NZAid review
By | Mar 5, 2009
As highlighted in a NZ Herald article on Tuesday, ‘Murray McCully appears to have no qualms about New Zealand’s half-billion-dollar foreign aid programme being used as a tool of its diplomatic policy. The notion of that aid being sent where it can do most good is not for the Foreign Minister. He has, therefore, ordered two reviews into NZAid, the outcome of which is likely to be its re-integration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.’
The article is worth reading for anyone who didn’t catch it. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10559807
NZ has been one of the worst performers in terms of our aid contribution as a percentage of our GNI (gross domestic income), and are one of only 3 countries who have not set a timetable for honouring our .7% pledge (Australia and Japan are the other two).
However, the aid that we do give tends to be given well. That is to say the aid is not tied or linked to the donor countries political agenda. New Zealand aid was separated from Ministry or Foreign affairs seven years ago. The 2005 OECD DAC peer review report on NZAID, speaking of the 2002 changes, said “The reorientation of New Zealand’s development co-operation has been impressive… The creation of NZAID can be considered a success. In practice, its semi-autonomous status has been appropriate, allowing the agency to focus on poverty reduction and ensuring that the development programme is separate from – albeit coherent with – the foreign policy agenda.”
McCully said that poverty elimination should not be the focus of NZAid, rather it should be economic development. “You could ride around in a helicopter pushing hundred-dollar notes out the door and call that poverty elimination.” This is grossly unfair to the work of NZAid. In reality poverty elimination and economic development are always related, and getting the balance right is the work of all development and aid workers. The problem with talking of economic development in separation from poverty reduction is that it might simply be a door to assisting trade and business interest at the expense of those who are most marginalized and in need.
The role of aid is to say ‘what do you most need, and how can we help;’ the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is to ask ‘what are our goals, and how can we advance them. It is not that one is good and one bad, simply that they are conflicting goals. This is the reason some degree of independence and separation is necessary. McCully wants to make sure that NZAid is working towards Government policy. Well of course, that is not in question. All departments should work towards government policy; the question is which policy aims should they be working towards? Those of our humanitarian and aid policies, or our Trade and Foreign Affairs policies?
The Oxfam press release is well worth reading.
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