An academic says a review of New Zealand's aid programme shows New Zealand is neglecting issues such as gender equality and human rights.
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully. Photo: RNZ
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has released its five yearly peer review of the country's aid funding.
Terence Wood of the Australia National University says given extraordinarily high rates of domestic violence in the region, it is odd that New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, does not put greater priority on gender issues.
"Under the current government, what's called in aid jargon "cross-cutting issues" such as human rights and gender, have been really neglected and this, I think, reflects the fact that the minister doesn't view such issues as important for development work."
Terence Wood says he agrees with the report's findings that New Zealand needs to give more aid.