Earlier this month the government promised a 're-set' in the Pacific, offering more money and more focus on improving the conditions, economically and socially.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters called for collaboration, so New Zealand might move away from just being a financier to creating partnerships in the region.
But how can that be done? Josie Pagani, the Director of the Council for International Development, the umbrella organisation of the country's international NGOs, discusses the issues.