Government budget 2006 – the Foreign Minister’s budget areas

In the Foreign Ministry’s budget areas, Jan Petersen wishes to focus on democracy building through humanitarian efforts, human rights and peaceful resolution of conflicts. Provisions have been made for substantial increases in disarmament and non-proliferation efforts. Efforts in relation to the High North, which is important for Norway from the point of view of business development and resources, is given high priority and will be followed up through the budget. Norway wishes to contribute to social equalisation in Europe through the EEA Financial Mechanisms. The Ministry will develop the necessary structure and capacity to fulfil its emergency planning and crisis management tasks in accordance with the white paper on the central management of the Tsunami in Southern Asia.

Humanitarian assistance and efforts to promote peace, reconciliation and democracy

The Government will increase Norway’s contribution to humanitarian efforts, human rights and peaceful conflict resolution in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America by around NOK 400 million. Norway’s total contribution will thus rise to NOK 2.2 billion. Efforts will concentrate on countries where there are major unmet humanitarian needs.

Humanitarian crises are often a consequence of armed conflict. Political efforts are necessary to achieve lasting solutions that benefit the civilian population. The Government therefore emphasises the importance of continued co-ordination between humanitarian and political measures. Humanitarian assistance will thus supplement rather than replace political measures, and efforts will be based on humanitarian principles. In this connection, the Government proposes that efforts to achieve peaceful conflict resolution are strengthened. It is intended that extensive efforts in such areas as the Middle East, Western Balkans, Sudan, the Horn of Africa and Sri Lanka will continue.

Reform of the security sector is an important element in the development of democracy and economic stability in developing countries. At the end of a conflict, it is essential to build up, modernise and bring into operation national structures in the field of security and the administration of justice, i.e. the armed forces, the police, the judicial system and the prison administration. This is an area in which the Government wishes to increase efforts. Norway is already actively engaged in competence-building in relation to rebuilding and reforming the police force, for example in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and in the Western Balkans. Norway’s support for judicial reform in Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina will be continued and this will be extended to Afghanistan, which will be a new important focus area.

The Government supports participation in the development of the UN peace-building commission. Funds will be allocated to a peace-building fund with the purpose of providing targeted support to newly established authorities and peace-building activities at an early stage. The commission and the fund will enable the UN to make rapid contributions to peace processes. The objective is furthermore to help national authorities to establish the institutions necessary to ensure the rule of law, national reconciliation processes and other measures to prevent conflict. The Government has also agreed to contribute to the extended emergency fund that the UN plans to set up. The participation and needs of women will be emphasised in the Government’s efforts to promote peace, reconciliation and democracy.

Measures in the High North

The Government has given an account of the increasing importance of the High North in terms of resources and business opportunities in the white paper Opportunities and challenges in the North, Report No. 30 to the Storting (2004-2005). The Government proposes a number of measures to strengthen efforts in the High North and an allocation of NOK 130 million for the various ministries’ measures in this area.

The allocation for support for project co-operation with Russia in the Barents Sea region via the Foreign Ministry’s budget will be increased from NOK 97.9 million in 2005 to NOK 106.3 million in 2006. In addition to important focus areas like health and the environment, the Government intends to strengthen the role of the Barents Secretariat’s role as co-ordinator for co-operation in our neighbourhood assistance and people-to-people co-operation with Russia. The allocation for nuclear security co-operation with Russia will be increased from NOK 109 million in 2005 to NOK 110 million in 2006. Norway will assume the chair of the Arctic Council in the autumn of 2006. The Government will promote strengthened political and project-oriented co-operation, particularly in connection with the environment and sustainable resource management. NOK 5 million will be allocated to these efforts.

In connection with the Government’s focus on the High North, it will also be possible to strengthen the marine knowledge base in the north through increased marine charting activities, research and environmental monitoring. These measures will be financed by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Disarmament and non-proliferation efforts

Disarmament and non-proliferation efforts will be significantly strengthened with a budget increase from NOK 3.1 million in 2005 to NOK 25.6 million in 2006.

Norway will intensify the efforts to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction through strengthening the global disarmament and non-proliferation agreements. An important measure in this respect is to increase assistance to developing countries to enable them to fulfil their obligations under these agreements. Efforts in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be stepped up. This organisation plays a central role in assisting developing countries to ensure safe management of nuclear material, which has important applications in such areas as agriculture and medicine.

Norway provides substantial support to the UN’s and NGOs efforts to combat illegal trade in small arms. The Government supports a number of projects in Africa, and South-East and Eastern Europe, with the objective of collecting and destroying small arms, including financing measures that address the under-lying causes of the demand for small arms. Norway has supported sub-regional organisations in Africa, such as ECOWAS, in their efforts to gain better control of small arms. It is intended that these efforts will be stepped up in 2006.

Human trafficking

It is proposed that NOK 120 million is allocated for the implementation of the measures in the plan over a three-year period, of which NOK 90 million is earmarked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ activities abroad. These funds will be used for projects and activities in the countries of origin, for example countries in the Balkans, the CIS, Africa and Asia. Bilateral and multilateral police co-operation will also be a high priority. Around NOK 30 million will be allocated via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ budget.

The Financial Mechanisms in the enlarged EEA

Most of the new member countries in the EU have considerably lower living standards than the countries that were already members. The average income per inhabitant of the poorest of these is around a third of the EU average. The disparity in relation to the EFTA/EEA countries is even greater.

In connection with the negotiations on the EEA enlargement agreement, it was decided to establish two new financial mechanisms. One is an EEA mechanism and the other a separate Norwegian mechanism. Norway’s financial contribution will total some EUR 1.134 billion or around NOK 9.41 billion.

The increased contribution from EFTA/EEA and Norway will be used for economic and social equalisation in the enlarged EEA, and will primarily benefit the new member countries. The objective is to enable these countries to take full advantage of the inner market. The idea is that increased trade and investment will in itself raise the standard of living and promote equalisation. This will also benefit Norway. It is important for Norway that the new member countries are able to implement EU regulations, especially in areas of great importance to us, such as the environment, border control and the judiciary.

The scope of the new financial mechanisms is large – they amount to a ten-fold increase in relation to previous mechanisms. Memorandums of Understanding have been negotiated with 13 countries, and four countries have launched calls for proposals for grants under the mechanisms. The other countries are completing their national set-up for administering the mechanisms and will launch calls for proposals for grants in the near future.

Crisis management

The Foreign Ministry’s budget proposal includes increased funds for strengthening efforts in emergency planning and crisis management, following up the white paper on the tsunami in South Asia and central crisis management. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for handling emergency situations abroad and must have its own infrastructure and emergency system for crisis management. Global developments mean that more Norwegian nationals are likely to find themselves in emergency situations as a result of natural disasters and terrorist actions abroad. The Ministry will therefore continue to build up the necessary structure and capacity to fulfil its crisis management tasks in accordance with the white paper. An additional NOK 17 million is allocated for this purpose in the budget.

The introduction of biometric data in passports and visas

The work on introducing biometric data in passports and visas will continue in close co-operation with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the Ministry of Justice and the Police. This will involve major changes in the foreign service missions’ routines in relation to immigration and the issuing of Norwegian passports. The introduction of biometric data requires major investments in new technology and equipment. NOK 30 million has been allocated through the Foreign Ministry’s budget in connection with the introduction of biometric data in passports and visas.

Contact person: Press Spokesman Anne Lene Dale Sandsten, tel. 90 85 81 14.