December 2022 - You are accessing an archived version of our website. This website is no longer maintained or updated. The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform has been migrated here: https://sdgs.un.org/
December 2022 - You are accessing an archived version of our website. This website is no longer maintained or updated. The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform has been migrated here: https://sdgs.un.org/
The SDGs reflect Australia’s values and belief in a ‘fair go’.
The SDGs reflect things that Australians value highly and seek to protect, like a healthy environment, access to opportunity and services, human rights, inclusive economies, diverse and supportive communities and our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and heritage. Our support for political, economic and religious freedoms, liberal democracy, the rule of law, equality and mutual respect underpin a strong, fair and cohesive society.
Core to the Australian understanding of the SDGs is the Australian value of a “fair go”. Like “leaving no one behind”, it is a call to action for fairness, justice and equality of opportunity.
This is a ‘whole of Australia’ endeavour, across the whole Agenda.
The 2030 Agenda is not just for and about government initiatives and activity: it also involves the business sector, civil society, academia, communities, families and individuals. Australians are already contributing to achievement of the SDGs through their work in the care economy, by volunteering, by preserving the natural environment and through their everyday activity. Australia’s youth play a crucial role given their potential to deliver on the SDGs into the future and their stake in the realisation of the Goals.
Australia is committed to the 2030 Agenda, including the SDGs and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development.
Australia is committed to the SDGs as a universal, global undertaking to end extreme poverty and ensure the peace and well-being of people across the world. The 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper highlights Australia’s responsibility to contribute to global efforts to reduce poverty, alleviate suffering and promote sustainable development.
Achieving the SDGs is in Australia’s interests: it will contribute to lasting global prosperity, productivity and stability. The SDGs are consistent with Australian Government priorities and long-standing efforts across a range of sectors. Likewise, the Addis Agenda’s emphasis on issues like trade and infrastructure investment are in line with Australia’s approach to driving growth and prosperity.
Our development assistance supports efforts to build a stable and prosperous world, with a focus on infrastructure, trade facilitation and international competitiveness; agriculture, fisheries and water; effective governance; education and health; building resilience and gender equality.
Our response to the SDGs is shaped by our environment, governance systems, institutions, economy, and society.
Australia is a constitutional, democratic federation of states and territories sharing governance and regulatory responsibilities with the national level of Government. Local governments have a vital role in local services and regulation. There is coordination and collaboration between all levels of government, supported by a range of existing institutions and processes that ensure accountability and transparency.
The Australian Government has adopted an approach to the SDGs that is appropriate for our national circumstances, with government policy responsibilities and priorities devolved to the relevant agency and level. Other sectors, including Australia’s universities, businesses and civil society, are making substantial efforts to raise awareness, form partnerships and address the risks and opportunities inherent in the Agenda.
The SDGs contain long-standing, complex policy challenges with no simple solutions. They require a joint effort.
Australia has long recognised the role of sustainable development in ensuring the well-being of the country and its people. Government legislation, regulation and policy already drives us towards many of the environmental, social and economic outcomes enshrined in the SDGs. As approaches and circumstances evolve, the SDGs provide a framework through which governments, businesses, organisations and individuals can conceive of a problem or objective and devise collective action through partnership to drive progress.
Australia’s economic success, reflected in 26 years of uninterrupted economic growth, is a product of broad-scale economic, industrial and trade-related reforms. But we continue to grapple with difficult long-standing policy challenges, such as improving health, economic, justice and well-being outcomes for Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. And we will need to address ongoing or evolving ones, such as assisting workers through transitions related to technological and industrial change.
We have substantial expertise, innovation and experience to share.
Australians are innovators. We have a highly-educated, vibrant and engaged population, shaped by world-class institutions. We have skills, experience and knowledge that can help deliver on the SDGs and have built partnerships across sectors and borders to address them. We have contributed our expertise to the development of the SDG Indicators and are sharing technology to help others develop the data to track and report.
Reduced vulnerability and increased adaptative capacity of communities and disable persons to manage the additional risks of climate change. The partnerships will achieve its goals and objectives through the implementation of a portfolio of CBA projects in all participating SIDS countries. The selection and implementation of specific micro-projects in each country will be guided by an SGP Country Programme Strategy, UN Human Rights Approach and other multi-lateral agreements especially the CBD convection on the conservation of biodiversity. The partnerships will contribute to the SD of SIDS b...[more]
The objectives of the CSS-PLP (Samoa) partnership are:- Promote a culture of discussion, debate and dialogue on current issues which affect modern and future developments in Samoa.- Conduct research in the aforementioned areas.
This partnership fosters to strengthen/ sustain the resilience of the Lauru people to impacts from current and emerging threats of climate change, environmental degradation and natural disasters. All activities already undertaken and planned are consistent with international, national and provincial commitments and planning policies. These include: Solomon Islands National Development Strategy (NDS); Solomon Islands National Climate Change Policy; National Disaster Risk Management Plan; Solomon Islands National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP); Choiseul Province Medium Term Deve...[more]
The best opportunity to slow the rate of near-term warming globally and in sensitive regions such as the Arctic is by cutting emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) – most notably methane, black carbon and some hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Widespread reductions, which complement the need for aggressive global action on carbon dioxide, contribute significantly to the goal of limiting warming to less than two degrees. Reducing SLCPs can also advance national priorities such as protecting air quality and public health, promoting food security, enhancing energy efficiency, and allevi...[more]
The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) is a multilateral partnership of six countries working together to sustain extraordinary marine and coastal resources by addressing crucial issues such as food security, climate change and marine biodiversity.There is broad scientific consensus that the Coral Triangle represents a global epicenter of marine life abundance and diversity. Spanning only 1.6% of the planet’s oceans, the Coral Triangle region is home to is home to the highest coral diversity in the world with 600 corals or 76% of the world’s kn...[more]
Improvement of the living condition of the population affected by the cyclone Evan; Improvement of the technical capacities of the affected population (APTC building training for the affected population).
The Dandelion Program is an employment and work experience program that builds careers for people on the autism spectrum. Goals of the program:- Assisting individuals to build the necessary skills – technical, life and executive functioning - Focusing on building careers for individuals, not just jobs- Educating the workplace in neurodiversity- Training team leads and managers in leading and managing people with autism
The partnership focuses on strengthening the capacity of the islands of the Indian Ocean member of the Indian Ocean Commission and Zanzibar Island of the United Republic of Tanzania to reduce their vulnerability, exposure and protect the population of the region against loss and damage that result from catastrophic events.
AFPPD in partnership with IPPF and Pacific Parliaments has trialled a post election module in Building Capacity of Pacific Island Parliamentarians to Advocate for ICPD and SRHR in Tonga and Cook Islands Parliaments. We also provide opportunities to build advocacy and knowledge skills of parliamentarians, including processes to enable them to work with CSOs. This partnership is effective in enhancing social protection and inclusion, improving well being, and guaranteeing opportunities for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, by focusing parliamentarians on their roles within their national pa...[more]
The Pacific is home to one third of the 52 Small Island Developing States in the world. With the exception of PNG, the rest of the Pacific SIDS are constrained by small administrations and limited economies of scale. Despite universal support for the MDGs, MSI and the high per capita ODA in the Pacific, the region is off track in achieving most of the MDGs by 2015 . Recognising this, the Pacific Isalands Forum Leaders in 2009 agreed to the (Cairns) Forum Compact on Strengthening Development Coordination. The Compact comprises various initiatives including: i) annual Millennium Development G...[more]
The IHO capacity building programme seeks to assess and advise on how countries can best meet their international obligations and serve their own best interests by providing appropriate hydrographic and nautical charting services. Such services directly support safety of navigation, safety of life at sea, efficient sea transportation and the wider use of the seas and oceans in a sustainable way, including the protection of the marine environment, coastal zone management, fishing, marine resource exploration and exploitation, maritime boundary delimitation, maritime defence and security, and o...[more]
It aims to set in place back-stopping measures that address the needs of people and communities who are displaced from the impacts of natural hazards and the adverse effects of climate change within, and across borders.To reach this goal technical assistance and capacity building can provide the basis to increase the required awareness from the community to the political level and complement and strengthen national adaptation policy. In the event that displacement occurs, government will have institutionalised safe-guard measures that protect people who are displaced and the receiving communit...[more]
The Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) is a Pacific-wide programme helping to provide sustainable financial services to low income households. By 2019 PFIP aims to have: - One million low-income people in the Pacific, with at least 50 per cent women, gain access to appropriate/affordable financial services; (600,000 achieved by 2014)- Additional 150,000 previously unbanked people, with at least 50 per cent women, gain access to a formal savings account;- Four additional Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) have national financial inclusion strategies that reflect gender differences and w...[more]
Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting is a summit-level meeting which has been held every three years since 1997. Leaders openly discuss various issues that Pacific Island Countries(PICs) are facing in order to build close cooperative relationships and forge a bond of friendship between Japan and PICs. The 7th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM7) was held in Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan, on 22 and 23 May, 2015. At this summit, under the slogan of "We are Islanders - Commitment to the Pacific from Iwaki,
The Partnership's objective is to strengthen and coordinate the necessary capacity and expertise to support Pacific SIDS to significantly progress the prevention and control of NCDs in order to meet the globally agreed NCD targets, in particular through: 1.Advocating for the necessary political will, adequate institutional support and resources to underpin country level development outcomes that have effectively integrated NCD prevention and control considerations; 2.Using the Pacific NCD Roadmap as a key document guiding the NCD support provided by existing partners. 3.Strengthening their s...[more]
PRIF is a multi-agency coordination mechanism aimed at improving the delivery of development assistance from donors and development partners to the infrastructure sector in the Pacific region. PRIF supports infrastructure development and maintenance in twelve Pacific Island Countries (PICs) through investment coordination, research and technical assistance.PRIF provides a framework for better engagement of countries and development partners to ensure more effective use of available funding and deliver better infrastructure services. Through deeper coordination, PRIF is able to help countries m...[more]
Safe and reliable passage through Pacific waters is essential to protect fragile ocean environments and allow Pacific island countries' economies to develop. Up-to-date navigation charts based on modern, accurate surveys are critical transport infrastructure the ocean equivalent of well-constructed roads. Hydrography is highly specialised. Few Pacific countries have the technical capability or systems needed to undertake hydrographic surveys or update their own navigational charts.This new regional programme aims to ensure Pacific navigation charts meet international standards and support mari...[more]
Outcome 1: Child Protection Systems (including Justice and Police, child and family social services, health and education and communities) provide improved quality of and access to services for the prevention of and response to violence, abuse and exploitation of children at all times.Outcome 2 Parents, caregivers, and children demonstrate skills, knowledge and behavior enabling children to grow up in caring homes and communities, including schools that are free from violence, abuse and exploitation.
Since the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission in Solomon Islands in 2003, core government functions have been restored and stabilised, institutions have been rebuilt and steady growth has occurred. While good progress has been made, there continues to be a need for ongoing support to develop core systems, processes and capability within the Solomon Islands Inland Revenue Department (SIIRD). Continuing this focus will enable SIIRD to deliver an effective and efficient tax administration system and respond to future tax policy reforms.
The Programme has four outputs:1. Effective national leadership and accountability of members of Parliament2. Law-making and committee oversight strengthened in support of Millennium Development Goals3. Engagement of public with MPs and parliament strengthened, with special effort made to engage young people and women4. Efficient, professional and high quality procedural and administrative support services provided to MPs and other key clients groupsThe partnership also has promoted advocacy work by parliamentarians through the establishment of the following groups:- SPAGHL: Samoa Parliament ...[more]
Local marine resources are a very important part of coastal communities in Papua New Guinea and in the Pacific. Marine resources contribute to local people's livelihood through food, medicine, clothing, spirituality and also income to allow locals to participate in the cash based economy. In the time of our ancestors there was abundance of life in the sea with very little pressure on them, taking enough only for the daily meal. Because there was low demand for marine resources harvesting methods were restricted to fish traps and fishing lines. Today we see a different scenario where the deman...[more]
The Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio (SDIP) is a portfolio investment approach by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), which aims to address the issues of water, food, and energy security in South Asia through better regional cooperation, policy reforms, technology transfer and capacity building targeting the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and girls.
The primary objective of this partnership is to support Pacific governments and their development partners working in the energy sector by facilitating access to up-to-date, reliable energy data and project information for planning, policy and investment decision purposes. A secondary objective is to make it easy for countries and their donor partners as well as potential investors to access reports and documents relating to existing and proposed energy projects in order to help in the replication of successful activities and to avoid repeating mistakes that have been made in past projects.
The Vanuatu NGO Climate Change Adaptation Program (2012-2014), funded by the Australian Government, is implemented by a consortium of six organisations: Save the Children, CARE International in Vanuatu, Vanuatu Red Cross Society, Vanuatu Rural Development Training Centres Association, SPC/GIZ and coordinated by Oxfam.The program's goal is to increase the resilience of women, men and young people in Vanuatu to the impacts of climate change.The program works with communities in nine islands across four provinces. It takes a broad view of resilience as the ability of women, men and children to re...[more]
The Cook Islands Government, New Zealand and Australian Governments funded Waste Management and Sanitation Improvement (WMI) Programme has been the main programme for the Cook Islands in the sanitation sector since 2011. The three-year programme has funding of NZ$4.7 million from NZ/AusAid, and a commitment of additional related funding of NZ$585,000 from the Government of the Cook Islands. Running from 1 March 2011 until 30 June 2014, the programme has a number of outputs and outcomes aimed at establishing a platform for and initiating key work streams for delivery of ongoing improvements in ...[more]
Women play a key role in Pacific economies. They however operate largely in the fragmented informal sector where the lack of organisation, management, quality orientation, and access to markets jeopardize their capacity to grow and develop their businesses; in turn undermining the region's potential to use trade as a driver of growth, employment and poverty reduction.The purpose of the partnership is to provide businesswomen with the capacity to capitalise on potential opportunities to participate in formal markets, and as a result increase the economic benefits businesswomen in the Pacific re...[more]
Women play a key role in Pacific economies. They however operate largely in the fragmented informal sector where the lack of organisation, management, quality orientation, and access to markets jeopardize their capacity to grow and develop their businesses; in turn undermining the region's potential to use trade as a driver of growth, employment and poverty reduction.The purpose of the partnership is to provide businesswomen with the capacity to capitalise on potential opportunities to participate in Samoa's government procurement.The partnership will implement a project developed with the sup...[more]
Women play a key role in Pacific economies. They however operate largely in the fragmented informal sector where the lack of organisation, management, quality orientation, and access to markets jeopardize their capacity to grow and develop their businesses; in turn undermining the region's potential to use trade as a driver of growth, employment and poverty reduction.The purpose of the partnership is to provide businesswomen with the capacity to capitalise on potential opportunities to participate in formal markets, and as a result increase the economic benefits businesswomen in the Pacific re...[more]
