Norway’s own development co-operation goals are in keeping with the Millennium Development Goals, and helping to achieve the MDGs is our ultimate aim, both in our bilateral assistance and in our assistance to multilateral organisations and programmes.
Certain areas demand extra efforts if the MDGs are to be reached. Norway is therefore giving priority to education. Lack of reading and arithmetic skills is one of the reasons why so many poor people are unable to exercise their rights or improve their standard of living. In terms of development policy we have made education our job no. 1, and at least 15 per cent of our development assistance is to be spent on education.
Health is another priority area. The prevention and treatment of disease improves people’s quality of life and enhances productivity, and is therefore essential to poverty reduction. Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, and a large number of childhood diseases are on the increase. Norway provides substantial support for health measures both in individual countries and through multilateral organisations like the WHO and programmes like the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). At least 10 per cent of Norwegian development assistance goes to health measures.
HIV/AIDS is one of the greatest development challenges facing us. Norway therefore gives high priority to combating this pandemic. We work both directly in our partner countries and through support for international organisations and funds like UNAIDS and GFATM. The International Development Minister’s initiative, Aidsforum, is doing a lot to disseminate knowledge and raise awareness in this field.
Trade and private sector development is essential for wealth creation, employment and economic growth. Thus development assistance in these fields is an important element in poverty reduction. Our efforts in this field include measures to increase the import of goods from the least developed countries and promoting investment. The Norwegian government is also giving priority to agriculture in its development co-operation, since this is the most important economic activity in most of the least developed countries.
Democratic institutions, transparency in public-sector decision-making, effective, independent supervisory institutions, a properly functioning judiciary and a free and independent press are all characteristics of good governance. Improving governance is crucial if poverty is to be reduced, and efforts in this regard, including measures to combat corruption, are an integral part of Norwegian development co-operation.
At the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002, focus was trained on the links between poverty reduction, environment and natural resource management. Norway is following up the decisions made in Johannesburg in connection with development co-operation among other areas, and has made extra allocations to sectors such as water, energy, agriculture and biodiversity.
Norway has played a pioneering role in the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in international development co-operation. Norway attaches great importance to promoting women’s rights and supporting measures targeted at women.
The international community has a responsibility to protect vulnerable groups in emergencies. Norway has a separate item on its development assistance budget for humanitarian assistance and peace efforts. In this area the government co-operates closely with Norwegian NGOs and the UN system.
By the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs