MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Billson
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr Bruce Billson, will represent Australia at a Ministerial meeting in Jakarta this week to discuss the Asia Pacific's approach to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The meeting entitled 'The Way Forward 2015', brings together ministerial level delegates from across the region and will be jointly hosted by the Government of Indonesia, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations.
'In the lead up to the 2005 United Nations Summit in September, this meeting provides an important opportunity to highlight our unique regional challenges and develop practical, cooperative approaches to poverty reduction and sustainable development in the Asia Pacific,' Mr Billson said.
'Our region is home to more than 700 million people living in extreme poverty and has 14 of the world's Least Developed Countries. It faces a range of significant development challenges, including HIV/AIDS, which must be tackled by working together effectively.
'In recent years, the region has been given less than a third of the amount of global aid received by Sub-Saharan Africa, despite having more than double the number of people living in poverty,' Mr Billson said.
'Australia's aid program, increased to almost $2.5 billion this year, is strongly focussed on the Asia Pacific region and on helping our neighbours reach their economic and social potential.
'The Australian Government is also supporting the participation of our Pacific neighbours and has provided funding to assist the attendance of delegates from Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and East Timor,' Mr Billson said.
The Parliamentary Secretary will be attending the meeting in Jakarta from 2-4 August and will hold discussions with regional partner representatives, including Dr Sri Mulyani, the Indonesian State Minister for National Development Planning.
Media inquiries:
Shane Fairlie (Mr Billson's office) 0408 680 442
AusAID (Public Affairs) 0417 680 590