Secretary-General, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Life is a lottery, and development co-operation is about evening out the odds. It is about helping to reduce the tremendous differences between those who hold a winning ticket and those who do not. In AIDS-ridden countries, the outcome of the lottery is even more devastating. Our joint efforts are all the more critical.

Norway has been a strong supporter of the Global Fund and its causes since it was launched in 2001. It counts among the most innovative enterprises in the field of health. A pillar in the fight against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, the fund has been given a tremendous task. Our expectations have been and remain high.

We pride ourselves on being a demanding partner. We are also a frank and honest partner. We have challenged the fund on many issues. In the past we have questioned the commitment and performance of the fund as regards harmonisation and alignment. It is therefore a relief to see that the institution is coming on board when it comes to these crucial issues.

With the process starting with the “three ones”, continuing with the “Making the Money Work” conference and - for the time being - culminating in the Global Task Team process, we are leading the way. The institutions, groups and nations present here today are in the forefront in establishing efficient teams and working relations among all actors in the battle against AIDS. It is within this context that the Global Fund needs to find its role and define its specific contribution.

This is why I yesterday talked about speeding up delivery and taking the Global Task Team principles to full implementation at the country level.

Over the years, I have received quite a few reports from Norwegian embassies where they have complained about the lack of compliance with the harmonisation agenda. The fund has often been identified as one of the culprits. These days, the reports tend to tell a different story – a story suggesting that reform is under way.

Yesterday, during the meeting on global architecture, these reports were echoed. We heard about substantial progress that will result in dramatically improved co-operation. Now the urgent task is to implement the Paris Declaration on the ground – in every country affected by AIDS, TB and malaria.

As we speed up delivery, we also need to scale up. I would like to highlight the importance of the replenishment process itself. It is very useful not only as a groundbreaking fundraising mechanism, but also because it provides an opportunity for systematic discussion of core issues of delivery.

Many important challenges have been brought up; quite a few have been clarified. I would especially like to thank you, Secretary-General Annan and Mr Sandstrøm, for your guidance today and earlier on in this process.

Norway is committed to the fund’s mission, and we will be an ardent supporter also in the future. We have so far provided around 1.5 per cent of the total contributions to the fund. As Norway is a small donor country, that commitment represents a great undertaking, and it illustrates the high priority we give to the fund.

The story of the Global Fund is about providing good health opportunities to those in need. The fund’s growth is unprecedented, its potential unlimited. We support the goal established for this replenishment process: USD 7.1 billion. And we expect other donors - new and old, public and private - to commit their fair share. As a first instalment, the Norwegian Government is committed to providing NOK 270 million ­(USD 41.5 million) to the fund in 2006, more than doubling our annual contribution compared with previous years.

As partners, we expect significant results from our investments. Today, as Norway takes on the challenge of continuing to provide around 1.5 per cent of future contributions, I expect the fund to work wholeheartedly together with all of us in our common efforts to fight the killer diseases.

We have no alternative to joint action­ if we are to have any hope of evening the odds between those who are fortunate in the lottery of life and those who do not pick a lucky number.