Cablegate: Nzaid: Approach to Aid in the Pacific

VZCZCXRO0970
RR RUEHPB
DE RUEHWL #0462 1670456
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 160456Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 4452
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0577
RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0479
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2905

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000462

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/ANP AND EAP/PD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2016
TAGS: PREL NZ XV
SUBJECT: NZAID: APPROACH TO AID IN THE PACIFIC

REF: A. WELLINGTON 451
B. WELLINGTON 461

(U) Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Katherine
Hadda, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1. (C) On June 16, Poloff met with Craig Hawke, Director,
Pacific Group, New Zealand's International Aid & Development
Agency (NZAID) to discuss GNZ's official development
assistance (ODA) and to explore opportunities for U.S.-New
Zealand cooperation in the region. Hawke said the Pacific is
an "over-aided region, and that the last thing the Pacific
needs is another aid project." Rather, Hawke suggested, U.S.
weight and influence would be more useful promoting policy
dialogues. "Australia and New Zealand are seen as
neighbors," Hawke added, "and the U.S. can add its voice as
an external, neutral party -- especially given its global
perspective on governance and human rights."

2. (SBU) When GNZ established NZAID as a semi-autonomous
agency four years ago, Hawke said its two primary goals were
elimination of poverty and a focus on development in on the
Pacific. New Zealand's ODA is centered substantially on 18
countries, with 11 of those in Melanesia and Polynesia.
NZAID is mainly pursuing programs to strengthen governance,
achieve broader-based economic growth, and improve education
and health.

3. (SBU) In the last three years, GNZ has increased it ODA
allocation to the Pacific by 50%, to NZD 173 million (USD 109
million) as of the 2005/06 program year. This Pacific
allocation represents 55% of total ODA (up from 45% three
years ago). The primary target of increased spending are
programs for income generation, rural livelihoods, investing
in infrastructure for the poor, trade and economic
cooperation, fisheries, and regulatory reform, Hawke said.

4. (C) Hawke noted that NZAID's goals for the Pacific are
largely consistent with those of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade (MFAT). However, Hawke noted that MFAT and
NZAID had differing but complementary views on security
objectives in that MFAT is focused on physical security (e.g.
border management, port container security) and NZAID is more
concerned with "human security" (e.g. socio-economic security
concerns centering on conflict prevention, squatter
settlements, natural resource management, environment
management, and disaster mitigation and response).
McCormick

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