The two charities' goal was to reconfirm their commitment to collaborating on their shared objective to address global poverty and inequities.

The two Catholic organisations have a long history of both informal and formal collaboration. Their last bilateral meeting was held in 2017 at the conclusion of the Caritas Oceania Forum in Cairns, Australia.

"We have collaborated together on numerous projects over the years, and our relationship has always been strong. But as we live in a changing world, the contexts we work in are becoming more complex and challenging.

"Together, we are examining better ways to work towards our shared goal of a just world for all in the face of rising global poverty levels and climate change," said Julianne Hickey, Director of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand.

"The opportunity to exchange our skills and learnings from the past few years has meant that we have been able to strengthen our relationship, and discuss new ways to work together in the future," Kirsty Robertson, CEO of Caritas Australia said.

The visit started with a powhiri, kapa haka and a hangi. Among those present were Cardinal John Dew, Archbishop of Wellington and the Executive Officer of the New Zealand Bishops' Conference, Siobhan Dilly.

Other cultural activities the visitors were treated to included a visit to Matairangi/Mt Victoria and the hidden collections at Te Papa Museum.

The visit concluded with a Poroporoaki farewell.

"Over the course of this bilateral meeting we have been able to discuss better ways of responding to humanitarian emergencies together, and how we can further support our Pacific neighbours on Disaster Risk Management and resilience.

"As a fellow Pacific country, Caritas Australia is a great ally to continue our work in supporting our region," Hickey said.

Source

• Supplied - Caritas