Ladies and gentlemen,

This is my first time in Mozambique, and it is a great honour for me to be invited to speak at the ISRI.

The topic of my speech is one that my government considers to be of paramount importance in the world today: the promotion of peace, development and human rights. Peace is a major precondition for development. Development is virtually impossible without peace. Respect for human rights is the backbone of human security – which is what development is all about.

Yet, peace and human security remain an elusive proposition for far too many people. In a world that has never been as prosperous as today, the vicious spiral of deadly conflict continues to escalate. In a global environment ripe with development opportunities, the gap between the rich and the poor – between the haves and the have-nots – is widening. And in a time when we know so much about what it takes to promote sound and sustainable development, development assistance from the industrial countries is way below what it used to be. And way below what it should be.

These are troubling trends; troubling paradoxes. In a world so riddled with paradoxes, there are no easy answers, no quick fixes - no blueprints for conflict resolution, no fast lane to reconciliation. Countries have different historical legacies, different cultural traits, and they are at different stages of economic development. Conflict is complex. Each and every conflict is unique.

Still, if we have learned anything from this turbulent world of ours – a world in which every second peace accord is broken - we have truly learned the following: For conflict resolution to succeed, we must address the root causes of the disputes, as apart from its symptoms only. And for peaceful post-conflict relations to last, we must create sustainable social and economic development.

This is true in Africa, as anywhere else. And this is also why I am worried over recent developments in Africa. After a period of robust economic growth in Africa, growth seems to have slowed quite considerably. For sure, some countries – like Mozambique – are doing very well growth-wise. But the general trend seems to be a turn for the worse. In the latest edition of its report on Global Economic Prospects the World Bank paints a rather bleak picture of the prospects for real growth - and poverty reduction - in large parts of Africa.

These trends must be countered! African countries and their partners must forge stronger partnerships aimed at restoring aid, increasing foreign investment and making ever more effective use of resources, including domestic ones. For sure, development must come from within; must be home grown. But international solidarity and support remain just as important as they ever were.

Norway will contribute by maintaining its level of development assistance at 0.89 per cent of GNP in 2000. During the next few years, we intend to gradually increase this level to 1 per cent. At the same time, Norway aims to increase the level of bilateral assistance to Africa up to 50 per cent of the total budget for development cooperation.

Norway is also supporting international initiatives to make development cooperation more coordinated, more poverty-oriented, much less donor-driven and more effective.

To improve the prospects for growth and poverty reduction in Africa the heavy debt burden of many African countries must be reduced. The sooner, the better! We have urged all creditor countries to seek ways to give the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) a new start at the turn of the millennium: Countries which lag behind in providing their share of HIPC financing must do so without further delay!

Norway is prepared to do its share - in fact go well beyond our fairs share. We have declared that we are ready to cancel 100 per cent of our commercial claims on HIPC countries, to top up the HIPC debt reduction, upon its completion. We will be giving priority to 22 countries, 18 of which are in Africa – one of which is Mozambique.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Gloomy pictures of Africa are plentiful. International media tend to paint a picture of a conflict-ridden continent, plagued throughout by serious social and economic problems. I do not agree with this picture. It tends to obscure the progress being made in many parts of Africa. Just think of the demise of apartheid in South Africa, the restoration of peace in Mali, the recent democratisation of the government of Nigeria and the successful transition from civil war to democratic elections here in Mozambique. Just think of the wave of political and economic reform that has swept across the better part of this continent in recent years.

This being said, it is hard to escape the fact that in recent decades, war and conflict have set their mark on parts of Africa. In fact, more than half of all war-related deaths in the world occur in Africa.

Breaking the vicious circle of violence poses formidable challenges. For more than six years, the regional organisation IGAD has been trying to create a basis for a peaceful solution in Sudan. Many donors have actively supported these peace efforts through the IGAD Partners’ Forum - where the Norwegian Minister for Development and Human Rights is presently chairing the Sudan Committee. Norway has been providing humanitarian assistance to Sudan for nearly 30 years. This is why we are also very much involved in the efforts to bring about a political solution to the conflict. Humanitarian assistance alone is not enough to prevent the recurrence of mass suffering.

The need for closer international cooperation in resolving conflicts is greater than ever. It is therefore essential to strengthen the role and legitimacy of the United Nations and the Security Council in the efforts to secure international peace, stability and security. The UN is the organisation best suited to lead and coordinate peace operations. The organisation is unique in that it has a combination of different security policy instruments to draw on. However, it often needs to call on strong regional organisations for large military forces with peace-enforcing capabilities, as in the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Another recent example is the cooperation between the UN and ECOWAS in the peace operation in Sierra Leone. Regional organisations can more readily mobilise the armed forces of their members and merge them into a single force. Therefore, it is important to strengthen the regional capacity for participation in peace operations.

For many years, Norway has contributed financially to strengthening African capacity in peacekeeping and conflict prevention. We are committed to continuing our efforts in these areas. One example is the financial support we are giving to the OAU mechanism for conflict prevention, management and resolution.

We have been particularly active in the SADC region, through a programme called Training for Peace in Southern Africa. The programme organises courses for civilian police and military officers selected for possible service in peacekeeping operations. Initially, the programme will run for 5 years, and Norway has sponsored it to the amount of approximately 2.5 million dollars. Since its start in 1995, Training for Peace has conducted national courses and regional seminars on peacekeeping operations in 11 SADC countries, in which more than 600 people have participated.

Norway recognises that the Organisation for African Unity (OAU) has a particularly important role to play in promoting peace and stability in Africa. My government strongly supports the ongoing efforts by the OAU to secure a peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Close collaboration between the OAU, the UN and national governments is needed to resolve this and other conflicts on the African continent.

In order to create peace it is not enough merely to bring the actual fighting to a halt. If a cease-fire is to become a sustainable peace - not merely an intermezzo in a long, continuing war - the international community must help rebuild viable administrative structures and strengthen civil society in the country concerned. Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) are key elements in this regard. Norway is providing financial support for initiatives such as the DDR programme in Sierra Leone.

The presence of large numbers of small arms and light weapons is a major destabilising factor in many post-conflict societies. Their uncontrolled use leads to widespread atrocities; gross violations of human rights. This problem demands the urgent attention of the international community - as well as the countries affected, of course. Norway has been deeply involved in international efforts to control and reduce the proliferation of small arms. We were the first country to firmly commit funds to the ECOWAS Moratorium on the Manufacture, Export and Import of Small Arms and Light Weapons. An effort to establish a similar moratorium in parts of East Africa is now being initiated in close cooperation with Kenya.

Anti-personnel mines constitute another serious obstacle to post-conflict reconstruction. I would like to stress how much Norway appreciates Mozambique’s contribution to the process that made the Mine Ban Convention possible. Also, we very much appreciated your hosting the very first Meeting of State Parties to the Convention, last May. We have urged all member countries of the UN to sign and ratify this Convention. We know we can rely on Mozambique to encourage other African countries to do so.

We have also emphasised the need for adequate resources for mine clearing activities and intend to contribute 120 million dollars over five years for this purpose. Since 1993, Norway has been supporting a demining programme in Mozambique, and our support will continue.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In response to the need to provide more practical assistance in the process towards democracy and respect for human rights, the Norwegian Resource Bank for Democracy and Human Rights, NORDEM, was established in January 1993. It consists of two components, the NORDEM resource base and the NORDEM preparedness force . The resource base responds to requests for expert advice within a broad range of areas relevant to democracy and human rights. The resource base includes approximately 120 individuals.

The NORDEM preparedness force became operative in the Spring of 1995. Personnel from the force have since then been involved in various assignments - as election observers and providers of technical election support, as human rights monitors, and as investigators of gross human rights violations. The preparedness force now has 220 members, all ready to take on international assignments for up to 6 months on short notice. In Mozambique, Norwegian observers were present both during the voter registration process and also during the general elections last December.

Another institution that will provide similar types of assistance is the Southern African Resource Bank for Democracy and Human Rights SAFDEM). This is intended to be a civilian stand-by force for human rights and democracy. We believe that it will be an important factor in regional peacekeeping and conflict management We have provided 160.000 dollars for the first 18 months of the project.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Norway is supporting and contributing to efforts to resolve conflicts, foster reconciliation, and promote peace and human rights in Africa - as best we can and to the extent that we are invited to get engaged. That being so, we fully realise that those who will have to build lasting peace and stability in Africa are the people of Africa themselves. Just like development, peace must – first and foremost -come from within.

But our goals are common. To achieve these goals we must develop norms, rules and institutions for dealing with conflicts of interest without resorting to weapons. In conflict-prone or conflict-ridden countries we must strengthen systems of governance that are participatory, transparent and accountable. In fragile societies in transition from civil strife to peacebuilding a culture of tolerance, negotiation and compromise must be made part and parcel of good governance. Only then can we prevent a resurgence of violence.

Respect for human rights is a major tool for resolving conflicts and making sustainable peace. Very importantly, all human rights deserve equal attention, whether they are socio-economic rights or political and civil rights. These rights are integrated and inseparable; two sides of the same coin. Of course, respect for human rights is also key in preventing conflicts from breaking out in the first place. The same goes for development efforts.

As the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has said, we must build a culture of prevention; we must prevent identifiable threats from becoming terrible realities.

Finally, in terms of sustainable peace-making and post-conflict reconciliation, Mozambique has come a long way. Indeed, you have shown the way – a way that others can follow. I congratulate you on your efforts and achievements, wish you all the best in your future endeavours, and offer you our support and partnership in the future.

Thank you for your attention.