Partnerships for Recovery

2021–22 Australian Official Development Assistance $4 billion

Partnerships for Recovery is our overarching framework for delivering timely, responsive and effective support in a world shaped by COVID-19. Our focus is on health security, stability and economic recovery in the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

Australia’s development program is an investment in an open, prosperous and resilient Indo-Pacific. Our assistance is helping partner countries in our region navigate the challenges of a more contested and disrupted world by saving lives, restarting economies, and managing the effects of resurgent poverty and inequality.

We are standing by our neighbours when it counts. We have shown that we are responsive and able to adapt to their needs. We have stepped up our efforts to ensure our region can access safe and effective vaccines – the highest priority for countries in the Indo-Pacific.

Australia is helping its partners manage the economic fallout from the pandemic and invest in a sustainable economic recovery. We are working together to keep essential health and social services going and supporting countries to provide financial assistance directly to those who’ve been hardest hit.

Gender equality

Supporting women’s voices and leadership in COVID-19 response and recovery, and enhancing the safety, economic security, and health and well-being of women and girls is essential to achieving better outcomes for everyone.

Australia is advancing gender equality in the Indo-Pacific region. It is front and centre in every facet of our work, with an estimated $1.3 billion to support gender equality across the development program.

The pandemic is having a significant impact on women and girls, interrupting access to health services, education and employment, and increasing the risk and severity of violence.

Women leaders, however, have stood out for their success in responding to COVID-19 as teachers, doctors, nurses, scientists, community workers and in unpaid carer roles.

Women’s courage, commitment and insight have been, and remain, critical to a strong, inclusive, and sustainable recovery from COVID-19.

That is why the Australian Government has increased funding to our region through the Indo-Pacific Gender Equality Fund ($65 million in 2021-22) for targeted gender equality initiatives including new programs such as Pacific Women Lead.

Pacific Women Lead ($170m, 2021-26)

Australia’s flagship gender equality investment, Pacific Women Lead will build on the strength of Australia’s long-term gender equality partnerships with the Pacific.

It seeks to ensure that Pacific women and girls, in all their diversity, are safe and equitably share in resources, opportunities and decision-making.

It will help ensure women’s perspectives and voice are part of efforts to respond to issues, like climate change.

It will respond to partners’ needs with a focus on women’s leadership and women’s rights (safety, health, economic empowerment) through work with Pacific organisations, including the Pacific Community and Pacific women’s organisations.

$4 billion total ODA

2021-22 Supporting our near neighbours

• $1.44 billion for the Pacific
• $1.01 billion for Southeast and East Asia
• $273.1 million for South and West Asia
• $1.27 billion for global and other

Additional COVID-19 support in 2021-22

• $162.6 million for safe and effective vaccines in the Pacific and Southeast Asia
• $100 million to help address the impacts of COVID-19 in the Pacific and Timor-Leste
• $56 million to support economic recovery in Southeast Asia
• $16.7 million for emergency medical supplies to India

Program highlights

Health security

ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases $21 million (2021–2023)

Australia and Japan will support ASEAN to enhance the region’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats through the establishment and initial operations of the Centre. It will work with ASEAN member states and the WHO to help strengthen national public health agencies and coordinate regional responses.

Stability

Partnerships for Social Protection (P4SP) $18 million (2021–2025)

P4SP helps Pacific countries strengthen social support programs. These programs provide vulnerable households with cash or food support, enabling people to meet basic needs during this difficult time. Our support is helping Pacific governments ensure their own social support spending reaches the most vulnerable quickly and efficiently.

Economic recovery

Australian Climate Finance Partnership $140 million (2020–2024)

The Australian Climate Finance Partnership will catalyse private sector investment in climate adaptation and mitigation projects in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. Overall, it is expected to generate a total portfolio of $700 million in low emission, climate-resilient investments in our region.

Supporting access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines

• $523.2 million Regional Vaccine Access and Health Initiative
• $100 million Quad Vaccine Partnership
• $80 million^[1] COVAX Advance Market Commitment
• Provision of Australian manufactured doses to the Pacific and Timor-Leste

^[1] $40m in 2020-21 and the remainder to be paid through the International Finance Facility for Immunisation.

Table 1: Australian ODA allocations by country, regional and global programs 2020–21 and 2021–22 Budget Estimate

Table 2: Australian ODA by country and region of benefit 2020–21 and 2021–22 Budget Estimate

Table 3: Australian ODA delivered by other government departments 2021–22 Budget Estimate

Table 4: Australian ODA temporary, targeted and supplementary measures to respond to COVID-19 2021–22 Budget Estimate