Africa’s latest crisis is escalating into further bloodshed and suffering and risks becoming another “forgotten emergency” as thousands of Ivorian refugees flee for their lives, international agency Oxfam warned today.
On 2 February 2011, Oxfam Australia provided a submission to the Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness, established by the Australian Government to review Australia’s aid program and guide the future direction of aid policy.
It is no secret that Australia is seeking a seat on the UN Security Council, the body responsible for maintaining global peace and security. This would place Australia in the inner sanctum of the most powerful body of the UN, albeit without the veto rights of the five permanent members.
Campaigners today called on governments meeting at the United Nations to ensure no weapons or munitions are sold to human rights abusers. The call came as delegates meet this week in New York to resume negotiations on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a legally-binding treaty to regulate the global arms trade.
As Australia’s aid program continues to grow – in line with the bi-partisan commitment for aid funding to reach half a per cent of our national income by 2015 – it will become even more important to make sure we are using this money effectively.
International aid agency Oxfam Australia today urged the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee to consider directing a portion of funds raised from a price on carbon and then an emissions trading scheme toward helping poor people in developing countries adapt to the devastating impacts of climate change.
With 2.4 million Afghan girls enrolled in school, compared to just 5,000 in 2001, progress in girls’ education is one of the rare Afghan success stories of the last nine years. This vital progress is now under threat 16 aid agencies including Oxfam and CARE warned today in a new report.
Our hearts are with the people of Christchurch, New Zeland who have been affected by the earthquake. Oxfam is ready to help but at this stage we urge donations to the NZ Red Cross. Read more
Note to Editors – this year, Fair Trade Fortnight will take place from May 7-22.
Fair Trade Fortnight celebrates and promotes fair trade: paying a fair price to producers in developing countries and helping to lift them and their communities out of poverty.
Treasurer Wayne Swan has an opportunity to help stop the price of basic foods surging further out of the reach of the world’s poor who are also still reeling from the Global Financial Crisis, Oxfam Australia said ahead of the G20 Finance Ministers’ Meeting that starts in Paris today.