The Government of Australia and Development Gateway Foundation have launched the Australian Country Gateway, a web portal dedicated to advancing social and economic development throughout the Asia-Pacific Region.
The Australian Development Gateway joins a network of 50 Country Gateways being established by the Development Gateway and its partners around the world. Country Gateways are locally owned and managed information service enterprises that support national and regional development. Because Country Gateways use web technologies, they are efficient platforms for sharing development information, enabling collaboration, and supporting local enterprise.
The Australian portal currently focuses on agriculture, education, governance, health, information technology, and water. Development professionals can exchange information in these areas through a range of interactive features, including directories of organizations and individuals with development experience in the Asia-Pacific region, listings of business opportunities, development discussion forums, and a directory of aid projects and programs. More than 700 free resources are today available on the website, including case studies, reports, toolkits, and publications.