Launch of New Zealand's Pacific Development Strategy

The government's new Pacific Development Strategy will ensure a focussed and effective approach to aid work in the region, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said today.

In launching the strategy at Parliament today, Mr Peters said New Zealand will spend more than $2 billion over eight years in official development assistance to the Pacific, assuming aid levels remain the same.

"The Pacific remains New Zealand’s main development focus, accounting for 70 per cent of our bilateral aid, and over 50 per cent of our total aid," said Mr Peters.

“The Pacific Strategy acknowledges our place in the world as a Pacific nation and outlines the future shape of our assistance to our Pacific neighbours. It sets out the areas where New Zealand’s contribution can be most effective.

"This allows us to make a sustainable impact on improving health and education in the Pacific; to address infrastructure gaps and promote economic growth, and to improve governance and leadership.

“Aid from New Zealand is only part of the answer. The strategy also sets out New Zealand’s expectation that the Pacific region, and individual Pacific countries, will take up the challenge and do the work necessary to lift their own citizens out of poverty,” said Mr Peters.

The Pacific Development Strategy will be implemented by NZAID, with support from other government agencies.

Copies can be downloaded at www.nzaid.govt.nz

Pacific Development Strategy Q & A

What is the purpose of the Pacific Development Strategy?

This strategy, covering the years 2007 – 2015, is focussed on reducing poverty and hardship in the Pacific. It will help ensure New Zealand’s official aid and development efforts in the region are well coordinated, and support Pacific people to make lasting and positive changes in their own communities.

Where in the Pacific does our aid go?

NZAID prioritises assistance to Pacific countries most at risk of not meeting the Millennium Development Goals – Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. We have major country development partnerships with Kiribati, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and Tuvalu. Assistance to Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau reflects our constitutional commitments and social ties.

How much does New Zealand spend on aid in the Pacific?

NZAID will spend $242.7 million in the Pacific region in 08/09 through bilateral and regional programmes. Additional aid from New Zealand flows into the Pacific from NZAID’s NGO and multilateral programmes, as well as through development work done by other Government agencies in the region.

How does New Zealand decide what to support?

NZAID, along with our country and/or regional partners, work together to identify the development challenges and outline the sectors NZAID will focus on and how we will work in the country or thematic area.

NZAID is working towards supporting fewer activities on a larger scale, and to implement these more effectively over a longer period.

What is NZAID?

NZAID is the New Zealand government's international aid and development agency. The agency is responsible for delivering New Zealand's Official Development Assistance (ODA) - the government's aid programme - and for advising the government on international development policy and issues.

What are the Millennium Development Goals?

In September 2000 a summit of 189 countries, including New Zealand, identified eight goals around which to rally their efforts to reduce extreme poverty. These goals were reconfirmed at a special UN summit in 2005.

The goals are:

• Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
• Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
• Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
• Goal 5: Improve maternal health
• Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
• Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

NZAID Pacific Allocations 08/09