Check against delivery

Christmas 2004 will never be forgotten.

We have been witness to the worst earthquake and tsunami disaster in recent history, a disaster that will be with us for years ahead.

Our deepest condolences go to the families of those who have lost loved ones.

The disaster has hurt millions – depriving them of their livelihoods, of everything but life itself. Now we must focus on them. We must mobilise support, both short-term and long-term.

We must make sure that immediate humanitarian aid can reach all the affected communities, many of which are now displaced. This is a race against time, particularly for the isolated communities along and off the coast of Sumatra. If we lose this race, more people may die from disease, lack of clean water and malnutrition than from the tsunami itself. There is also an urgent need to provide support to the many who are suffering from shock and loss. Here the highest priority must be given to the special needs of children.

Ahead of us is the daunting task of reconstruction. Rebuilding the physical, economic and social infrastructure of the affected communities will require long-term commitment from the international community. We must plan for that now. We are encouraged that so many have pledged so much already. But money is not everything. Let me therefore underline four points.

The first is co-ordination. Money works only when it is put to good use. It is imperative that the relief and reconstruction efforts are co-ordinated and run in parallel. Institutional rivalry and competition, duplication and overlap must be avoided at all costs.

We must learn from previous mistakes:

• Lack of effective co-ordination between donors: national or organisational pride must not be allowed to take precedence over results on the ground.
• Lack of country ownership: the affected country’s government and population must not be relegated to being spectators, unable to take control of a process that should be theirs.
• Lack of long-term commitment from donors: donors must not compete with each other in providing assistance for a short period after the disaster, only to disappear when media attention moves elsewhere.

We have also learnt that the rapid influx of organisations and aid following large-scale humanitarian crises can have disruptive economic and social effects on the countries concerned. Government structures are overburdened by large numbers of unco-ordinated demands from a multiplicity of donors and aid organisations. There is a higher risk of corruption. The focus on the current disaster, and the large amount of funds pledged to deal with it, could well increase these problems.

The UN has clearly proven its ability to play a leadership role and to mobilise international support in the early phase of the tsunami. Nevertheless, the “donor circus” seems already to be in full swing. Order, co-ordination and a clear division of labour must be established, and this is also urgently needed for the reconstruction phase. It is up to us – around this table – to make that happen. All of us, bilateral donors, the UN and other humanitarian and development agencies and banks, have a responsibility. All of us have to deliver.

Mr Chairman,

Secondly, who pays the bill? A massive and effective response to the tsunami disaster by governments, the UN, the development banks and the NGOs must not be made at the expense of the victims of humanitarian crises in Africa and other parts of the world.

The complex and persistently underfunded emergencies in Darfur, Northern Uganda, the Great Lakes region and West Africa have not gone away. A change of focus does not mean a change in reality. The reality is the same. As bad as before. At the same time as the tsunami disaster has unfolded, we have seen reality change in another country – Sudan – and an end to Africa’s longest standing civil war. The final and comprehensive peace agreement was signed just two days ago. A major reconstruction effort is about to begin. In this case, too, we have to deliver.

But - as donors we have a moral obligation not to divert funds from other humanitarian and reconstruction efforts. The suffering people in the Congo, in Darfur and Sudan, should not be the ones paying the bill for the assistance to the tsunami victims. Additionality is vital. I also call on the UN and the NGOs to do their utmost to prevent disruption of existing operations when sending experienced personnel to the area affected by the tsunami.

Mr Chairman,

I believe we need a mechanism that tracks donor pledges in major humanitarian and reconstruction operations like these. We need to track whether pledges are followed up and we need to track the financing. Norway does not have a firm opinion on how it should be done and by whom – at this stage. We would like to discuss that with other donors. But there is no question about it – such a mechanism is necessary.

As for Norway’s assistance, Mr Chairman, we have so far disbursed 100 million NOK (approximately 17 million USD) in humanitarian assistance. In addition, we will provide NOK 1 billion (approximately 170 million USD) as an extrabudgetary allocation for humanitarian relief, reconstruction and development assistance in the affected areas. This allocation represents additional funding and will not be taken from existing development or humanitarian budgets.

Of these funds we will immediately channel 400 million NOK (about 65 million USD) to the UN Flash Appeal in accordance with the following principles:

• The first priority is to respond effectively to the most urgent humanitarian needs. With the possible exception of Sumatra, this seems to be well under way.
• We will support reconstruction and rehabilitation in parallel, and gradually step up our efforts.
• We will support UN co-ordination efforts at all levels and in the emergency and early reconstruction phases, in close co-operation with national and local authorities.
• We will give priority to the protection of vulnerable groups such as women and children.

We know that sexual exploitation and trafficking in human beings often increase in the aftermath of a crisis. I am pleased to see that the appeal emphasises the need to protect women and children against violence and sexual abuse. This is also relevant for development actors. I encourage donors to emphasise these issues when allocating funds to implementing partners.

Thirdly, access to the areas concerned. It is crucial to take into account that some of the areas concerned are in a state of conflict. As donors we must make sure that the emergency assistance and the rehabilitation efforts include all the parties and groups concerned. An all-inclusive approach may contribute to reconciliation processes in the region. Access to all affected areas must be unconditional, be it the Aceh province, the North and East of Sri Lanka, or Somalia. This is the prime responsibility of governments, but a diciplined donor community will make this easier.

Mr Chairman,

Fourthly, we have to be better prepared. We need better systems for preventing and limiting the effects of natural disasters. Early warning must be improved. This could save thousands of lives. It is urgent that we invest in better systems. We should also consider how to make societies less vulnerable, more resilient and better prepared. The success of the rehabilitation and reconstruction effort rests on this issue. The World Congress on Disaster Prevention to be held in Kobe, Japan, in January will be an excellent opportunity to examine this issue in more detail. Norway is ready to contribute to this process as well.

We know that the future will bring more natural disasters. It is not in our power to prevent this. But it is in our power to decide how to prepare for and respond to such situations. Our despair over the enormity of this disaster must be channelled into motivation to ensure much better preparedness the next time nature strikes. Our compassion for the millions of victims in Asia must translate into concrete support and long-term attention. We must match the generosity shown in the midst of the crisis by so many of the affected– and we must do so in a way that does not harm other suffering men, women and children in the world.

Thank you.