australia will provide $1.5 million to support the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD).GICHD is an independent foundation which is recognised as a global leader in mine action. It works to eliminate landmines and reduce the humanitarian impacts of landmines and explosive remnants of war. GICHD will utilise this funding to assist mine-affected countries in the Asia-Pacific region prioritise mine clearance to ensure the benefits are maximised, particularly for the poor and vulnerable.
Australia will also provide a further $1 million to the United Nations Development Programme to clear landmines along Jordan’s heavily mined border with Syria. This will help 50,000 people in Jordan gain safe access to more than seven million square kilometres of land previously rendered useless by the risk of landmines.
Anti-personnel landmines and other explosive remnants of war are serious obstacles to sustainable development in over seventy countries, including many of the world’s poorest. Landmines continue to have tragic effects many years after the armed conflict has ended, causing an estimated 20,000 casualties each year, mostly civilians and many of them children.
Australia is a leading contributor to international mine clearance efforts, survivor assistance, mine risk education and integrated mine actions programs that help survivors rebuild their livelihood. Soon after signing the Mine Ban Convention in 1997, Australia committed $100 million to mine action over 10 years. In July 2005 Australia committed a further $75 million over another five years.
► Australian appointed to lead UN Democracy Fund
Mr Roland Rich has been appointed to the position of Executive Head of the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF).
Mr Rich will lead the work of UNDEF in supporting democratization throughout the world by financing projects that strengthen democratic institutions, promote human rights, and ensure the participation of all groups in democratic processes. Australia was among those countries that urged the establishment of UNDEF in the lead-up to the UN World Summit in 2005. Australia is UNDEF’s fifth largest donor and an inaugural member of the Advisory Board.
Australia is a strong supporter of democracy building around the world through our support for multilateral institutions such as UNDEF, the Centre for Democratic Institutions, and our bilateral aid programs. In 2007-08, approximately 25 per cent of Australia’s Overseas Development Assistance will be spent on governance activities.
The appointment reflects well on Australia’s continuing multilateral focus on democracy and good governance issues.
It is also a credit to Mr Rich, who has over 30 years of experience in diplomacy, international law and democracy promotion. Mr Rich was founding Director of the Australian National University’s Centre for Democratic Institutions, an Australian Government initiative, from 1998 to 2005. Mr Rich has been a research fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington DC and most recently served on the Australian Defence College staff. Mr Rich is expected to take up his appointment in early October 2007.
► Australian economy ranked among the most competitive in the world
The Australian economy continues to score highly in global surveys of competitiveness.
The Australian economy has been ranked in the top 10 most resilient economies in the world, according to the results of the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2007. The World Competitiveness Yearbook published annually, reports on the competitiveness of nations by ranking how a nation creates and sustains the competitiveness of enterprises.
The report also ranks Australia as the 12th most competitive economy in the world and the 7th most efficient business environment.
The report highlights Australia’s low unemployment rate, strong business climate (such as the independence of corporate boards and shareholder value) and sound institutional frameworks as key factors in its overall performance.
Similarly, in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2006-07, Australia is ranked in the top twenty most competitive economies in the world.
Australia gets particularly strong scores for the strength of its public institutions, which are characterised as open, transparent and efficient. The report also notes that Australia is harnessing new technologies effectively for productivity gains.