The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee has presented its report to the House on its inquiry into New Zealand’s aid to the Pacific. It began the inquiry on 27 June 2019. A copy of the report is available on the Parliament website.

The report makes 15 recommendations to the Government, including to:

· improve development partnerships in the Pacific, strengthen democratic and electoral processes in the region, and engage more deeply with local communities

· support and progress the Pacific’s climate objectives as part of New Zealand’s response to COVID-19

· enable the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to increase the focus on inclusive development, with an approach that is based on human rights

· work with the private sector to increase economic resilience and create jobs, and ensure that New Zealand businesses can tender for projects

· improve the transparency of the aid programme and communicate its challenges and successes with the public

· step up efforts to design and deliver initiatives that are locally owned, adaptive, responsive, and based on evidence.

Simon O’Connor, Chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, said: "Our inquiry affirmed the importance of New Zealand establishing relationships with its Pacific neighbours that build on our shared history and are based on mutual respect and trust. We note that COVID-19 has dramatically affected how aid will be provided in the region. We look forward to seeing how the recommendations are adopted and our overseas development programme grows even stronger.”

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