7 Economic and administrative consequences

The Government will base Norwegian efforts to prevent humanitarian crises on three pillars: better internal organisation, clear priorities and carefully selected institutional channels that bolster risk reduction capacity at local and regional level.

Priority will be given to measures to support local risk reduction, capacity building and democratic participation.

As a donor country and dialogue partner, we are measured against our ability to build successful risk reduction partnerships at different levels. This will require closer coordination of Norwegian support for humanitarian assistance, reconstruction and long-term development, and we will therefore strengthen Norad’s role as a centre of technical expertise in this area, with a view to extending our contacts with relevant national actors and strengthening our ties with expert networks in the South. Other organisational measures will also be considered.

Norwegian NGOs, companies and centres of expertise will be important partners for the Ministry. Many of these partners cooperate with the Norwegian authorities today, and it may be relevant to draw in other actors as Norway intensifies its efforts to prevent humanitarian crises.

The measures outlined in this white paper, particularly those involving a greater focus on risk reduction efforts, will have budgetary consequences that will be set out in more detail in the Ministry’s budget proposition. These measures will be funded over the budgets of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Norad.

These efforts will also have administrative consequences, the most immediate of which is that greater focus on risk reduction will require closer coordination of Norway’s efforts, both within the Ministry and at the relevant embassies. The strengthening of Norad’s role in terms of evaluating partners, developing expertise and evaluating ongoing efforts will also have administrative consequences.

Mention should also be made of adaptation to climate change in this connection, as measures in this area will be in particular focus in the period up to the end of the Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period in 2012, and in the subsequent period. These efforts will be included in the Government’s climate and environmental policy, on the basis of the current budgetary framework.

A more detailed account of the administrative consequences will be provided when concrete measures are proposed in connection with the budget.