Thursday, February 04, 2010

New Zealand and Papua New Guinea aid and development programme

NZAID snapshot

 NZAID is the name of the Government's international aid and development programme

New Zealand will provide $500 million on overseas development assistance in FY2009/10.

 Over half of New Zealand's funds are spent in the Pacific.

New Zealand's aid programme has a core focus on sustainable economic development and a sharpened focus on development effectiveness (outcomes) and aid efficiency (eg; delivery mechanisms)

 Assistance to Papua New Guinea totalled PGK40 million (NZD23.75m) for the 12 months to June 2009. This year's target is PGK46million (NZD27m).

Papua New Guinea is NZAID's second largest country programme (Solomon Islands is the largest).

 

New Zealand's assistance to Papua New Guinea

The New Zealand Government signed a joint strategy with the Government of Papua New Guinea in July 2008.

This strategy will guide the aid programme in PNG for the next 10 years, and addresses some of the key development priorities of the country.

The strategy is aimed at:

 improving social services in education and health

 improving livelihood opportunities for rural people

In July 2009, the New Zealand Government announced a revised commitment to Papua New Guinea totalling NZD85 million (approximately PGK146.6million) for the next three financial years to June 2012.

 

Health

New Zealand will continue its long-term commitment to the Health Sector Improvement Programme, a joint approach between the PNG Government and development partners to improve the delivery of health services nationwide and build capacity in the National Health department.

 In 2009, the New Zealand Government agreed to provide PGK16 million for health over the next four years to support local groups delivering health services targeting reproductive health, community health and HIV and AIDS prevention.

Programmes such as the Bougainville Healthy Communities Programme train villagers to be primary health care providers and contribute to the growing pool of volunteers, mostly women, who help their communities.

To contribute to a just society, free of poverty, through equitable and sustainable social and economic development of PNG and all its people

 

Education

New Zealand supports PNG as it works towards a major new initiative to improve access to basic primary education. New Zealand is developing a comprehensive approach to human resource development in PNG that expands its existing tertiary and technical scholarship schemes and will better link training to improving rural livelihoods.

 New Zealand offers around 250 scholarships per year for study in NZ and PNG.

 

Improving livelihoods opportunities

New Zealand is continuing its support for the Fresh Produce Development Agency and Bris Kanda Rural Enterprise Development Programme.

The Fresh Produce Development Agency is a Government extension agency linking farmers and consumers of fresh fruit and vegetables.

 Bris Kanda aims to build commercially-productive partnerships between rural communities and service providers in the Huon Gulf, Morobe province.

New Zealand will explore ways to improve rural people's income from the agricultural sector by supporting government and civil society groups who can improve small-holder farmer productivity and access to markets.

 

Bougainville

New Zealand's engagement in Bougainville supports the governance of the Autonomous Region and strengthening its law and justice system.

 This includes the Governance and Implementation Fund; a joint initiative of Government of PNG, the Autonomous Bougainville Government, AusAID and NZAID to improve government administration and service delivery.

The Bougainville Community Policing Project provides training and support to the Bougainville Police Service and Community Auxiliary Police who help local communities deal with law and order and social problems in partnership with traditional leaders.

Over 300 community police have been deployed throughout Bougainville.

 

Civil society

New Zealand recognises the role and potential of civil society organisations in addressing poverty and promoting sustainable development in PNG.

 New Zealand supports organisations that deliver key services, empower communities to address their development needs, and take a strategic approach to advocating for improved services and greater economic prosperity for rural communities.

New Zealand supports Oxfam NZ which focuses on peacebuilding in the Highlands Region, working alongside local organisations such as Kup Women for Peace and Community Development Agency.

New Zealand has long term relationships with a number of organisations in Bougainville, such as Leitana Nehan, Osi Tanata, and Arawa Carpentry and Social Development Agency.

These groups provide counselling, training and rehabilitation for people affected by the conflict in Bougainville.

 

Gender equity and the empowerment of women

New Zealand continues to strengthen the contribution of all its programmes and projects to gender equity and the political and economic empowerment of women.

New initiatives focused on gender issues are under consideration.

 

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