Australia's Pacific Regional aid program
Australia will provide an estimated $261.3 million in 2018-19 to the Pacific through our Pacific Regional Program. In addition to the Pacific Regional Program, $18 million will be provided from the Gender Equality Fund for regional and multi-country activities under Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development.
The Pacific Regional Program complements our Pacific bilateral programs in support of a stable, secure and prosperous Pacific. The Program supports regional approaches to address a range of regional development and economic growth challenges. Geographic isolation and small and dispersed populations can make the provision of even basic goods and services logistically difficult and expensive. The Pacific is particularly vulnerable to disasters and the impacts of climate change. Climate change is a risk multiplier that exacerbates vulnerabilities in health, water, food, infrastructure and economic systems. Little progress has been made toward the Millennium Development Goals, and the private sector is typically small with large informal economies. Violence, a lack of women in leadership roles and constrained financial opportunities limit women's economic, political and social participation.
Many of the Pacific's challenges cannot be addressed solely on a country-by-country basis. The Regional Program adds value where it is more efficient and effective to work through regional approaches.
Working with regional organisations and a range of other partners, our program is organised around the following mutually reinforcing objectives as outlined in the Pacific Regional Aid Investment Plan.
Overview of Australia's Pacific Regional aid program.