The challenge of climate change is a global one. But it is poor people in developing countries who are suffering its impacts first and worst. And they simply cannot afford to wait any longer to receive the assistance that they so desperately need.
Tianjin, China – Governments from around the world, including Australia, must design an effective fund that will help the world’s poor adapt to climate change, international aid agency Oxfam said today as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference begins in Tianjin, China.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd’s promise to target more aid to the world’s least developed countries will mean more of Australia’s aid is going where it’s needed most, international aid agency Oxfam Australia said today.
Australia’s new Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd should make tackling global hunger one of his top priorities when he attends the UN Millennium Development Goal summit in New York this week, international aid agency Oxfam Australia said today.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard should take an early opportunity to show that her new Government will meet its commitments to the world’s poorest by attending an upcoming United Nations’ summit in New York, international aid agency Oxfam Australia said today.
Stephen Smith and Julie Bishop missed a crucial opportunity to commit to further lifting Australia’s foreign aid spending to match comparable wealthy countries at today’s election debate, international aid agency Oxfam Australia said.
Climate change is the central poverty issue of our time. Oxfam is seeing the world’s most vulnerable – who have contributed least to climate change – already suffering most from its effects, facing greater droughts, floods, hunger and disease.
The issue of asylum seekers is, without a doubt, a complicated one. International law and emotive political rhetoric make it so. There are no hard and fast answers but there are, dare I say it, ways to truly move forward on the issue.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard won’t be attending a meeting of Pacific island leaders this week (Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 August) – despite the fact that she is currently at the helm of the Pacific Islands Forum.
It’s true that people in poor countries on our doorstep won’t be voting for either Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott later this month.
But Australians who care about doing the right thing will be. So it’s no reason for either of the leaders to abandon all mention, during this election campaign, of meeting Australia’s international obligations on climate change, or for not putting up policies that will genuinely reduce Australia’s emissions to the degree that is required.