Former US Ambassador Judith Cefkin provides a sobering assessment of how the Trump administration's foreign policy shifts are reshaping American engagement with Pacific Island nations. Drawing on her 35-year diplomatic career and experience as US Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu from 2015-2018, Cefkin warns that the administration's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, dismantling of USAID, and proposed 85% cuts to international affairs funding threaten to undermine decades ...
Jul 26, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 12Ep. 12
Christina Marau, Director for Labour Mobility at the Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, provides an insider's perspective on how Pacific labour mobility schemes operate in practice. Drawing on her experience managing a system that handles thousands of applications and maintains a database of 6,500 work-ready candidates, Marau explains how Solomon Islands has become one of the most successful participants in Australia's Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme ...
Jul 11, 2025•57 min•Season 12Ep. 11
In this episode, we delve into the life and work of Rimon Rimon, a dynamic i-Kiribati citizen who has shaped both the public narrative in his own country and the evolution of independent journalism in the Pacific. Rimon’s career began in education and government service, but it was his appointment as Lead Communications and Public Relations Adviser to President Anote Tong that placed him at the centre of Kiribati’s international engagement. For over a decade, Rimon was responsible for crafting a...
Jun 28, 2025•35 min•Season 12Ep. 10
The episode opens with Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad reflecting on his transition from academia to politics. Born in Dreketi, Vanua Levu, in a rice farming area that benefited from Australian aid programs in the 1970s, Prasad rose through the academic ranks to become Professor of Economics and Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of the South Pacific. He left academia in 2014 to lead the National Federation Party, entering politics during what he describes as a ch...
Jun 13, 2025•38 min•Season 12Ep. 9
The episode opens with Leith Greensalde recounting her journey from rural Queensland to international global health work. After starting her career as a political adviser to senior Labor politicians including Brian Howe, she moved to the United States for graduate study at the Harvard Kennedy School prior to Labor's anticipated 1996 election loss. Following a brief and unsatisfying return to work with Labor in opposition, and business studies in Hong Kong during the handover to China, she eventu...
May 31, 2025•48 min•Season 12Ep. 8
The episode opens with Helen describing her unexpected route into humanitarian law, beginning as a labour lawyer before being drawn into international work through her involvement with women from the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Her early efforts to help establish rape as a war crime led her to gather evidence for war crimes tribunals and pursue a PhD on the laws of war, focusing on the prosecution of sexual violence and the impact of civil society on legal change. Helen recounts her experien...
May 20, 2025•48 min•Season 12Ep. 7
The interview opens with Postma reflecting on his career trajectory, from senior roles at the United Nations and the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security to founding Justice for Prosperity. He explains how the organisation operates at the intersection of intelligence and advocacy, using advanced technologies — including AI-driven tools — to map and counter the tactics of anti-rights actors. Postma describes how his team supports at-risk groups such as LGBTIQ+ individuals, activists, and journa...
May 02, 2025•43 min•Season 12Ep. 6
This special episode is a joint production of the Australian National University’s Development Policy Centre , the Australian Council for International Development , the International Development Contractors Community and the Safer World for All Campaign . The episode opens with Minister Pat Conroy outlining Labor’s record and vision for Australia’s international development program. He highlights the government’s significant increases to the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, surpass...
Apr 22, 2025•50 min
In this episode of Devpolicy Talks, Robin Davies interviews Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust. The conversation begins with a discussion of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. Often called the "Doomsday Vault", it actually serves as a safety backup for the world's 800+ gene banks, protecting against localised mishaps like civil wars, fires, or natural disasters. Stefan explains how this resource proved invaluable during the Syrian Civil War, allowing the...
Apr 08, 2025•47 min•Season 12Ep. 5
In this episode of Devpolicy Talks, Amita Monterola speaks with Dr Cameron Hill and Honorary Professor Robin Davies about Australia's 2025-26 aid budget. The conversation reveals two competing narratives within the budget: Australia's repositioning in an uncertain global environment alongside its role as a stable and reliable partner during turbulent times. The analysis shows that despite rhetoric about reprioritisation, the budget largely maintains stability in allocations. The Pacific continue...
Mar 29, 2025•28 min
In this episode of Devpolicy Talks, Robin Davies interviews Asif Saleh, the Executive Director of BRAC, one of the world’s largest and most influential non-governmental organisations. Asif reflects on BRAC’s remarkable evolution from a post-war relief organisation in Bangladesh to a global leader in tackling poverty, health, education and social innovation. Under his leadership, BRAC has identified and addressed emerging challenges such as urban poverty, youth unemployment and climate adaptation...
Mar 21, 2025•46 min•Season 12Ep. 4
In this episode of Devpolicy Talks , Robin Davies interviews Nina Schwalbe about the dramatic shifts in US global health policy under the Trump administration and their far-reaching consequences. As founder of Spark Street Advisors and a global health expert with extensive experience in multilateral organisations, Nina provides a sobering account of how these changes are reshaping international development assistance. The conversation begins with an exploration of the US withdrawal from WHO and ...
Mar 08, 2025•33 min•Season 12Ep. 3
The Australasian AID Conference (AAC), held annually in partnership with The Asia Foundation, has become an integral part of the Australian and regional aid calendar. We are pleased to announce ACC2025 will be held from Wednesday 3 to Friday 5 December at the Australian National University in Canberra. The aim of the conference is to bring together researchers from across Australia, the Pacific, Asia, and beyond who are working on aid and international development policy (the AID in the conferen...
Feb 23, 2025•36 min•Season 12Ep. 2
Robin Davies speaks with Dr Agnes Kalibata, who has led the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa for the past decade and previously served as Rwanda's Minister of Agriculture, in which role she helped achieve remarkable reductions in poverty and malnutrition. In this discussion, Kalibata explains AGRA's evolution as a bridge between research organisations, funders and rural communities. She emphasises the importance of developing locally-appropriate solutions rather than attempting to repli...
Feb 14, 2025•33 min•Season 12Ep. 1
Robin Davies speaks with Sir Masood Ahmed, the distinguished international economist whose career spans over 35 years at the forefront of international development. Up to July 2024, Ahmed served as President of the US-based Center for Global Development for seven years, following influential roles at the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the UK's Department for International Development. Born in Pakistan and educated at the London School of Economics, Masood has been instrumental i...
Dec 05, 2024•52 min•Season 11Ep. 16
Gavi is a unique global health partnership that has revolutionised access to vaccines in lower-income countries since 2000. Working with governments, UN agencies, private sector partners and civil society, Gavi has helped immunise more than one billion children, averted 18 million deaths and generating over US$200 billion in economic benefits. The organisation is known for its efficiency, keeping operational costs below 3%, and employs an innovative co-financing model where recipient countries g...
Nov 22, 2024•41 min•Season 11Ep. 15
It’s the eve of COP29, the global climate change conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. In this episode, with thanks to the Australian Museum, we rebroadcast the 2024 Talbot Oration, delivered by Cynthia Houniuhi. You'll hear how a small group of committed Pacific law students transformed their classroom project into a global movement for climate justice, demonstrating the power of determined advocacy to shape international law and policy. Cynthia Houniuhi has emerged as one of the Pacific's most compe...
Nov 08, 2024•40 min•Season 11Ep. 14
In this episode, Robin Davies speaks with Dr Aly Abousabaa, the Director General of the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). This is the final in a three-part series on the CGIAR network of agricultural research centres. You can hear Robin’s interview with the Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, Dr Esmahane Elouafi, in episode 320, and his interview with Dr Bram Govaerts, Director General of CIMMYT, in episode 321. ICARDA is a non-profit research organisati...
Oct 25, 2024•32 min•Season 11Ep. 13
In this episode, Robin Davies speaks with Dr Bram Govaerts, the Director General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). This is the second in a three-part series on the CGIAR network of agricultural research centres. You can hear Robin’s interview with the Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, Dr Esmahane Elouafi, in episode 320, and his interview with Dr Aly Abousabaa, Director General of ICARDA, in episode 322. CIMMYT is a non-profit research organization dedicated t...
Oct 11, 2024•32 min•Season 11Ep. 12
In this episode, Robin Davies speaks with Dr Ismahane Elouafi, the Executive Managing Director of CGIAR. CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) is a global partnership that unites international organisations engaged in research about food security. CGIAR's mission is to deliver science and innovation that advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis. Dr Elouafi discusses the structure and governance of CGIAR, its achieve...
Sep 27, 2024•49 min•Season 11Ep. 11
In this episode, Robin Davies speaks with Dr Fiona Hukula, the Gender Specialist at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Dr Hukula is a social anthropologist with a Doctorate from the University of St Andrews. Over more than 20 years, she has dedicated her career to policy and social research, focusing on gender-based violence, urban issues, and socio-legal studies in the Pacific region. Prior to her current role, she was a Senior Research Fellow and Program Leader at the Papua New Guinea Nati...
Sep 06, 2024•33 min•Season 11Ep. 10
In this episode, Robin Davies speaks with the distinguished Australian journalist and researcher Nic Maclellan. Over the years, Nic has extensively covered the political and social dynamics of New Caledonia, providing unique insights into its complex relationship with France and the ongoing independence movement. New Caledonia is going through a period of substantial unrest and tension, largely driven by the contentious self-determination referenda under the Nouméa Accord. The third referendum, ...
Aug 23, 2024•56 min•Season 11Ep. 9
Robin Davies speaks with Daisy Plana, CEO of Femili PNG, together with in-house lawyer Delwyn Dau and caseworker Elly Toimbo, on the occasion of the organisation’s tenth anniversary. Femili PNG is a pioneering organisation dedicated to supporting survivors of family and sexual violence in Papua New Guinea through its case management centres in Lae, Port Moresby, and Goroka, as well as a safe house in Port Moresby. Since its establishment in 2014, Femili PNG has provided comprehensive support to ...
Aug 09, 2024•48 min•Season 11Ep. 8
Robin Davies speaks with Dr Ruth Goodwin-Groen, an Australian financial inclusion specialist who recently stepped down from her position as founding Managing Director of the Better than Cash Alliance, a position in which she served for over a decade. Ruth has devoted much of her working life to furthering the idea that digital payment systems, well managed, can be swifter, safer, more transparent and more inclusive than cash. The Better Than Cash Alliance is a global partnership hosted by the Un...
Jul 28, 2024•43 min•Season 11Ep. 7
Development Policy Centre Deputy Director Ryan Edwards and Dung Doan, an Economist in the World Bank's Social Protection and Jobs team, discuss the Pacific Labour Mobility Survey, which was conducted between 2020 and 2023. Edwards and Doan explain how the joint research project between the Australian National University and the World Bank was a comprehensive study of Pacific migrants working in Australia and New Zealand. They discuss that although migrants and their families perceived migration ...
Jul 07, 2024•30 min•Season 11Ep. 6
Helder Lopes, Governor of Timor-Leste’s Central Bank, spoke with Robin Davies when he visited Australia in May 2024 under the Special Visits Program of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Central Bank of Timor-Leste is a young institution, established in 2011. It combines some of the responsibilities of our own reserve bank with those of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority, and it manages Timor-Leste's sovereign wea...
Jun 14, 2024•34 min•Season 11Ep. 5
Dr Christos Christou, International President of Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), spoke with Robin Davies when he visited Canberra to meet senior government figures and speak at both the National Press Club and the Development Policy Centre. Christos was appointed to his current role in mid-2019. He has been with MSF in many capacities since 2002, including as director of the organisation’s Greek chapter, and has had field assignments in Zambia, South Sudan, Iraq, and Cameroon. Born and educated ...
May 30, 2024•35 min•Season 11Ep. 4
On 14 May 2024, the Australian government delivered its first budget since the release of the 2023 international development policy and DFAT’s review of development finance. Professor Stephen Howes and Dr Cameron Hill expand on Devpol's 2024 budget breakfast to give an update on recent developments in aid volume and performance, plus upcoming multilateral replenishments. You can find Devpol's full analysis at the links below: >> view the 2024 aid budget breakfast presentation >> down...
May 17, 2024•26 min•Season 11Ep. 3
Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development , together with his colleague Ron Hartman, spoke with Robin Davies when they visited Australia in March 2024 to encourage the Australian Government to rejoin the Fund. Lario explains IFAD’s distinctive role in supporting small-scale farming to reduce rural poverty and boost economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Hartman, IFAD’s Head of Global Engagement, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization, describes IFAD’s wo...
May 02, 2024•37 min•Season 11Ep. 2
Helen Clark sat down with Robin Davies on her March 2024 visit to the Australian National University to talk about whether governments and global institutions are ready to change the way they respond to pandemics. Clark has had a long career in public service as New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and Co-Chair of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response. With this episode, we're relaunching our podcast after a more than two-y...
Apr 18, 2024•30 min•Season 11Ep. 1
