Inauguration of Mercure station

Ladies and Gentlemen;

When I read about the opening of GRID Arendal eight years ago I remember I was thinking this must be the fulfilment of the old saying; "Nothing is stronger than an idea which time has come".

GRID Arendal demonstrated what new technology can achieve:

• we can monitor the world environment from anyhwhere in the world
• we can supply more upgraded environmental information earlier to more people
• and the best of all - we can make another effort for a better world on behalf of the United Nations.

I mentioned this in my talks with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan when we met yesterday - and I will tell him about my impressions from this visit when I see him again tonight.

I am sincerly pleased that the representatives of UNEP are here today - and I am proud that UNEP has made the decision to expand their cooperation with GRID Arendal.

As I understand, GRID Arendal has been a success story. At the outset it was expected that the centre would employ 8-10 persons at the most. Today it has a permanent staff of almost 30 persons, recruited internationally.

At the outset, this center was one of four GRID centres in the world. Today there are 14 such centers of which GRID Arendal has assisted in the establishment of 5; in Polen, Russia, Denmark, New Zealand and Hungary.

And today, we can welcome the opening of the Mercure station here at GRID Arendal. I see this as a recognition of what the centre and its skilled staff has achieved.

We live in the age of the information revolution. Norway wants to be in the forefront of that revolution. We have the highest rate of investment in the field of telecommunication and information technology both pr. capita and in relation to GDP.

The challenge of our times is to make the mew technology available for all. If we fail, we may contribute to new divisons - not between the "haves and the havenots" - but between the "cans and cannots".

We need to keep this in mind also in a broader context. We must assure that the developing countries get equal access to this new world of possibilities which is opened up through new technologies.

When we met in New York last June to evaluate the state of affairs five years after Rio, my Government focused on the need for a transfer of tehchnology to developing countries. We offered 100 million kroner, equivalent to 15 million dollars, to finance programs of technology transfer in cooperation with multilateral organisations.

One of the first examples of how to implement this policy is the UNEPnet. Norway has decided to use 25 of the 100 million kroner to enable UNEP to assist the developing countries to get access to the wealth of information through the Internet. Scientific knowledge about the environment will be accessible also for those who lack a highly developed infrastructure.

This is a two way communication. We need the input of data from developing countries to the global warehouse of knowledge. The result - we must hope- is a better basis for sound environmental management and political decisions, supporting sustainability.

Today we will see for ourselves what the system can offer. I look forward to the demonstration of the UNEPnet. Later today there will be a signing of a project agreement on co-operation between NORAD and NEPA of China and an agreement between NEPA and GRID Arendal. This project, as part of the co-operation between NEPA and the Ministry of the Environment, will facilitate the electronic presentation of the Chinese State of the Environment.

Norway has signed an agreement on environmental co-operation with China. We have strengthened the capacity of our embassy in Bejing to deal with this specific cooperation. And we welcome the involvement of our industry in the modernisation of China's economy.

China's road to growth is essential for the future of the global environment. The Chineese themselves will have to make the right decisions. What we can do is to give our input, share our knowledge and experiences and offer our technological co-operation. What we see here at Arendal today makes that task a little easier.

I wish GRID Arendal and UNEP all the best. 150 years ago Arendal was the main port of the Norwegian merchant fleet. Then came the sunset for the old technology of sails. Now we see several examples of technological rebirths on this southern coastline of Norway. Employment and optimism is coming back.

It is therefore an honour for me to inaugurate the Mercure station in Arendal today.