3. Overriding goal, subsidiary goals,
and measures
The overriding goal of Norway’s
involvement in Angola during this post-conflict period is to
contribute to lasting and stable peace based on:
- National and regional security
- Democracy and good governance
- Resource management that promotes poverty eradication and
sustainable social and economic development
To ensure that the available
resources are focussed and used as effectively as possible,
development co-operation should be designed to target specific
priority areas. Norway’s development co-operation with Angola will
be based on the Millennium Development Goals, the Norwegian
Government’s Action Plan for Combating Poverty in the South towards
2015, and Angola’s Interim PRSP. It will also be guided by
Norwegian expertise and experience and the efforts of other
actors.
Human rights considerations should
be integrated into every aspect of Norway’s efforts. Women are
particularly vulnerable in conflict and post-conflict situations,
and they are often at a disadvantage when it comes to rights and
participation. Children, too, are a vulnerable group. Our efforts
should therefore have a special focus on women and children,
especially in connection with reintegration projects and education
and competence-building measures.
The proportion of HIV-positive
people in Angola’s population is relatively low (8.6 per cent in
2001) for the SADC region. However, this is four times what it was
in 1997, and unless special measures are taken, the situation will
soon be as serious in Angola as it is in the rest of southern
Africa. Prevention efforts and the consequences of HIV/AIDS should
therefore be taken into account when considering all development
projects and integrated wherever relevant.
Competence and capacity-building,
institutional co-operation and research will be important elements
of development projects in relevant areas.
3.1 Humanitarian assistance
The humanitarian situation in
Angola is still precarious. Nearly two million people receive
humanitarian assistance in one form or another.
Norwegian aid is mainly channelled
through the UN system, but some goes through NGOs. Humanitarian
efforts in Angola, in the sense of efforts to save lives and
alleviate suffering, have a short-term perspective. The country’s
needs are expected to decline from 2003-2004 and donors’ efforts
will be correspondingly reduced. Norwegian efforts will also
reflect this trend.
Goal:
- To help save lives, alleviate suffering and provide better
protection
Measures:
- Provide funds and contributions in kind for distribution of
food and essential non-food items by UN organisations and NGOs
- Co-ordinate efforts with other development actors, both to
promote effective utilisation of resources and to encourage Angola
to increase its own funding
- Monitor the situation closely, to assess priorities and to
ensure that humanitarian efforts do not supplant local and national
crisis resolution mechanisms
3.2 National and regional security and
stability
a) Demobilisation/reintegration, small
arms and land mines
Over 80 000 former UNITA soldiers
have been demobilised and are to be reintegrated into civil
society. Thirty thousand government soldiers are also to be
demobilised and reintegrated. It is essential that the planned
reintegration projects are carried out as soon as possible in order
to avoid uncertainty and delays which can create a background for
frustration, unrest and crime. It will also be important to ensure
that reintegration projects take account of women and children,
including ex-child soldiers and those who, whether by force or by
choice, were under the care of soldiers.
Decades of armed conflict have
allowed a culture based on violence and the use of weapons to
develop. This constitutes a real threat to the individual. In a
society in which a large proportion of the population have
experienced war-related traumas, the widespread availability of
small arms is a particular threat.
Angola is one of the most
mine-affected countries in the world, and the accident rate is
expected to rise sharply as people start returning to their homes.
Mine survey and clearance operations must be carried out before
people can resume farming, industrial and other income-generating
activities. Thus, humanitarian mine activities are essential. This
is an area where Norway has developed a high degree of expertise,
and has gained experience in Angola, primarily through Norwegian
Peoples Aid.
An independent centre for strategic
studies has recently been established in Angola. Independent
research institutes and think-tanks in this field will be important
opinion-makers and pro-active contributors to policy formation and
the political debate on security issues, including security sector
reform, at both the national and the regional level.
Goal:
- To help improve security and stability
Measures:
- Encourage the Angolan government to involve other groups in a
dialogue on security issues in the broad sense as they relate to
the peace process, security sector reform, measures to control
small arms, etc.
- Humanitarian mine activities
- Support for demobilisation and reintegration programmes for
ex-combatants, especially measures targeting women and child
soldiers
- Support for arms collection projects
b) Reintegration of refugees and
internally displaced persons
At the signing of the cease-fire
there were around 4 million displaced persons in Angola. Since
April 2002, nearly 1.8 million have returned to their homes.
Another 400 000 Angolan refugees were in neighbouring countries –
Namibia, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The
presence of land mines, the lack of infrastructure and the
inadequate public administration make the reintegration of IDPs and
refugees very difficult, and the limited opportunities for making a
living in rural areas in the next few months make things even more
difficult. The reintegration of refugees and IDPs is a major
challenge.
Goal:
- To support voluntary repatriation and reintegration
Measures:
- Support for humanitarian measures that facilitate reintegration
of refugees and internally displaced persons
- Dialogue with the Angolan authorities on reintegration
issues
c) Regional stability
Angola has the potential to become
a major political actor in the region. It has a seat on the
Security Council for 2003-2004, which will enable it to play a
constructive role, particularly in regional conflicts. Security
Council membership carries obligations, however, and will place
demands on Angola as regards national issues and international
relations. As chair of the SADC for 2003, Angola plays an active
part in the organisation, including in the fields of politics,
defence and security.
The war and the large number of
Angolan refugees living in neighbouring countries have complicated
relations with these countries. The normalisation of relations with
these countries is essential to regional stability, and the peace
agreement and repatriation of refugees will enhance this process.
Agreements have already been signed with Zambia, Namibia and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on organising the voluntary
repatriation of over 400 000 refugees. Angola is also in a good
position to make a positive contribution to the peaceful resolution
of the conflict in the DRC, as was shown, for example, by its
involvement in the agreement between Uganda and the DRC in August
2002 regarding the withdrawal of Ugandan forces from the DRC.
Southern Africa is a priority area
for Norway. For this reason, Norway considers it important to seek
to ensure that Angola’s strength – both political and economic –
becomes a positive factor for stability in the region.
Goal:
- To help strengthen Angola’s involvement in regional security
and stability
Measures:
- Promote political dialogue on the importance of regional
co-operation measures
- Encourage and support regional co-operation
- Work towards a focus on Angola and Angolan participation in the
Training for Peace in Southern Africa programme (TfP).
(TfP is a Norwegian-funded programme that has been running
since 1995. Its main objective is to help build sustainable
capacity among countries in southern Africa for participation in
international peace operations. This is part of the overarching
goal of promoting state and human security in the SADC
region.)
3.3 Democracy building and good
governance
a) National reconciliation, democracy
and human rights
Angola faces a long and difficult
reconciliation process. Even if the parties succeed in negotiating
their way to agreement on political and administrative solutions,
the painstaking process of restoring mutual confidence and empathy
within the population as a whole still remains. A greater focus on
the necessity of national reconciliation and the inclusion of many
different groups in the peace and reconciliation process is
crucial. Mechanisms must be found to promote peaceful co-existence
and deal with potential conflicts.
Civil society has the potential for
playing a stronger role in the reconciliation process. Although it
is still very weak, it is becoming better organised and taking a
more active part in the public debate. The church network has
contributed to the peace effort and could promote popular
participation and help ensure that the peace process has a firm
popular footing.
The participation of civil society
in the public debate is also an essential part of democracy
building, and the church network can play an important role here
too. The media have an important democratic function to perform as
channels of information to the public and as fora for a range of
differing views. Research and other academic institutions are
important contributors to the public debate, both as pro-active
contributors to and as participants in the debate.
The upcoming elections present
major challenges and give rise to major expectations. An enormous
amount of technical work will be necessary (including revision of
the constitution and of elections legislation, and the
reestablishment of the electoral roll), and extensive political
efforts will have to be made within the parties. How the elections
are conducted will be an acid test of the consolidation of the
peace.
Fundamental human rights are
enshrined in Angola’s constitution and legislation, and Angola has
ratified major international human rights conventions. The end of
armed conflict will give the country greater scope for meeting the
commitments these instruments entail, and the UN Mission in Angola
is there to help the authorities carry this out.
Norway considers it important to
support measures to promote national reconciliation and popular
participation, and to enhance the democratic control mechanisms in
Angola. Such measures include support for institutions, independent
news media, NGOs and interest groups.
Goal:
- To promote national reconciliation, democracy building and
respect for human rights
Measures:
- Encourage UNITA and the government of Angola to continue their
political dialogue and to include other actors, such as civil
society, in their reconciliation efforts
- Support flexible forms of support for civil society, research
institutions and news media to enable them to play more prominent
roles in the public debate and as facilitators of reconciliation
measures
- Support public education on human rights, particularly through
local organisations
- Support the UN’s democracy and human rights efforts
- Support the preparation, execution and observation of
elections
b) Good governance and transparency
Corruption and lack of transparency
in the management of state resources are among the greatest
challenges facing Angola. They undermine democracy and good
governance and are an obstacle to economic development. Greater
control over state revenues and expenditures is also crucial to the
government’s ability to plan and conduct its activities. Positive
developments in the area of governance will therefore yield
substantial rewards. The government of Angola has acknowledged
these governance challenges and has taken steps, both on its own
and in co-operation with multinational institutions and donor
countries. Much still remains to be done, however.
Norway will emphasise reforms in
this area in its co-operation with Angola, and will attach
importance to progress in this field when further reviewing its
development assistance activities (the review in 2005). Our main
aim is to assist Angola, through bilateral channels and
multilateral co-operation, in its efforts to fight corruption and
increase the transparency of its public administration. This means
supporting reform and strengthening key institutions. It also means
supporting those elements in Angolan society that are working to
promote good governance.
Goal:
- To promote good governance and transparency in public
administration
Measures:
- Emphasise the importance of governance reforms that promote
transparency in the public administration, improve social welfare
and advance democracy, human rights and the rule of law
- Organise multilateral and bilateral development co-operation to
target projects that promote good governance, with a particular
emphasis on institutional co-operation and support for civil
society, and projects aimed at economic development and resource
management
- Work towards common donor positions on issues relating to
governance, both in multilateral fora (the international finance
institutions, UN agencies and other international/intergovernmental
organisations) and bilaterally.
3.4 Sustainable economic and social
development
a) Eradication of poverty
Poverty is an enormous problem in
Angola. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) will be the
overriding document for combating poverty and will be required by
many donors as a condition for development co-operation with
Angola. For this reason, it is important for the government to keep
up its consultation processes in the provinces and with civil
society, and its dialogue with the donor community on the PRSP
process. It is also important to prepare planning documents for
translating the poverty strategy into practical policy. The Interim
PRSP and other planning documents are expected to be completed
before the scheduled donor conference and will form a basis for
Norway’s development co-operation with Angola.
The international finance
institutions will play a central role in the work on macroeconomic
reforms in Angola and in projects relating to economic and social
development. Co-ordination between donors is very important, both
that between the donor countries and the finance institutions and
that between the finance institutions themselves.
The unequal distribution of income
leads to rising imports and investment/savings abroad (there is
little domestic investment) and this generates little in the way of
economic activity in Angola. A more equitable distribution policy
would not only promote social development, it would also boost
demand in the domestic market and thus promote private sector
activity.
Goal:
- To promote a more equitable distribution policy and poverty
eradication
Measures:
- Promote a constructive dialogue between the Angolan authorities
and the donor community on the PRSP process
- Support processes and measures aimed at poverty eradication,
and underline the importance of a more equitable distribution
policy
- Promote donor co-ordination between all development actors, and
a common approach by and towards the international finance
institutions
b) Education
Education is a human right.
Moreover, it plays a crucial role in economic, social and cultural
development. The need for basic education is particularly great in
a country like Angola, where, due to years of civil war, several
generations have grown up with only a minimum of education.
Education is essential for economic growth and the eradication of
poverty. Training and competence building are crucial for
strengthening the public administration and the private sector in
Angola. Education can also be an important channel for the
dissemination of information on HIV/AIDS.
Norway has many years of experience
with regard to education in Angola, particularly through the work
of the Norwegian Refugee Council and UNICEF and the co-operation
with the Angolan Ministry of Education. We have expertise in
education in emergency situations, as well as in special
educational methods for post-conflict situations. This could be of
considerable help in strengthening the educational efforts in
Angola. Norway’s involvement in the educational sector would
support the Angolan government’s own goal of ensuring a minimum of
six years of primary education for all by 2015, which is also
reflected in the Millennium Development Goals.
Goal:
- To help raise the level of education in the population in
general, and in women and girls in particular
Measures:
- Urge the authorities to give priority to education by
allocating a larger percentage of the national budget to education,
especially education of women and girls, within the context of the
PRSP process
- Continue development co-operation in the field of education
aligned with Angola’s own development plans
- Explore the potential for engaging the Norwegian business
community in vocational training/competence building
c) Stable and predictable conditions for
economic activity
The outlook for lasting peace,
along with Angola’s economic potential, offers a tremendous scope
for commercial activity and investment. Stability and
predictability are important conditions for activity in the private
sector. Norway wishes to help develop stable conditions for
economic activity in Angola.
In order to establish a stable and
predictable environment for private sector development, corruption
must be combated. Reforms designed to ensure greater transparency
are a fundamental tool in the fight against corruption and in order
to secure investment and long-term private sector development
outside the profitable petroleum and diamond industries.
Commercial activity is crucial for
the reconstruction of Angola’s economic sector. Norwegian private
sector activity in Angola can contribute to economic growth and
social development. The Norwegian authorities feel it is important
that Norwegian companies conduct their operations in foreign
countries according to the same ethical standards and good business
practices as they do in Norway, and thereby contribute to
transparency and sustainability in the private sector and in
economic policy. Building local competence is important, and
corporate social responsibility is a keyword here. Companies, donor
countries and international institutions must have a single agenda
when it comes to working with the Angolan authorities on these
issues.
There is no doubt that a greater
degree of transparency is necessary with regard to state revenues
from multinational corporations involved in the extraction and
export of natural resources from Angola. This issue must be dealt
with in an international context, however. Norway actively supports
the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
Goal:
- To help establish more stable and predictable conditions for
economic activity, including greater transparency and
anti-corruption policies
Measures:
- Support institution-building and competence building in the
areas of budgeting, accounting, auditing, statistics and
legislation
- Encourage the Angolan authorities to keep up their dialogue
with the IMF with a view to concluding an agreement on economic
reforms and greater transparency in the economy
- Seek to achieve common donor positions in relation to the
international finance institutions
- Support international initiatives to promote greater
transparency in connection with the activities of the extractive
industries
- Seek to co-ordinate positions in order to get the authorities,
companies and NGOs to work toward the same goals
- Encourage and support the CSR efforts of companies and business
organisations, including through KOMpakt
- Assist Norwegian companies wishing to establish a presence in
Angola and maintain a continuous dialogue with companies already
established there
d) Private sector development
Angola’s petroleum output assures
the state of high revenues and hard currency, but it also leaves
Angola vulnerable to international economic fluctuations. So far,
though, the petroleum sector has not had any large-scale impact on
job creation. There is therefore a pressing need to develop a more
diversified economy based, among other things, on agricultural
reconstruction and on job creation and private sector development
in peri-urban and rural areas. It is also important to revive the
formal economy as the main arena for employment and economic
activity (most people make their living in the informal sector at
present), and create a policy and regulatory environment conducive
to private sector development.
On the basis of the priorities set
by the Angolan government for the development of the economy and
the private sector, and in line with the Norwegian strategy for
support for private sector development in the South, Norway should
target sectors and measures in which Norwegian development
co-operation and the Norwegian business sector are especially
experienced and well-qualified.
Goal:
- To promote the development and strengthening of the framework
conditions for trade and private sector development, and the
re-establishment of a formal economic sector
Measures:
- Support co-operation on institutional frameworks and
competence-building
- Use support schemes for private sector development to stimulate
investment and the establishment of partnerships
- Seek to involve the Norwegian business community in
competence-building efforts
- Assess the possibility of bringing Norwegian and Angolan
employees’ and employers’ organisations into contact with each
other so that they can co-operate on strengthening the Angolan
organisations and stepping up the focus on rights, safety and
competence-building
e) Sound management and sustainable
utilisation of natural resources
Angola has abundant natural
resources in the form of fertile soil, fish, forests and petroleum
and other minerals, but little in the way of human and
institutional capacity to manage these resources. Developing a
sound base of expertise in Angola and bringing natural resources
under sound management should be high on the list of priorities for
poverty alleviation. Long-term capacity-building, with a focus on
policy development, institution-building and the development of
legislation, is important for strengthening governance.
Norway possesses special expertise
in petroleum, fisheries, hydropower and the environmental
challenges involved in managing these resources. Norway already has
experience of co-operating with Angola in the fisheries and energy
sectors, of institutional co-operation, for example between the
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and the Angolan Ministry of
Petroleum, and of co-operation on institutional development in the
electricity and water sector.
The two countries have
environmental and resource management interests in the petroleum,
energy and fisheries sectors on which to base research co-operation
and co-operation in international environmental policy fora.
Goal:
- To help set up regimes for the sound management and sustainable
utilisation of natural resources
Measures:
- Capacity-building with a special focus on policy development,
institution-building and the development of legislation
- Continue supporting co-operation between Norwegian and Angolan
institutions with a view to transfers of expertise and the exchange
of experience
- Co-operation in international fora on following up commitments
under the environmental conventions
