COVID-19 Pandemic

Sovereign Debt for Low Income Countries Must Be Cancelled to Tackle Coronavirus Crisis, Say Australian CSOs

Emergency finance must not add to debt burdens
Process to reduce debts to sustainable level in future also needed

Media Release April 8, 2020: A group of Australian civil society organisations (CSOs) released a statement today calling for the Australian Government to support the cancellation of external debt payments in 2020 for Low Income Countries to help them fight the coronavirus.

Australia needs to step up medical aid for Pacific Island nations

April 2, 2020: Australia’s policy to the Pacific Island nations has been erratic over the last decade. The focus from 2009 was to impose the PACER-Plus free trade agreement onto the region. Negotiations dragged through to 2017, but three years later it has still not been ratified by most Pacific Island Countries and is not in force. The COVID-19 pandemic underlines the need for a profound re-think of the relationship.

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