Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Chapman, move:

That the Senate—

(a)

acknowledges that 2007 is the half-time progress mark in the global effort to meet the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to halve extreme global poverty by 2015;

(b)

notes that, since the Millennium Declaration was signed by the Prime Minister (Mr Howard) and other world leaders, there has been progress with:

(i)

an additional 34 million children worldwide afforded the opportunity to enter and complete primary school,

(ii)

more people than ever receiving treatment for HIV, and

(iii)

30 of the world’s poorest countries receiving debt cancellation or some reduction;

(c)

affirms the positive contribution that Australia has already made, by:

(i)

providing up-front, Australia’s 10-year contribution to multilateral debt relief for poor nations,

(ii)

increasing Australia’s aid budget to approximately $4 billion by 2010,

(iii)

strengthening Australia’s commitment to coordinate aid with other donors and better aligning Australia’s aid with partner countries own priorities and processes, and

(iv)

renewing the focus of Australia’s aid on education and health;

(d)

notes that, despite significant progress, some of the Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved unless new action is taken and more resources are mobilised;

(e)

affirms the work of the ‘Make Poverty History’ and ‘Micah Challenge’ campaigns in raising public awareness and generating new support for international poverty reduction efforts; and

(f)

calls on Australia to continue to play its part in supporting the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals through:

(i)

a generous, effective and poverty-focused aid program,

(ii)

a commitment to reducing the unsustainable debt burden of heavily-indebted poor countries,

(iii)

the promotion of good governance in institutions and communities of developing countries,

(iv)

advocacy for fairer international trade rules, and

(v)

addressing the development challenges posed by climate change.

Question agreed to.