Health, education and environment funds

Multilateral sectoral funds (sectoral funds) are a key aspect of Australia's Partnerships for Recovery strategy in response to the impacts of COVID-19, as they provide a single point through which pooled funding from multiple sources can be disbursed to achieve outcomes that would otherwise be more challenging to realise. Sectoral funds also allow access to levels of expertise and development resources not usually available to individual countries. Australia provides funding to a number of sectoral funds that are working to improve outcomes in health and education, sustainable development and innovative financing in low income countries. These include Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the Global Partnership for Education; the Global Environment Facility; the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol; the Green Climate Fund; and, the Global Partnership for Output-Based Aid.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

DFAT has a long-standing partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and has committed $300 million AUD from 2021-2025 to enhance routine immunisation, and $215 million to the COVAX Advance Market Coordination (AMC) mechanism to support equitable access to Covid19 vaccines.

Gavi helps lower-income countries build up their routine immunisation and introduce new vaccines. Through partnerships with manufacturers, Gavi shapes global vaccine markets and pools vaccine procurement to secure low vaccine prices for eligible countries. It donates vaccines for countries’ routine immunisation programs with minimal co-financing from recipient governments, funds vaccination campaigns and supports their outbreak responses. It also provides technical assistance and grants to strengthen country health systems to enhance immunisation outcomes. Building on the COVAX experience, Gavi has also started providing catalytic support to Middle Income Countries to introduce a set of new vaccines and mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on their routine immunisation programmes.

Gavi also uses innovative approaches to generating funding for development, including the International Finance Facility for Immunisation mechanism (IFFIm), which generates funds for Gavi programs through issuing bonds on capital markets. Over 2010-2030 Australia is providing $250 million to IFFM.

Gavi has supported 16 countries in the region with more than US$3 billion in vaccine, health system, and immunisation systems support since 2000. Gavi's support has led to the immunisation of more than 822 million children worldwide, including over 318 million the Indo-Pacific, and has helped avert 3.2 million deaths in our region.

Global Fund

Australia contributes to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, an international financing partnership that supports large-scale prevention, treatment and care programs and strengthens health systems in developing countries. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria in our region affects Australia's national interest both directly, through the immediate health risks to our citizens, and indirectly, through the loss of economic opportunities.

Australia pledged AUD266 million to the Global Fund for the 2023-25 period, up from AUD242 million for 2020-22. Ten per cent of Australia’s pledge (AUD26.6 million) has been ‘set aside’ to support investments (such as laboratory capacity strengthening and HIV prevention) in the Indo-Pacific between 2023-25.

Since 2002, the Global Fund has worked in partnership with national governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by HIV, TB and malaria to achieve:

• 50 million lives saved
• USD8.5 billion in programs to prevent TB, representing 76 per cent of all international financing for TB programs
• USD16.4 billion for the fight against malaria, representing 63 per cent of all international financing for malaria programs
• USD24.2 million for HIV programs and USD5 million for TB/HIV programs representing 30 per cent of all international financing for HIV programs.

Activities include, but are not limited to, epidemic preparedness assessment, laboratory testing, sample transportation, use of surveillance infrastructure, infection control in health facilities and information campaigns.

The Global Fund provided over USD4.4 billion globally to support countries and communities respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its impact on HIV, TB and malaria. The Global Fund’s 2023-28 strategy includes an increased focus on incorporating pandemic preparedness needs into funding for resilient and sustainable systems for health.

Global Partnership for Education

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is a multi-stakeholder partnership of bilateral and multilateral donors, developing country partners, and representatives from civil society and the private sector. GPE's goal is to provide inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

GPE's objectives are strongly aligned with Australia's aid priorities and our Partnerships for Recovery strategy in response to COVID-19:

• improving the resilience of vulnerable education systems in response to school closures
• promoting girls' education
• providing access to education to the poorest and most marginalised children including in fragile and conflict affected states; and
• focusing on results in teaching and learning.

Australia has committed a total of $570 million to GPE since 2007. Australia's support to GPE complements our bilateral education programs in the region and extends our reach in the education sector to a global scale. Australia is an active member of GPE's board.

In 2018-20, GPE provided $693.8 in education grants to support equal access to quality education in the Indo-Pacific, including $144.5 million to support education sectors in our region mitigate the sectoral impacts of COVID-19.

Since 2002, GPE (and its forerunner, the Education for All Fast Track Initiative) has:

• supported 160 million more children to be in school in 70 partner countries
• doubled the number of girls in school in partner countries
• provided 67 million more children with access to quality teachers

Global Environment Facility (GEF)

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is an international partnership of 183 countries, international institutions, civil society and the private sector, which addresses global environmental issues. It works with partners to improve agricultural productivity, sustainable fisheries and water resource management for poor communities. It also engages in environmental activities including biodiversity, land regeneration, protection of international waters, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and management of persistent organic pollutants and the ozone layer.

Australia contributed $93 million to the GEF (2014-18) to provide a range of grants to the Indo-Pacific region. As a member on the GEF Council, Australia is actively engaged in the governance of the GEF.

Green Climate Fund

The Green Climate Fund is a US$10.3 billion fund that aims to be the world's leading multilateral funding for addressing climate change in developing countries. Australia has pledged $200 million over four years to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to support developing countries to grow their economies in a sustainable way and help them adapt to climate change. The GCF will leverage private sector investment and support a range of emission reduction and adaptation projects with broader economic and environmental benefits. Australia is an active member of the GCF Board and uses its seat to advocate the interests of our region, and to promote effective governance. Australia was Co-chair of the GCF Board throughout 2016 and 2017.

DFAT blog has more information on Australia's role in the GCF.

More information on how Australia is working with other countries to share direct, practical approaches to tackling climate change.

Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid

;The Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA) funds, designs, demonstrates, and documents output-based aid (OBA) approaches. OBA is a results-based and innovative financing instrument designed to improve delivery of basic infrastructure and social services for the poor (e.g water, telecommunications, micro-finance). OBA projects are commonly delivered by private firms, with donors providing performance-linked subsidies.

Working with GPOBA enhances Australia's expertise in the selection, design and implementation of OBA activities, to look at ways in which innovative financing of projects can deliver stronger and more predictable results

Global Green Growth Institute

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is an international organisation that supports strong, inclusive and sustainable growth in developing countries and emerging economies. The GGGI works closely with developing country governments by providing advisory services to support the delivery of green growth strategies, build institutional capacity and develop projects that incentivise and leverage public and private financing. The GGGI currently delivers programs in 26 partner countries, providing technical assistance, policy planning and helping to develop green investment projects. The GGGI also facilitates knowledge sharing on sustainable growth between its member countries and partner organisations.

Australia is one of six founding core contributors to the GGGI, which was established in 2012. Australia contributed US$20 million ($28.3 million) to the GGGI from 2012-2016. In April 2017, Australia re-committed to fund US$15 million to the GGGI for 2017-19. The GGGI has delivered strong outcomes in the Indo-Pacific region, and is expected to direct close to 40 per cent of GGGI funding to the region in 2017-18.