by Mike Toole, Brendan Crabb
On Monday, the 'End COVID for All' coalition launched its report Shot of hope: Australia’s role in vaccinating the world against COVID-19. Authors of the expert report came from international development agencies, the umbrella organisation Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), global health advocacy groups and a medical research institute.
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
I am here to sound the alarm: The world must wake up. We are on the edge of an abyss — and moving in the wrong direction. Our world has never been more threatened. Or more divided.
by: Tom Daley, U.S. Embassy Charge de A’ffaires
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the United States is revitalizing our multilateral partnerships to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values in the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN is at the center of our vision for the Indo-Pacific, which includes a firm commitment to the ASEAN-centered regional architecture and strong support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Building on our enduring partnership and friendship with Timor-Leste, the United States continues to support Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN, respecting that ultimately the decision is for ASEAN members.
By Rachel Richardson, Rob Hitchins
Global attention focused on shipping in March, as container ship Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal, disrupting movements along a route that channels close to 12% of global trade. While supply chains ultimately rerouted, and the backlog at the canal cleared quickly, the knock-on effects of delays at ports were felt for weeks, and the disruption to trade (around US$9 billion worth was delayed per day) will contribute to inflationary pressures. The Ever Given story put a magnifying glass on the stress that shipping was already under due to the pandemic.
