On 24 July, 2009 IDSS celebrated the 25th anniversary of its operations. The celebration was held at Melbourne’s Grand Hyatt Hotel and included speeches by His Excellency the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste and 1996 Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta, the Hon. Senator Bob McMullan, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Paul Hardy, Global Chief Executive Officer, Aurecon Group and Nathan Rabe, General Manager, IDSS.

Other guests included the Hon. Steve Bracks, former Premier of Victoria and Advisor to the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, Xanana Gusmao, former staff and friends of IDSS, representatives of international donors and non government organisations, members of various government agencies, as well as clients and commercial partners.

In his wide-ranging speech, Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta entertained and challenged guests with his reflections on the connections between high levels of ‘official aid’, donor approaches to development and enduring prevalence of poverty in his country. Why, he asked, after receiving more than $3 billion in aid in ten years is poverty on the rise in Timor Leste? And why is it, that according to every donor and academic study, the blame for this sad fact is placed on the poor people themselves?

In his speech, Senator Bob McMullan recalled his early links with IDSS, when as member of the Western Australia State Committee for Community Aid Abroad, he sat on the Board of IDSS. He also gently pointed out that it has been 26 years, not 25, since CAA set up IDSS as a subsidiary company! On a more serious note, PS McMullan made the case for why it is important, even in a time of global economic meltdown, for Australia to have a strong and growing international development program. Between 55-90 million people are expected to have slipped back into extreme poverty as a direct fall out of the current global financial crisis, he stated. And even when the economic order stabilizes, developing countries will need ongoing and substantial assistance to help them combat the effects of the crisis as well as maintain progress on achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  He also accepted that the Australian government, like all donors, has not always used its aid program to the greatest effect and made mistakes. But he stressed Australia’s strong and long term commitment to the people and government of Timor Leste and to remaining as the largest donor to that country.

Paul Hardy acknowledged the professionalism and achievements of IDSS and its unique contribution to the Aurecon Group. He emphasized the great opportunities for IDSS and Aurecon that existed in Africa, now that the Aurecon Group had been created from the merger of three heritage companies, Connell Wagner (Australia), Africon  and Ninham Shand (South Africa) earlier this year. “To be a serious and influential participant in the international aid and development business, companies must be in Africa,” Mr Hardy said. “The creation of Aurecon through our recent merger with two African companies provides an exciting platform for us to do just that.”

For a brief history of IDSS' emergence within the international aid and development sector, please click here.