List of recommendations

2.50The Committee recommends the Australian Government appropriately fund the Australian Electoral Commission to develop long-term partnerships, appropriate resourcing and preparedness with countries in our region who request assistance with elections. This would involve a minimum commitment of three years, prior to the election, to enable Australia to work in partnership with the local workforce to assist with systematic and logistical challenges unique to each country.

Electoral assistance should support the planning, implementation, lessons-learned, and change management phases of the electoral cycle, noting that elections require significant planning and engagement before, during, and after polling day.

2.51The Committee recommends that the Australian Government develop a public policy on Australia’s long-standing precedent of providing election support for countries in the Indo-Pacific region, when invited to assist. This policy would outline partner countries with bilateral agreements which Australia assists with the running of independent and fair elections in our region.

3.36Given Pacific nations have identified ongoing challenges of climate change the Committee recommends the Australian Government increase support for international communities in our region. This support may include adaptation and mitigation works to prepare for rising sea levels and extreme weather events given the adverse effect climate change has on institutions, national security, and civil society which negatively impacts democracy.

3.37The Committee recommends the Minister for International Development and the Pacific report back to Parliament annually on Australia’s engagement and delivery of services to Pacific countries regarding its development initiatives to combat, mitigate and adapt to climate change.

4.55The Committee recommends the Australian Government establish a comprehensive media broadcasting capacity and support program for the Indo-Pacific region that should include:

a charter and accountability framework that guarantees support is provided for media skills and capacity building to enable independent reporting and analysis

a flexible, independently administered fund to provide support for stronger partnerships, internships and work experience for local journalist and independent media in the Indo-Pacific region

comprehensive training and development opportunities for journalists in the Indo-Pacific region

support for Australian journalists to work in the Indo-Pacific region and for journalists from the Indo-Pacific to work in Australia and have the opportunity to report on and tell their own stories.

5.96The Committee recommends the Australian Government reinstate funding for a Women in Parliament program within the Australian Parliament. This program should provide support for building and strengthening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region. The program would focus on supporting leadership skills for girls and women and should include:

promoting women and girls’ voices in all levels of society such as schools, community organisations, public and private sphere at provincial and national levels

building connections with feminist civil society groups already in the region

ensuring women and girls’ have improved access to quality health care services, including reproductive health

improving women and girls’ safety, especially for protecting women and girls’ from gender violence and ensuring services are readily available

promoting gender mainstreaming within all aspects of society in the Indo-Pacific including intergovernmental policies that are agreed to and delivered.

5.97The Committee recommends the Australian Government establish a central Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Hub within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to support the coordination of CSO development delivery in the region.

5.98The Committee recommends the Australian Government set an annual base-line funding target for the delivery of humanitarian and development programs, through Civil Society Organisations, in the Official Development Assistance budget.