During the fifth annual Bali Democracy Forum in Denpasar, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a program to help emerging leaders and officials put democratic ideas into practice.
The new program will support the independent non-profit Institute for Peace and Democracy, which promotes human rights, political party reform and the participation of women in politics.
It builds on the work already being undertaken by AusAID in Indonesia in the fields of law and justice, and elections.
The Indonesia-led Bali Democracy Forum is attended by representatives from across Asia and is the only ministerial-level leaders meeting focused on democracy in Asia.
Representatives from 15 Asian countries as well as Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Bob Carr attended the Bali Democracy Forum this year.
The commitment builds on existing aid for democratic governance programs in Indonesia and the region, and exemplifies Australia's commitment to support stable and fair economic growth in Asia as outlined in the Asian Century White Paper (external website).