Platform for an Integrated Africa Policy

Norway will strengthen its political cooperation with countries in Africa, including promoting a strong and equitable multilateral trading system.

We will help to build strong democracies and pan-African institutions.

We will be at the forefront of efforts to promote human rights, gender equality and environmental protection.

We will renew our efforts to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals, through such means as increasing our support for peace processes and good governance in Africa.

Norway will share the experience it has gained of equitable and efficient utilisation of natural resources with African countries.

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Africa is undergoing change. The continent is becoming an increasingly important international actor – both politically and economically. Through globalisation, Norway is now more strongly affected by developments in Africa, and Africa’s challenges are increasingly becoming our challenges too.

Peace and development in Africa will strengthen our own security, while poverty, war and oppression will increase the flow of migrants and refugees and create fertile ground for extremism. Weak states can become havens for terrorists, and have little possibility of stopping the spread of pollution and epidemics.

Norwegian companies that invest in Africa, particularly in the petroleum sector, are also directly affected by developments on the continent. Meanwhile, Norwegian tourists travel all over Africa. We are receiving growing numbers of labour migrants from Africa. And the number of illegal migrants from Africa to Europe has increased dramatically in recent years.

Our relations with African countries today encompass much more than just development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. We intend to develop an integrated policy towards Africa: a policy that takes an overall view of foreign policy, international development policy, security policy, and trade and business policy, and considers how these can be used to strengthen one another. We wish to do so to promote both the shared Norwegian-African interests and our own national interests.   

Peace, development, human rights, democracy and an equitable international world order form the foundation of Norway’s foreign policy. This is our departure point for strengthening our political cooperation with the African continent. Norway and countries in Africa share an interest in strengthening the UN and other international forums for cooperation, with a view to safeguarding international peace and security, protecting the environment and creating a more equal and fair world.

Africa is rich in raw materials, natural resources and biological and cultural diversity. However most African countries are struggling against extensive poverty, economic marginalisation, HIV/Aids and other public health issues, and environmental degradation. Some of these problems are due to external circumstances, but much of the continent has also suffered setbacks as a result of bloody internal conflicts, corruption, poor governance, crime and serious violations of human rights.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) provide an international framework for fighting poverty and under-development. They are a commitment for Norway as well as for other countries. But without a renewed, coordinated effort by both Africa itself and the international community, these goals will not be achieved on the continent. Meanwhile, Norway will step up its assistance and will work proactively to increase international assistance to the continent.

Africa has enjoyed higher economic growth in recent years. Five of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa. However, growth needs to be further increased and stabilised if the MDGs are to be achieved. Growth depends on peace and well functioning states that can provide a good framework for the development of the private sector and social infrastructure. For many of the countries in Southern Africa, progress depends on gaining control over the Aids epidemic.

Better trade conditions will also make it more attractive to invest and produce in Africa. In the long term, this will make the continent less dependent on development assistance. If Africa is able to bring about economic and social development on its own, it will become a more confident and independent continent.

It is primarily Africa itself that must pave the way for economic and social development. The African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) and other African initiatives for peace, good governance and the fight against corruption give grounds for optimism.

There are fewer armed conflicts, and many countries have democratically elected leaders and are showing greater respect for human rights. Efforts are continuing at full force to strengthen cooperation between African countries on security and conflict-management mechanisms. There is also growing international willingness to support Africa’s development. However, it must be born in mind that these are major challenges and will require long-term efforts.

As one of the world’s richest countries, Norway has a duty to meet the development funding commitments it has undertaken in international forums. But simply increasing development assistance is not in itself enough. This is clear from more than 40 years experience. Development assistance must be linked to a broad set of measures to promote peace, good governance, human rights, gender equality, higher investment and better market access for African goods.

Moreover, development assistance must be made more effective and better targeted. We must coordinate our efforts with other actors and, as far as possible, base them on the priorities and systems in the countries in question. Experience shows that development assistance has the best effect in countries with good governance and sound economic policies.

Africa’s enormous natural resources have only benefited the poor to a very limited extent. Africa is a significant producer of oil and gas, and is also rich in metals and other raw materials that are important in the world economy. Thus Africa’s resources are once again the object of strong competition from several quarters. This presents both opportunities and challenges. Greater demand for Africa’s natural resources has led to stronger economic growth and investments in several African countries.

Norway has extensive knowledge and experience of managing natural resources and ensuring national control of them, and we would like to share this experience with African countries. This could help to channel more of the income from natural resources into development and poverty reduction in the countries concerned, as well as improving international energy security.

Africa is a highly diverse continent with major differences between its countries and regions. Our emphasis will thus vary accordingly. Norway will concentrate its efforts on countries and themes where we have developed particular knowledge and expertise. It should also be noted that parts of Africa where we have not previously had an extensive engagement, such as West and North Africa, have become more important for Norwegian interests.

Many African regimes do not share our values, including our emphasis on human rights and democracy. Norway will give priority to political and economic cooperation with countries that are willing to reform. 

Norway has a long history of cooperation with Africa through mission work, support for liberation struggles, development cooperation, private sector activities and student and trade union exchanges. This has helped us to develop good contacts and extensive knowledge about Africa. And we will build on this.

However, historical ties alone do not provide a sufficient base for developing political cooperation. Closer political cooperation will primarily depend on common interests and fundamental values. Our aim is to develop a partnership based on equality and mutual respect with African countries that value democracy and human rights. We will also encourage a broader engagement among the general public, with exchanges of ideas, culture and experience between Norway and African countries. This platform does not give a complete overview of Norway’s engagement in Africa, but sets out the main priorities of the Government’s Africa policy.