Press Release:

Attention: The following is a comment from the Executive Director of The Leprosy Mission New Zealand regarding the current topic of Murray McCully’s proposed changes to NZAID. New Zealanders need to be aware of the affects of these proposed changes, and the need for our government needs to keep their promises.

Economic Development alone will not change the future for people with disabilities living in poverty.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs is signalling hasty changes in the direction and focus of NZAID. The Leprosy Mission is united with other NGOs in calling for the Minister to ensure proper reviews and debates before fundamental changes are made.

We request the same transparency as is rightly demanded of NGOs. Prior to the election a group of international development NGO leaders met with Murray McCully. He gave us his assurance that if elected into Government a fully consultative process would take place before any major changes to NZAID were made. So far there has been little apparent willingness to consult.

Good aid isn’t about flippancy or “throwing money out of helicopters”. Good aid is an incremental process, most effective when people decide on their own priorities, owning the process themselves. The active involvement of NGOs in New Zealand with grassroots networks and groups in aid recipient countries helps ensure aid is effective, reaching those needing it most.

For more than 90 years The Leprosy Mission New Zealand has raised money to assist in eliminating leprosy and to support people affected by the disease to overcome disability, stigma and discrimination.

Leprosy is a disease of poverty. The leprosy bacterium thrives when people have low immunity, live in overcrowded housing, have poor nutrition, lack access to health care and good sanitation. Closer to home there has been a resurgence of the disease in post conflict areas such as Bougainville, East Timor and the Solomon Islands.

Poverty, poor health and disability link in a complex vicious circle. The World Bank estimates one in five of the world’s poorest people have a disability. Good development assistance aims to break that cycle. By empowering people through access to human rights; education, health, food, housing and social protection, they will be able to speak for themselves and access the services to which they are entitled.

This year, New Zealand is seeking election to the Human Rights Council. We proudly recognised New Zealand’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. Ensuring people with disabilities are able to secure their rights is the core of our work. These rights form the core of other significant international agreements to which New Zealand is a party. The Millennium Development Goals aim to ensure New Zealand works in partnership with other countries in poverty elimination. These goals cannot be met unless people with disabilities are included. We know from experience that disabled people, and people affected by leprosy, bear the brunt of poverty and discrimination. They have the right to live in dignity and achieve their potential.

Economic development alone won’t assist New Zealand to meet its international obligations. New Zealand could fail to meet its human rights obligations by making hasty, uninformed changes.

This government has stated they aim to build an inclusive society. We strongly believe NZAID must retain a clear focus on poverty elimination and human rights to ensure people with disabilities are included and their rights are secured. Economic development is one tool for achieving poverty elimination but not the sole driver and certainly not the complete answer.

ENDS

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