International Cooperation

  • Legislation and Implementation

BACKGROUND AND CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS

The Committee on the Rights of the Child (“CRC”) has pointed out that Australia’s Overseas Development Assistance, or aid providing to other countries, is below the internationally agreed standard of 0.7% of Gross National Income (“GNI”). Australia also does not have a specific policy requiring overseas aid programs to be consistent with a human-rights based approach to development.

In light of these points, the CRC has recommended that:

  • Australia adopt a consistent human rights approach for all its development aid policy and programmes, focusing on a child rights-based approach where possible in order to ensure sustainable development; and
  • Australia commit to achieving the internationally agreed Overseas Development Assistance target of 0.7% of GNI.

MINIMUM STANDARDS UNDER THE CONVENTION

  • Article 1: All children have rights under the Convention
  • Article 3: The best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration for governments in all actions concerning children
  • Article 6: Governments should ensure all children live, survive and develop healthily

DEVELOPMENTS

Areas lacking progress

NATIONAL: Lack of progress on developing a human rights approach to foreign aid

In 2011, UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and Foreign Debt tabled a report on the February 2011 country mission to Australia in the UN Human Rights Council. The report urged Australia to adopt a human rights-based approach to aid and development. [1]

Non-government organisations such as the Human Rights Law Centre are currently working to promote the adoption of a human rights-based approach to foreign aid by the Australian government, [2] an issue which has also been advocated by the Australian Greens Party. [3] However, the most recent strategic change in the administration of foreign aid and development funding in 2011 did not adopt a human rights-based approach. [4]

Indeed, while the recommendation that Australia adopt a consistent human rights approach in its foreign aid policy was again repeated by the CRC in its Concluding Observations in 2012, to date there has been no further progress on this issue.

Negative developments

NATIONAL: Cuts to foreign aid and delay to the Overseas Development Assistance Target of 0.5%

Following the announcement of the former Labor government that Australia would delay its commitment to meet its foreign aid target of 0.5% GNI by another year to 2017-18, [5] the incoming Coalition government has made further cuts to the Overseas Development Assistance program.

The Coalition government plans to cut $4.5 billion from the current aid budget over the next four years, as well as axing the Australian Agency for International Development (“AusAID”). [6] World Vision forecasts that these cuts will take the aid budget down to around 0.33% of national income over the four-year forward estimates, [7] far short of the CRC’s recommended target of 0.7% and the Millennium Development Goals.

The move has been widely criticised by the aid sector, UNICEF Australia chief executive Norman Gillespie stating that “we are a strong OECD country, yet we are fast becoming the least generous when it comes to reducing global poverty.” [8] World Vision Australia chief executive Tim Costello called the aid cuts an ‘isolationist policy’ adding, “we understand our country faces economic challenges but we should never, ever balance the books on the backs of the poor.” [9] Archie Law, executive director of charity ActionAid Australia, says the move to axe AusAID will have “massive and devastating effects” on Australia’s aid program. [10]

The government has failed to listen to the CRC on its international cooperation obligations in this regard, which must be immediately redressed in order to safeguards the rights of vulnerable children around the world.

NATIONAL: Foreign aid being diverted to asylum seekers arriving in Australia

The Australian government is set to divert up to $375million on onshore asylum seeker programs and expenditure from its foreign aid program. [11]

This means that Australia will become the third largest recipient of its own aid program, with only Indonesia and Papua New Guinea receiving higher amounts.

The diversion of foreign aid to assist with onshore asylum-seeker costs has been condemned by the aid sector, which argues the move will cost lives.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Australia adopt a consistent human rights approach for all its development aid policy and programmes, focusing on a child rights-based approach where possible in order to ensure sustainable development.
  • Australia commit to achieving the internationally agreed Overseas Development Assistance target of 0.7% of GNI.

FOOTNOTES

  1. See Human Rights Law Centre, UN Human Rights Council: Australia Urged to Adopt Human Rights-Based Approach to Aid and Development (Media Release, 31 May 2011) (online) at http://www.hrlc.org.au/un-human-rights-council-australia-urged-to-adopt-human-rights-based-approach-to-aid-and-development-31-may-2011 (accessed 10 December 2013)
  2. Human Rights Law Centre, ‘Focus Area: Foreign Policy’ (online) at http://www.hrlc.org.au/category/focus-areas/focus-area-foreign-society/page/4 (accessed 10 December 2013)
  3. Australian Greens, ‘Overseas aid’ (online) at http://greens.org.au/policies/overseas-aid (accessed 10 December 2013)
  4. Philip Lynch, ‘Human rights-based approach to development rejected in aid program’ (2011) 36(3) Alternative Law Journal 202
  5. Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Hon Bob Carr, ‘2013-14 International Development Assistance Budget’ (Media Release, 14 May 2013) (online) at http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2013/bc_mr_130514b.html (accessed 10 December 2013)
  6. Dr Rebecca Valenzuela, ‘The real cost of foreign aid cuts’, 15 November 2013, Sydney Morning Herald (online) at  http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/the-real-cost-of-foreignaid-cuts-20131115-2xkux.html (accessed 10 December 2013)
  7. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ‘Australian Coalition’s foreign aid cuts slammed’, 6 September 2013, Australia Network News (online) at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-06/an-coalition-aid-cuts-reax/4940604 (accessed 10 December 2013)
  8. Dr Rebecca Valenzuela, ‘The real cost of foreign aid cuts’, 15 November 2013, Sydney Morning Herald (online) at  http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/the-real-cost-of-foreignaid-cuts-20131115-2xkux.html (accessed 10 December 2013)
  9. Dr Rebecca Valenzuela, ‘The real cost of foreign aid cuts’, 15 November 2013, Sydney Morning Herald (online) at  http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/the-real-cost-of-foreignaid-cuts-20131115-2xkux.html (accessed 10 December 2013)
  10. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ‘Oxfam, World Vision hit out at Government’s decision to bring AusAID into the Foreign Affairs Department’, 19 September 2013, ABC News (online) at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-19/aid-agencies-criticise-ausaid-realignment/4966924 (accessed 10 December 2013)
  11. Joe Kelly, ‘$1b siphoned from foreign aid’, The Australian, 15 May 2013 (online) at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration-1bn-siphoned-from-foreign-aid/story-fnhi8df6-1226642542801 (accessed 14 January 2014)