Peace Efforts & Security

Since the beginning of the 1990s, Norway has increased its involvement in efforts to promote peace and reconciliation. Such involvement is an integral component of the country’s cohesive, long-term foreign policy. Read more

• Humanitarian Commitment
• Land Mines

Swedish industrial magnate Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), inventor of dynamite, is the man behind the Nobel Peace Prize. At the time of his death, Nobel’s empire consisted of a network of nearly one hundred factories, and he was one of the richest men in the world. Childless and unmarried, Nobel drew up a will stipulating that his factories were to be sold and the proceeds placed in a trust. The... Read more

Norway has been a member of NATO since the Alliance was established in Washington in 1949. NATO’s purpose is to ensure the security, freedom and independence of its member states, and to promote the principles of democracy and the growth of democratic institutions in the North Atlantic area. In April 2004, the group of NATO members grew by seven countries – Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,... Read more

Norway has been a member of the United Nations ever since the organisation was founded in 1945. In fact, the first Secretary-General, Trygve Lie, was a Norwegian. The UN has always been a mainstay of Norway’s participation in the international community. Norway gives priority to the efforts to make the UN a strong and effective organisation that serves as a cornerstone for an international lega... Read more