Joint Peer Review completes preliminary reflections of New Zealand

The first Development Partner Peer Review has completed its preliminary reflections on New Zealand’s development cooperation. 

The Review team worked with Kiribati as part of a case study of the New Zealand Aid Programme in action, from 24th to 27th November 2014. 

The process, coordinated by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), has been conducted jointly with representatives from the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). 

“While we share many common focal areas of the Peer Review, the objectives and perhaps the outcomes in our final reports may differ. We value the opportunity of mutual learning from the joint approach to the Peer review,” says Mrs Peseta Noumea Simi, Review Team Leader and Assistant CEO Aid Coordination and Debt Management at the Ministry of Finance in Samoa. 

The preliminary views are based on in-country dialogue with New Zealand’s mission in Kiribati, officials of the Government of Kiribati, development partners, private sector and civil society. Reflections have also been drawn from the peer review report of Kiribati in 2010 and follow up, consultations with senior government officials in Wellington as well as New Zealand’s engagement and experience in other countries. 

“We appreciate the work done by the Peer Review team and look forward to the report on the team’s findings,” says His Excellency Mr Don Higgins, New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Kiribati. 

“It is important to us that we deliver aid effectively, in line with the development needs of the people of Kiribati. Therefore, the Peer Review process is a valuable gauge of our performance in this regard.” 

The Development Partner Peer Review team will finalise and release a report on the review of New Zealand’s development cooperation early next year. -Ends- 

More information: New Zealand invites Pacific peers to review its development cooperation in the Region Forum Compact Development Partner Peer Review of New Zealand heads to Kiribati For media enquiries, please contact media@forumsec.org