15 Aug 2003

NZAID targets Pacific governance needs

10:22 am on 15 August 2003

The New Zealand Aid Minister Marion Hobbs has launched a dedicated programme to target the unique governance needs of the Pacific.

She made the announcment at the Pacific Islands Forum in Auckland, also attended by the head of the United Nationas Development Programme, Mark Malloch Brown.

Mr Malloch Brown has pushed successfully for a major expansion to the United Nations' support for democratic governance to developing countries.

Marion Hobbs says good governance programmes help developing countries strengthen vital systems and administrations, improving the capacity to deliver basic services to those most in need.

Ms Hobbs says good governance is not just about policing and justice systems, but also about taking minutes and recording decisions so that communities can move forward.

Approximately 40 percent of NZAID's assistance in the Pacific supports programmes in governance.