MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Smith
Today in New York I met with Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, in her new role as head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Miss Clark took on the role of UNDP Administrator in April this year. Her appointment was warmly welcomed by the Australian Government.
UNDP is the UN's global development organisation, working in more than 160 countries to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including the goal of cutting poverty in half by 2015.
UNDP's programs support the development of democratic systems of government, conflict and crisis prevention and recovery, environmental management, and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. UNDP also plays an important role in helping the UN's various specialised funds and programs work together in their joint efforts to achieve the MDGs.
The Australian Government entered into a partnership agreement with UNDP in December 2008, committing $68 million in support from 2009 to 2012. This partnership provides funding certainty to UNDP and establishes a clear basis for our future work with the organisation under Helen Clark's stewardship.
Australia works closely with UNDP across the Asia-Pacific region to promote free and fair electoral processes, reform justice systems, strengthen natural disaster management and improve environmental management.
For example, our partnership was instrumental in making Ulee Lheue Port in the city of Banda Aceh operational again less than a year after it was completely destroyed by the December 2004 tsunami. More recently, Australia has entered into a $6 million agreement with UNDP to support community-based climate change adaptation initiatives in the Pacific and parts of Asia.
Today I advised Helen Clark that I looked forward to expanding our cooperation into Africa as Australia scales up its assistance there. Australia recently pledged $1 million to UNDP to help build the capacity of Mozambique's Natural Disaster Management Institute to prepare for and respond to disasters, including those related to climate change.