28 May 2003

New Zealand policy to help developing countries trade out of poverty

4:50 pm on 28 May 2003

New Zealand's Agency for International Development or NZAID has launched a new policy today on trade and development for poorer countries.

It focusses on increasing business skills training and funding small business enterprises in developing countries.

Other initiatives include supporting developing countries at the World Trade Organisation and multi-national trade negotiations, such as the Doha Development Round.

New Zealand's Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Marian Hobbs says the aim is to help developing countries trade their way out of poverty.

"The heart of this policy is a belief that aid and trade must work together to eliminate poverty. ...Aid on it's own, will never succeed in eliminating poverty, but if we can help poorer countries develop their own trade base, they'll have more money to tackle poverty long after our aid dollars, have done their job"

Marian Hobbs. New Zealand Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The government has given NZAID an extra million dollars for the new policy, called International Trade for Development, of which half will be used to support sustainable management of the Pacific fisheries resources.