The government will work actively for a stronger UN and will increase its allocations to the world organisation by a total of NOK 350 million. At the same time, we will reduce our support for the World Bank. Norway will strengthen its peace efforts. International cooperation on vaccines and vaccination, for example through GAVI, will also be given higher priority. Altogether the government proposes a reallocation of NOK 550 million in the development assistance budget.

The increase in the contributions to the UN will primarily be targeted towards the environment, gender equality, peace building and good governance. Norway will promote environmental considerations in development co-operation. Support will be given in the form of funding, transfer of knowledge and strategically focused partnerships. The government will increase Norway’s focus on gender equality, and will raise its contribution to the UN Development Fund for Women.

Peace efforts will strengthened, mainly by increasing the contribution to the UN Peace Building Fund from NOK 100 million to around NOK 200 million, but also by giving priority to strategic efforts in particular countries through the UN.

Health for development – vaccination efforts

The government intends to broaden Norway’s engagement in vaccination efforts, for example through better co-ordination between the contributions to national health services, to the efforts to ensure that new vaccines are utilised and to research and development. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) has made substantial contributions in these fields, by ensuring that new effective vaccines are used and by providing basic vaccines for existing health programmes. Norway’s contribution to internationally co-ordinated vaccine initiatives is to be increased by NOK 200 million.

Reallocation

In order to finance the efforts described above, the government proposes that the allocation to the World Bank is reduced by NOK 100 million. It also proposes a reduction in allocations to bilateral development co-operation. A further proposal is to reduce the allocation for debt relief by NOK 100 million, partly because it is uncertain whether the international community’s relief plan for Sudan can be implemented as early as next year.

Press contact: Acting Head of Information Odd Naustdal, mobile tel: 91 14 94 90