Like most other societies, Norway is characterized by increasingly rapid change, growing demands for adaptability in working life, changing family relationships, greater cultural diversity, and the processes of globalization and internationalization. Social change has led to progress in many areas, also with regard to children and young people. Housing, income and educational opportunities have improved. New information technology has been accompanied by new opportunity. Better access to information and increased immigration are enhancing the cultural understanding of children and young people.
At the beginning of 2001, children and young people with ethnic minority backgrounds accounted for approximately 6 per cent of all children and young people in Norway. Most of them do well at school and in society at large. However, some of them experience problems related to language, education and employment. Some suffer from discrimination and exclusion.
Norway’s young population is generally in good health. Both infant mortality and child mortality resulting from accident and disease have declined sharply in the past 40-50 years. At the same time, new risk factors have emerged. Psychosocial problems are probably the most rapidly-growing health problem among children and young people at home and abroad. Behavioural problems at school also represent a complex area of challenge.
Some children and young people are more at risk for a variety of reasons. They are not as well-equipped as others to benefit from the welfare services and facilities society has to offer. It is therefore a challenge to develop expertise and measures that include these groups of children and young people, give them equal opportunities and utilize their resources in the same way as those of the majority of children and young people.
Many of the challenges facing Norway in relation to children and young people require international cooperation to solve. Norway wishes to contribute to research, the exchange of information, dialogue and cooperation across national borders in order to meet these challenges and prevent the problems to which they give rise.
Ensuring the influence and participation of young people has become a recognized
principle in Norwegian society. It is important to obtain the views and experiences of children in order to find solutions to the problems. In June 2002, the Government submitted the first comprehensive Report to the Storting on the conditions in which children and young people in Norway grow up and live. The goal is to promote a policy for children and young people that will provide a secure, meaningful and stimulating everyday life for more children. The creativity, critical ability, choice of values, involvement and participation of children and young people are one of society’s most important resources.
The report stresses the importance of providing all children and young people with equal services and facilities. Furthermore, municipalities are requested to take greater account of the interests of children and young people in local policy and planning, and to ensure adequate coordination of local efforts for children and young people. Each municipality has been asked to appoint one representative responsible for contact with young people. The municipalities have also been requested to ensure that satisfactory information for children and young people is provided.
By the Norwegian Ministry of Children and Family Affairs