Minister of International Development Hilde F. Johnson

Opening statement at the IGAD Partners Forum

Oslo, 27 September 2004

Dear Sudanese friends, dear friends of Sudan.

In a period where the news coming out of Sudan often are depressive and dominated by crisis, I would ask you to look around. This is a very special and unique audience. With delegations from the Government of Sudan, the SPLM, and the two key movements from Darfur: the SLM and the JEM, for the first time all in the same room. Never before have so many member countries of the IGAD Partners Forum been present.

And furthermore, the additional presence of representatives of the African Union, the Arab League and of the Peoples Republic of China shows that there is change underway. Change in Sudan, change for Sudan. The presence at this meeting is a good sign for the future of Sudan.

To all of you, on behalf of my co-chair partner Italy and the Norwegian government: A warm and heartly welcome! And a particular welcome to the new participants alongside the traditional IPF-group. We will need a broad and dedicated group of international donors to meet the assistance demands in Sudan when time comes. Apart from the UN, the World Bank and others, who will make presentations these two days, the Government of Sudan, the SLM and JEM will take active part in our discussions today on Darfur. And the Government of Sudan and the SPLM will make a common presentation tomorrow. That is also a milestone.

For you, our Sudanese friends, it must be of some comfort to see this turn-out. There are many other conflict areas in the world that compete for donor resources. I am pleased to see you here together. Our assistance to Sudan will depend on your ability to bring forward the peace agenda to a swift and successful completion. In return, we promise to be ready when you are.

We meet at a critical time, with the AU-led talks on Darfur in Abuja in recess, and the resumption of the IGAD-led talks on the Sudan peace agreement 10 days from now. The IGAD led peace talks have reached the final phase before the Comprehensive Peace Agreement is to be signed. The Government of Sudan, the SLM and the JEM have also made progress in their talks about humanitarian issues in Abuja. Security Council resolution 1564 sets clear goals for agreements on both tracks.

We want the parties to return from Oslo to their important talks in Nairobi and Abuja on 7 and 21 October respectively with a clear and unambiguous message that the international community is well prepared to act in concert, and to face the humanitarian needs in Darfur and throughout Sudan. We expect that our readiness to assist be matched by your ability to swiftly conclude your important task - of completing the job. At the same time we need to bolster our humanitarian efforts to meet the appalling humanitarian needs in Darfur, as State secretary Vidar Helgesen will emphasize in his introduction after me.

In the IGAD talks, we have never been closer to a comprehensive peace agreement. All the important issues are agreed, and signed, in the 6 Machakos/Naivasha-protocols composing the Nairobi Declaration. Only two annexes remain before the Comprehensive Peace Agreement is a fact. We need to press forward on these talks with the goal to reach an early settlement. And in my mind, the real political solution to the Darfur crisis is to be found within the framework of the overall peace agreement. To put it simply, the road to peace in Darfur goes through Naivasha.

Subject to a settlement to the Darfur crisis and the signing of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement in the Sudan, the international donor community will soon embark upon the challenging task of assisting the parties in Sudan in reconstruction of this war-thorn country. We have a unique opportunity to learn from our mistakes in past post-conflict situations. And they are many. For the first time we are gathered to discuss donor coordination mechanisms before a final peace agreement has been signed. This is a unique opportunity not only to do the right things, but to do things right.

The international community has shown a strong will to approach the task of assistance to Sudan in a coordinated way. The IGAD Partners Forum (IPF) remains the vehicle for donor cooperation and coordination of aid to Sudan. We have followed up with IPF meetings in the region. The need for increased donor coordination in relation to Sudan was called for by IPF in Oslo and Nordwijk last year, as well as at this summer’s Tidewater retreat, consisting of the leaders of key bilateral and multilateral donors.

A lot of preparation has already been done. A Core Coordination Group with participation of the parties has been established and has been preparing the ground for the Joint Assessment Missions (JAM). Their reports will produce the documentation for the Donor Conference to be held in Oslo when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has been signed.

To be efficient, international assistance to Sudan must be well coordinated and orchestrated. We must ensure that our efforts are mutually re-enforcing and that we do our utmost to avoid institutional rivalry and competition, duplication and overlap – actually, the donor circus. Otherwise we waste ODA. Otherwise all our positive efforts may be in vain. We know that there will be more tasks than resources. We should be able to perform our best to the benefit of the Sudanese people, and assist them through a difficult transitional period towards sustainable peace.

We hope that the agenda for today and tomorrow also will leave us with common views on how to take this important work further, both as regards the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and on the broader assistance needs in Sudan. I hope we can achieve a common understanding on ground rules for practical donor coordination as we approach our efforts in Sudan. Because we are all gathered here in Oslo these two days with only one common goal: to improve the living conditions for the people of Sudan. We are here because we feel that this goal is possible to achieve only if we work together.

Peace in the whole of Sudan has never been closer. The last steps have to be made by the different negotiating parties. But we, the international community, can make a difference. Through coordinated and consistent pressure for completion of the talks in Abuja and Naivasha. And through helping to build peace from below, to make peace a reality for the people of Sudan. It is up to us to make the right choices. And to do things right.

Thank you for your attention!