The goal of the strategy is reduced poverty and hardship in the Pacific.

The Pacific Strategy | 2007 - 2015

Te Ara Tupu - the pathway of growth | Tackling Poverty in our Region

About the Strategy

The Pacific Strategy sets out the direction and focus of New Zealand 's aid efforts until 2015. It outlines:

The major development challenges in the Pacific
The areas New Zealand 's assistance will focus on and why
How New Zealand will work in the Pacific – our commitment to delivering effective aid and working in partnership with Pacific countries and others involved in development.

The strategy will ensure the New Zealand 's official aid and development efforts in the region are coordinated, focussed on important issues and support Pacific people to make lasting and positive change in their own communities.

Four key pillars for the strategy

1 - Strengthening Governance

Why?

A stable and prosperous future requires good governance – at all levels. From the management of resources to the participation of people in decision making, governance must work for the good of all, especially the most vulnerable people.

How?

Good leadership at all levels of society in the Pacific
Stronger and broader participation by Pacific peoples, particularly civil society, in all levels of decision making
Improved government

In Action | Making Communities Safer

Everyone needs to feel secure – free from danger, harm or loss – and this is where the police force, access to legal authorities and an independent judiciary come to the fore. If these are not functioning, safety is threatened and people are unable to go about their daily lives with ease. Land disputes, domestic violence, customary and tribal conflicts, particularly in Melanesia, all require competent and professional law and justice institutions and recognition of how these interact with traditional systems. New Zealand will work with Pacific police forces to strengthen their ability to provide protection to poor and vulnerable groups including victims of violence against women. We will support judges and courts to deliver justice through a region-wide judicial education programme. We also recognise the important role communities and traditional conflict resolution processes play and will support initiatives that demand better public and village services from government, leaders and those employed to deliver these services. It's a long term process that will support greater stability and prosperity.

2 - Achieving broader-based growth and improved livelihoods

Why?

Achieving broader-based economic growth is essential to reduce poverty and enable governments to provide better services to their people. Sustainable and equitable growth will help meet the material needs and improve livelihoods of all, including the poorest and most vulnerable people in the region. Appropriate policy environments and programmes, and transparent systems of government will be critical. These, in turn, need to be underpinned by sound, evidence-based analysis.

How?

An environment that supports economic growth
Markets that work better for the poor
Strengthened rural livelihoods and food security

In Action | Reducing poverty through infrastructure

Transport networks are a major factor in accessing markets, social services and enabling broad-based economic growth. During the tensions from 1999-2003, much of the Solomon Islands transport network was either severely damaged or completely destroyed. Beginning in Guadalcanal and Malaita provinces, and in partnership with the Solomon Island government, Asian Development Bank and AusAID, NZAID has supported the reconstruction of rural roads and bridges across the Solomon Islands. The project will make a substantial difference to the lives of poor people – improving their links to markets which they rely on for their livelihoods, as well as to social services including schools and clinics.

3 - Improving health and education

Why?

It's impossible to over estimate the value of education and health. Improving access to, and the quality of, basic education and health services in the Pacific has the potential to make a real impact on the opportunities and choices of people. Life expectancy has increased
across the region but infectious diseases like malaria and tuberculosis remain key health issues. Diarrhoeal illnesses, pneumonia and measles are a big threat to babies and children and there is considerable scope to improve maternal and child health. Resources are also required to tackle the growth in rates of
non-communicable diseases such as obesity and diabetes. HIV/AIDS is also a growing challenge.

How?

Improved access to, and completion of, a good quality basic education
Increased opportunities and choices through skills development
Strengthened access to primary health care
Improved health delivery systems

In Action | Getting children into school in Solomon Islands

In Solomon Islands fewer than 70 per cent of children go to school. For girls, the figure is even lower. The system has been under-funded for decades and undermined by conflict. Families struggle to pay for access to schooling. Those that are lucky enough to go to school will usually receive only 4 to 5 years of schooling of inconsistent quality. It's a startling figure. More children need to go to school if they are going to have choices and greater opportunities when they grow up. The Solomon Islands Ministry of Education invited New Zealand and other donors to work together to improve education. The government committed 22% of its total government budget while New Zealand has committed approximately $10 million annually. Working together we are helping to train teachers and build and repair schools and other school infrastructure. All schools receive a school grant so children can have textbooks and basic teaching resources. Communities are also getting involved by building and caring for their school facilities. New Zealand 's assistance started in 2004 and will continue to 2015. And we are starting to see results – the number of children receiving an education is increasing and more girls are in school.

4 - Reducing vulnerability

Why?

For many poor communities the natural environment is essential for day-to-day life: the stream for water, the local reef and the soil for food. When this natural system fails, either due to human-induced changes such as conflict and increasing urbanisation, or the effects of sudden or long-term natural events like cyclones and environmental change, the impact is huge, particularly for the poor.

How?

Safer, more resilient Pacific communities which have strengthened capacity to manage conflict and respect human rights
Enhanced capacity to sustainably manage natural resources
Pacific people better prepared for and able to respond to disasters

In Action | Rebuilding Bougainville

Conflict on the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea during the late nineties took its toll on the people and many of the effects remain. An estimated 20,000 people lost their lives in the conflict. Communities were destroyed, economic growth went backwards, and schools were closed. New Zealand helped broker a peace agreement between the warring factions. Today New Zealand is assisting Bougainville on the road to recovery. We are contributing resources to support the re-establishment of government services while supporting the return of justice in villages by training community police. At the same time, we are assisting to rebuild incomes through training Bougainvillians in trade skills such as carpentry. Teachers are also being trained so children can return to school and be taught by a trained teacher. The peace process is ongoing and New Zealand is committed to continuing our support to civil society to help strengthen the demand for better government and public services.

Making our aid more effective

The world is increasingly concerned about whether aid is working. New Zealand , along with other major donors, has signed and discussed best practice principles on aid effectiveness. These principles underpin the Pacific strategy:

Ownership | NZAID priorities are determined by development partners and assessed for the strongest match with New Zealand 's development policy and Pacific Strategy

Alignment | NZAID's work aims to strengthen, and wherever possible, use development partners' own systems and processes

Harmonisation | New Zealand 's work in the Pacific will maximise opportunities to work with other donors in a coordinated way

Managing for results | We will focus on strengthening our partners' ability to plan for and monitor outcomes and our ability to monitor the impact of our aid

Mutual accountability | Accountability for results and for predictable resources will be a shared responsibility between our partners and NZAID. We will set out these obligations in our partnership agreements