Five NZAID scholarship students from Cambodia, India, Mongolia, Philippines and Viet Nam who are undertaking postgraduate studies in New Zealand, were selected to attend the Asia:NZ Young Leaders Forum held at various locations around New Zealand at the end of November 2007.

Attended by 38 young people aged from 20 to 34, from both New Zealand and Asia, the week-long programme gave participants an opportunity to increase their leadership and cross-cultural skills and the chance to build important future networks.

Learning about and discussing Asia-related issues in the business, culture and community sectors was a key focus of the programme; as was looking at how leadership relates to cultural understanding; and the kind of leadership that is needed to further New Zealand-Asia relations in the future.

An important part of the NZAID scholarship programme is creating positive relationships between the developing countries where the scholarship students come from and New Zealand. The Asia:NZ Young Leaders Forum provides an ideal platform for these links to develop.

For more information contact NZAID Scholarships Manager, jane.leitch@nzaid.govt.nz

NZAID is currently consulting on the Humanitarian Policy which will provide framework for NZAID’s engagement in international humanitarian action, and guidance for our response to humanitarian crises in the Pacific and globally.

The policy focuses on three key areas. This includes saving lives, alleviating suffering, and maintaining human dignity during and in the aftermath of humanitarian crises; assisting partner governments and poor communities by strengthening prevention, preparedness and mitigation measures and improving their ability to respond to humanitarian crises; and identifying and learning lessons through effective monitoring and evaluation to enhance the effectiveness of NZAID’s own response as well as contribute to accountable and effective international humanitarian action.

To have your say, read the draft policy. Written comments will be accepted up until Monday 17 March. These should be sent to paula.suckling@nzaid.govt.nz

The 62nd session of the United National General Assembly (UNGA62) was held at the end of 2007. 

During the Assembly, NZAID participated in the significant three-yearly resolution, called the Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review (TCPR). This resolution focuses on reform and coherence within the UN development system. NZAID also participated in the resolution on strengthening the UN’s coordination of its emergency humanitarian assistance. 

NZAID seeks to ensure that the outcomes of these resolutions are put into practice through its work with key UN multilateral partners.

The final resolutions are available through www.un.org.

For more information on the TCPR contact NZAID Team Leader, vicki.poole@nzaid.govt.nz, and for information on the humanitarian resolution contact NZAID Development Programme Manager, tiffany.babington@nzaid.govt.nz

CJ (Stan) Vandersyp has been appointed by New Zealand to its Asian Development Bank Constituency Office on a three-year secondment from NZAID. The Office, headed by Dr Ceppie Sumadilaga of Indonesia, represents the interests at the Bank of the Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Kyrgyz Republic, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga.  During 2006 and 2007 Stan was the NZAID Development Programme Manager for the World Bank and Asia Development Bank partnerships.

NZAID attended the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement in Geneva in late November. 

The key outcomes of the conference included a declaration on the Red Cross and Red Crescent’s vision of its role on climate change and environmental degradation, migration, health, and urban violence, a resolution on International Humanitarian Law, and the adoption of guidelines on International Disaster Response Law (IDRL). 

New Zealand made a number of pledges including to continue our contribution towards international efforts addressing the issue of cluster munitions, and to raise awareness of the IDRL guidelines and of the importance of legal preparedness for disasters.

A regional pledge was also made by the Australian, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea governments, along with the National Red Cross Societies of New Zealand, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu to continue cooperating through building the capacity of National Societies in the Pacific region.

The aim of the pledge is to reduce the vulnerability of communities to disasters and degradation, which can be caused by environmental challenges such as climate change; instability; and emergent and recurrent diseases and other public health challenges, such as HIV and AIDS.

All documents and pledges made at the conference are available on www.icrc.org. For more information contact NZAID Programme Manager, tiffany.babington@nzaid.govt.nz

The Humanitarian Action Fund (HAF) is a contestable fund open to New Zealand-based NGOs for emergency and disaster relief, rehabilitation and disaster preparedness. 

A new handbook that sets out how to apply for HAF funding is now available online. 

For further information and a copy of the handbook click here.

Find out about the threat malaria poses to the Asia Pacific region, read about progress towards peace in Sudan and learn about New Zealand support for rural development organisation in Papua New Guinea. You’ll find all this and more in the next issue of Currents – due out in February.

To receive a copy of the magazine please contact Melanie Heaphy on melanie.heaphy@nzaid.govt.nz with your mailing details or visit the NZAID website