Australia and Myanmar are partners in reform, PM Gillard meets with President Sein

Australia supports reform in Myanmar, makes significant announcements

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Myanmar President Thein Sein announced greater cooperation to support reform in Myanmar at a meeting in Canberra on March 18.

Australia will provide $20 million over two years for the first phase of the Myanmar-Australia Partnership for Reform. This Partnership will support the Myanmar Government to deliver its reform agenda—strengthening democratic institutions, promoting human rights, improving economic governance and advancing the rule of law.

The President also met a dozen Myanmar students, studying here on Australia Awards scholarships. Their degrees range from Bachelors to PhDs, across subjects as diverse as health, education, and international relations, and will give them the skills needed to contribute to development and reform their country.

The Myanmar-Australia Partnership for Reform

Australia’s existing aid program to Myanmar is set to increase to $100 million per year by 2015, improving health outcomes, increasing incomes of the rural poor and supporting the peace process.

Out of this funding, $80 million over four years will support basic education and tertiary scholarships, and this year alone Australian aid will help more than 34,000 children access early childhood education, train over 9500 teachers and provide supplies to 62,000 primary school students.

The Partnership builds on the recent Memorandum of Understanding on Development Cooperation between the two countries—the first such agreement Myanmar has signed with a Western nation. The Memorandum allows for close consultation to determine activities that will best support Myanmar’s reform agenda.

The partnership will contribute to sustainable and equitable economic development in Myanmar. Australia is supporting the Government of Myanmar’s commitment to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative to help ensure that the benefits of growth are felt by all Myanmar’s people.

It will also support the Myanmar Human Rights Commission in its efforts to train government officials and civil society to be more accountable. Strengthening the Commission will help it build awareness of human rights issues in Myanmar.

The Australia Awards

The Australia Awards are scholarships funded by the Australian Government, offering an opportunity to study, research and undertake professional development for the next generation of leaders from around the world. There has never been a more important time to provide this support for Myanmar. The ambitious program of reform being undertaken by the Myanmar Government cannot be realised without development of the nation’s human resources. The Australia Awards are key to building the necessary skills to realise this goal.

Total Australian Government expenditure for the Australia Awards in 2012 was $334.2 million enabling more than 4900 recipients from more than 140 countries to undertake further study, research and professional development. There are 33 Myanmar students currently studying here and another 30 are due to start this year. Australia Awards build enduring people-to-people links between Australia, our regional neighbours and the broader international community. Among the Awards Alumni are government ministers, members of parliament and ambassadors, as well as leaders in the fields of education, public health, trade, agriculture, education and economic development.

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