In the Joint Statement on Enhanced Global and Security Cooperation adopted by Australia and the Republic of Korea on 5 March 2009, Australia and the Republic of Korea committed to enhanced cooperation on development and humanitarian assistance.

Towards these efforts, the Sides:

- Welcome opportunities to use their collective reach and influence to contribute to global development challenges;

- Underscore their shared interest in a prosperous and stable Asia-Pacific region; and

- Are guided by the principles of aid effectiveness outlined in the Paris Declaration (2005) and the Accra Agenda for Action (2008).

Partnership Principles

The partnership on development cooperation between the two Sides will be guided by the following principles:

• Mutual respect for the contribution from each country, and recognition that each has different skills, attributes and strengths;
• Recognition of the comparative advantage each partner brings to the planning and delivery of development assistance;
• Acknowledgement of the need for practical and effective collaborative efforts to promote efficiency and effectiveness in aid delivery; and
• Inclusivity, including collaboration with other key bilateral and multilateral development partners where appropriate.

Priority Areas & Cooperation Process

The Sides seek to use this MOU to enhance coordination related to their respective development assistance programs and their engagement in relevant multilateral issues and organisations. Collaboration will be driven by:

• High-level government discussions to review cooperation and mutually decide upon action needed to strengthen engagement;
• Development dialogues between senior officials from Australia and Korea with a view to mutually exploring specific areas of collaboration under the Partnership and review progress. Australian and Korean government departments and agencies active in international development will contribute to these dialogues, with the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) coordinating for Australia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) coordinating for the Republic of Korea. These meetings will be held at least annually and will contribute to progress under the Action Plan for Enhanced Global and Security Cooperation between Australia and the Republic of Korea.
• Jointly profiling Asia-Pacific issues in international fora such as the OECD's Development Assistance Committee, the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness and the Multilateral Organisations Performance Assessment Network.
• Ongoing practical engagement in mutually recognised priority areas, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region.
• Dialogue on cooperation with other key donor countries, where appropriate, including emerging donors.

Particular areas of focus include:

• Supporting progress towards the Millennium Development Goals;
• Promoting aid effectiveness including donor harmonisation at a regional and international level;
• Coordinating engagement on humanitarian assistance;
• Contributing to capacity building on disaster preparedness and sustainable development through country-level cooperation;
• Promoting an effective, efficient and representative multilateral system.

SIGNED in duplicate at ………………on the ……..…day of …………..2009.