Mr President,
Mr Amorim,
Colleagues,
Distinguished delegates,

I would like to thank President Chirac and the Government of France for hosting this conference and for taking the lead on this important issue.

In order to reach the MDGs, developing countries need not only increased, but also long-term, predictable and stable external resources. They also need to mobilise domestic resources. Official Development Assistance (ODA) will remain the backbone of such external financing. No initiative must be allowed to detract attention from the importance of increasing ODA. This is a question of political will.

Meeting the financing needs of developing countries requires more than ODA. Innovative financing mechanisms are needed. Norway is strongly committed to this and recently joined the IFFm. But we need to do more.

We all come from countries that are welfare states based on national taxation. We need to move towards a global welfare state and make globalisation more equitable through a redistribution of wealth. If globalisation is to work for the poor, global taxation must be part of the solution.

In Norway’s view, the funds raised through new and innovative mechanisms must be truly additional to existing ODA. If innovative financing fails to pass the test of additionality, there is not much point in pursuing it. If it is carefully implemented, taxation on air travel would pass this test.

It therefore gives me great pleasure to announce that Norway fully supports the French initiative. The Norwegian Government intends to implement a solidarity contribution on air traffic from 2007. The preparatory work will be an integral part of preparations for next year’s budget.

I would like to urge other countries to support the air traffic tax. There are various options:

• Introducing a brand new scheme
• Introducing a development window in existing aviation taxes
• Including an environmental window in a solidarity scheme

Norway views these proposals not only as a mechanism for moblising increased resources for development, but also as the beginning of a system of global taxation. In order to achieve a better organised and safer world, we need sustained and predictable international resources. Therefore, Norway would prefer that money raised through new finance facilities is utilised through already existing UN structures. For example, the funds collected could be used for the proposed International Drug Purchase Facility.

We support the French initiative to establish a pilot group that will maintain pressure on countries to introduce innovative finance schemes and develop these ideas further. Norway will participate in this group and is willing to chair it.

Thank you