Increase in Norwegian development assistance towards the 1 per cent target

In accordance with its plan to increase Norwegian development assistance to one per cent of GNI, the Government is proposing to continue the increase in the development assistance budget this year. In the budget proposal for 2004, development assistance funding is increased from 0.93 to 0.94 per cent of GNI. This will give a development assistance budget of just over NOK 15 billion next year.

Following up the strategy Education – Job Number One

There is no more effective form of investment in the fight against poverty than investment in education. There are still 115 million children who have no access to primary education, and most of these are girls. In 2004, the Government proposes to increase funding to the education sector by about NOK 200 million. More than half of this will go to UNICEF’s educational programme for girls. Thus, the Government is following up its plan to double transfers for educational purposes, as set out in the strategy Education – Job Number One.

Fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic: more funding for treatment

The Government is continuing to give priority to fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The 2004 budget proposal focuses particularly on increasing funding for better and cheaper treatment for people with HIV and AIDS. Norway is the third largest contributor to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The 2004 budget proposes an increase of NOK 50 million in support of the fight against HIV/AIDS through multilateral channels.

Following up Johannesburg: priority to capacity-building in partner countries

Following up the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development is an important task at both national and international level. Over a three-year period, the Government intends to allocate NOK 375 million extra to four of the WEHAB areas – water, energy, agriculture and biodiversity. Thus, the NOK 125 million rise in allocations to measures in these areas is being maintained in the 2004 budget. Special priority will be given to strengthening environmental management in Norway’s partner countries.

Increase in transitional aid – more help for countries emerging from crises and conflict

Allocations to transitional aid are to be increased from NOK 400 million to NOK 450 million in 2004. This will enable Norway to do more for countries that experience a delay between immediate crisis relief and the provision of resources for long-term development. These countries include Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq. Many countries unfortunately find that they are let down in this critical phase of their development, as more acute crises arise in other parts of the world.

Changes in the list of Norway’s partner countries

Developments in Afghanistan, Kenya and Madagascar in the past year have been so positive that the Government is proposing to include them as partner countries for Norwegian development co-operation. This means that Norway’s relations with these countries will be strengthened and that longer-term development co-operation is being planned. The Government is also proposing to remove India and Zimbabwe from the group of partner countries. In India’s case, this is because the country itself wishes to reduce the number of donor countries, whereas in Zimbabwe’s case it is a response to the deterioration in governance of the country.

Reform of Norwegian development co-operation administration

Norwegian and international development co-operation are undergoing major reforms. The focus on the Millennium Development Goals and more coherent strategies for combating poverty also requires changes in the organisation of Norwegian development co-operation administration. The 2004 budget sets out the Government’s principles for the new Norwegian development co-operation administration.

Overall budget increase

The overall increase in the development assistance budget will be NOK 633.4 million.

Press contact: Espen Gullikstad, tel. + 47 22 24 39 11/+ 47 91 70 81 22