H. International assistance and cooperation 78. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals and human rights treaties, highincome countries, like New Zealand, have an obligation to provide international assistance and cooperation to low-income and other countries in need.27 Global inequality cannot be reduced without such support which includes development, humanitarian aid and assistance, disaster relief, technical advice and the transfer of skills (for short, ‘development and aid’). 79. The government’s development and aid programme, and its delivery, must be consistent with New Zealand’s human rights obligations, such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. If the development and aid include housing initiatives, the government has a responsibility to ensure the initiatives are consistent with human rights principles and standards, including the international right to a decent 30 Human Rights Commission home. Although these Guidelines are designed to reflect the unique context of Aotearoa, much of their content has a close bearing upon the government’s provision of international assistance and cooperation in relation to housing. 80. If the recipient country has indigenous peoples, the government’s development and aid programme is required to comply with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Guideline 17: If the government’s development and aid programme includes housing initiatives, it has a responsibility to ensure the initiatives are consistent with the right to a decent home and, where the recipient country has indigenous peoples, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.