Allan Behm on Why Australia Should Convene a Pacific Donors’ Conference

“The countries of the Pacific want engagement … But the leadership they seek involves cooperation, dialogue, understanding and, above all, respect.”

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THE PROBLEM: International aid, or official development assistance (ODA), in the Pacific too often fails to meet its fundamental objective – a better life for Pacific peoples. Funding is in decline and, in a world shaken by COVID-19 and a massive global economic slump, it won’t return to pre-pandemic levels quickly.