Successful donor conference for Sudan in Oslo

Donor countries pledged a total of USD 4.8 billion for assistance to Sudan during the Sudan Consortium in Oslo from 5 to 7 May.

“The donor conference was a great success, primarily because it demonstrated that there is strong political will behind the efforts to promote peace and development in Sudan,” said Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim.

The Sudan Consortium brought together participants from 45 countries and international organisations. This is the broadest participation ever at a donor conference for Sudan.

The donors pledged a total of USD 4.8 billion (nearly NOK 25 billion) for assistance during the period 2008–2011. Norway pledged USD 500 million (about NOK 2.5 billion) for the period. The funds will be used for emergency relief and aid for reconstruction and development, and will be provided through a number of different channels.

“Large parts of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the north and the south have already been implemented, but critical points still remain. We expect the parties to increase their efforts to fully implement the peace agreement in the time ahead. It is also essential that the parties reach political agreement on Darfur, where the humanitarian situation is still critical,” Mr Solheim underlined.

Full implementation of the peace agreement between the north and the south is necessary to achieve lasting peace in the whole of Sudan. At the conference, Norway emphasised that both the parties and the international community must give priority to programmes and projects that promote peace and development in areas where the peace is particularly fragile. Norway also underlined the importance of strengthening democratic institutions and public administration, actively including civil society, and increasing focus on women’s rights and gender equality.

“During the conference, discussions on the challenges that still remain in Sudan have been open and frank, including on the situation in Darfur. There is agreement on the necessity of formulating a broad strategy to resolve the Darfur conflict on the basis of the peace agreement, which enjoys wide support, and of improving security for the population and ensuring unhindered access for emergency relief,” Mr Solheim concluded.