Oxfam New Zealand Media Backgrounder

Recent studies show Government needs to increase aid levels

Oxfam New Zealand have called on the government to increase its development assistance levels for the forth-coming budget, following the release of several reports showing that New Zealand is still giving some of the lowest levels of aid per capita.

"A series of reports released over the past month indicate that New Zealand delivers quality aid, but the overall level of aid per capita is still far too low," says Barry Coates, Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand. "We're really hoping the government will act on the chorus of concerns about its aid levels with a substantial increase in this year's budget."

Currently, New Zealand's overseas aid comprises 0.27% of its Gross National Income (GNI). The New Zealand budget for 2007/2008 will be delivered on 17 May 2007.

Recent research includes:

• On 1 May 2007, the Global Campaign for Education released its 2007 annual report, ranking New Zealand with a 'C' grade for significantly increasing the amount of bilateral basic education aid provided. According to the report, this grade could have been significantly higher had the government committed to meet the 0.7 percent aid target. Oxfam is a member of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), a worldwide movement established in 1999 to ensure that governments act now to deliver the right of every girl, boy, woman and man to a free, quality education. www.campaignforeducation.org

• On 4 April 2007, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released donor figures for the year 2006, which showed that New Zealand is the sixth lowest foreign aid giver, based on the percentage of gross national income (GNI) spent on overseas development assistance. The figures show that in the past year the New Zealand government had maintained its level of aid as a proportion of GNI at 0.27 percent. www.oecd.org

• On 9 March 2007, Oxfam released a report that found the UN Central Emergency Response Fund's potential to help millions of people was not being reached because contributions to the Fund by wealthy countries including New Zealand were falling short. According to the report, New Zealand has pledged US$1 million or half its fair share of the amount required. www.oxfam.org.nz/news.asp?aid=1393

Successive New Zealand governments have repeatedly pledged to meet the United Nations target to give 0.7 percent of their GNI in development assistance by 2015. In September 2005, the Labour Party announced it would increase the ODA budget as a percentage of GNI to 0.35 percent by 2010; however since then there has been no increase.

ENDS