The Weekly
Marc Purcell, what is at the top of your mind this week?
ACFID is hoping that Australia will be successful in its bid to co-host the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP) no. 31, and we expect an announcement from the UN later this year.
This would be an important opportunity for ACFID members and their partners in many countries to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable developing countries. Dr. Alex Edney-Browne, Policy & Government Relations Lead, gives a short update on the midpoint negotiations on climate change and highlights what the Australian aid sector is calling on the government to advocate for in this quick explainer.
To Attend
ACFID Connect: Briefing with U.S. Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)
ACFID is pleased to invite members to a briefing on July 3, 11-12 pm, with Eugene Aloise, Deputy Inspector General of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), and David Young, Deputy Director of SIGAR’s Lesson’s Learned Program. The link to register and for further information can be found here.
To Action
DFAT’s Vanuatu Development Partnership Plan (DPP)
DFAT’s Port Vila Post has advised that they would appreciate written submissions to inform their DPP drafting from ACFID members prior to 11 June 2024. If you would like any assistance with making a submission or would like ACFID to forward your submission to DFAT, please reach out to Alan Hewson at [email protected]
To Action
DFAT’s Pacific Regional Development Partnership Plan (DPP)
The Pacific Regional DPP consultation is on Tuesday, June 11, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is a joint ACFID members and PIANGO consultation. If you would like to take part in the consultation and have not yet registered, please do so here.
To Attend
ACFID Connect: Introduction to LGBTQIA+ inclusion in development practice.
Please join us for this ACFID Connect learning event on LGBTQIA+ inclusion in development practice. It will be occurring on Tuesday, 25th June, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am. Following an introductory discussion, the session will include presentations on the issues facing LGBTQIA+ communities in our region, decolonising LGBTQIA+ language, and entry points organisations can take in this area. Then, a Q&A session will follow. ACFID is grateful to be joined by representatives from Many Coloured Sky Foundation, Equality Australia, ActionAid Australia, Plan International Australia, and the International Women’s Development Agency to deliver this important learning session for ACFID members. Registration link can be found here.
To Attend
 The Fourth International Conference on Small Islands Developing States
The Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States took place in Antigua and Barbuda last week (27-30 May), where parties agreed to A Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity. The Declaration calls for reforming the international financial system, scaling up climate and biodiversity action, mainstreaming disaster risk reduction, and strengthening health systems, and commits SIDS governments to actions in support of these calls.
To Note
Laws on Us: A Global Overview of Legal Progress and Backtracking on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender
Laws on Us,  a new flagship report by ILGA, provides a global overview of legal progress and backtracking on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics between January 2023 and April 2024. The report finds intense legal activity across UN Member States in both directions – progress and regression, with troubling regression occurring in parts of Africa and Asia. The full report can be found here
To Note
Australia Federal Budget for 2024-2025 –Â General ODA Explainer
In case you missed it, ACFID’s Policy & Partnerships Lead, Alan Hewson, unpacks how Australia is doing on international development compared to other OECD countries in a video that’s less than 3 minutes long. Check it out here.
ACFID Connect: AI for social good
ACFID Members are invited to a webinar co-hosted with Dalberg Advisors on the opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) in the internal operations of NGOs and external impact creation. The webinar will address both traditional and Generative AI, recognizing the significant development of capabilities and use cases for the latter over the past 12 months.
The Dalberg team will present data and examples of how different types of stakeholders in the social sector are thinking about and using these technologies to accelerate progress towards SDGs and improve the efficiency and scale of their impact. This will include sharing perspectives on what this means for NGOs and the innovation required to thrive in the sector. Participants will also be invited to share their own experiences and questions and learn about the opportunities for AI in the social sector, managing the risks of integrating AI, and how NGOs can prepare for an AI future.
No prior knowledge or experience using AI is required!
When: Tuesday 18 June
Time: 1-2 pm
Where: Online, register here.
ACFID Conference
Don’t miss your opportunity to get your ideas in to host a concurrent session at the ACFID Conference over 23/24 October 2024. Centered around the theme of solidarity and resilience, this is a fantastic way to showcase your organisation’s development practice and thought leadership and to share and engage with colleagues. Â
Download the information pack here
To Action
ACFID is on Instagram:Â follow us!
ACFID is now present on Instagram. Follow us at @ACFID.AUS to stay updated on our latest news, projects and events.
Upcoming Events:
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Date |
Event |
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11 June |
DFAT’s Pacific Regional Development Partnership Plan (DPP) |
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18 June |
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25 June |
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03 July |
Briefing with U.S. Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) |
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10-12 July |
Development Studies Association of Australia (DSAA) 2024 Conference |
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23-24 October |