Today, the global development landscape is being upended by five forces: (1) the shifting world order, including what Foreign Minister Wong describes as a ‘permanent state of contest’, (2) the radical reduction in global development finance (particularly Official Development Assistance) and ongoing impact of US tariffs, (3) the compounding effects of climate change, (4) the rise of AI and (5) increasing humanitarian crises and conflict risks. These dynamics are reshaping development trajectories globally and, in turn, the demands on Australia’s development investments.
Australian development cooperation therefore finds itself buffeted not only by radical disruption, but by mixed mandates, competing priorities, limited resources, uncertainty and – in some cases - opportunity. As mid-cycle reviews of bilateral and regional Development Partnership Plans (DPPs) commence, a practical window presents itself to review and adjust Australia’s development cooperation with its Indo-Pacific partners.
This brief does two things: It tracks the progress made against the IDP’s commitments, and it examines two of the major dynamics that will continue to shape Australian development in the years to come.
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