At the Government’s request, DFAT will design a new policy to set the long-term direction for Australia’s international development engagement.

The new policy will deliver on Australia’s commitment to work in partnership with our neighbours to achieve a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

It will also see Australia contribute to a global system that can help meet present and future development needs.

DFAT will listen to and respect the priorities of our partners and seek their ideas on how we can work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The policy will incorporate findings from DFAT’s review into Development Finance, particularly findings that relate to Australia’s and our regional partners’ development objectives as appropriate.

Public submissions

The deadline for written submissions on the new international development policy closed on 30 November 2022.

Please email the Development Policy team at development.policy@dfat.gov.au if you have any queries.

Consultations

A series of roundtable discussions involving a broad range of development actors from Australia and the region were held in November and December 2022. The discussions were framed by an introductory presentation. The policy will be finalised in the first half of 2023.

New international development policy stakeholder presentation [PDF 1 MB] | [PPTX 2.8 MB]

Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference provide further details on the scope, process, and timeline for the development of the new policy.

A series of consultations across a broad spectrum of stakeholders in Australia and internationally were held over November 2022. The policy will be finalised in the first half of 2023.

External Advisory Group

The Foreign Minister, Senator the Hon. Penny Wong and the Minister for International Development, the Hon. Pat Conroy endorsed the establishment of an informal External Advisory Group (EAG) to support the design process of the new International Development Policy. The EAG will provide an important advisory role, offering strategic guidance and cross-sectoral perspectives throughout at each stage of the policy’s development.

EAG members serve in their personal capacity and on a voluntary basis. Members have been selected for their in-depth knowledge and expertise, and their diverse perspectives and experience. They will meet at each stage of the drafting process (consultation, drafting and finalisation).