Mr. Bjørn Tore Godal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway

Humanitarian Action in Internal Conflicts
International Conference
Norwegian Red Cross Headquarters
Oslo, 31 January 1997.

Meeting the humanitarian challenges ahead - a Norwegian perspective

Dear friends,

In recent years there has been a marked reduction in the number of conflicts between states. This encouraging trend is, however, contrasted to the explosive increase in the number of conflicts within states. And these conflicts are in no way less bloody or cruel than traditional wars. In addition, most of the victims are civilians. From a humanitarian point of view, this change in conflict patterns poses new and complex challenges. It is even more difficult for us to advocate humanitarian law and supply aid to victims of multifaceted internal - often ethnic - conflicts than to operate in a war between two clearly defined enemies.

A Norwegian perspective for meeting the humanitarian challenges ahead will include at least six points:

First, preventing conflict. We all realize that preventing a conflict is preferable to coping with its consequences. This obviously applies to the victims, the internally displaced and the refugees. However, for the international community and for donors it is depressing to compare the price of prevention with the price of repair. While the price of repair is exorbitant, prevention is almost free of charge.

Controversial political issues continue to lead to violent conflict. The prevention of such conflicts is one of the most complex and difficult issues confronting the international community and one that we are attempting to resolve in bilateral and multilateral fora.

Due to lack of the very modest resources required, the United Nations has only limited possibilities of assessing evolving conflicts and proposing measures to reduce tension or prevent escalation. To address this problem, Norway has taken the initiative for the establishment of a Fund for Preventive Action. The purpose of the Fund is to enable the Secretary-General of the UN to intervene swiftly in situations where preventive action is urgently called for. Norway will make a substantial contribution to the Fund and has invited other Governments to follow suit. The Fund can be an important tool in defusing potential conflicts.

Second, providing humanitarian assistance. Successful prevention will reduce the need for humanitarian assistance. However, in our imperfect world it is still essential to plan for new and prolonged humanitarian interventions in the years ahead. The Norwegian strategy is to deliver substantial quantities of humanitarian aid through the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations and indeed the International Red Cross Movement. We have a firm commitment in this respect which enjoys the support of the Norwegian parliament.

Equally important is the quality of our aid and that it can be delivered without delay. We will therefore continue to refine and improve our early preparedness systems. These involve close cooperation between the Government, suppliers of quality relief goods and non-governmental organizations. The objective is to be able to provide the relevant relief and the requested disaster expertise wherever it is called for within the shortest possible time frame.

Third, protecting victims of war and aid workers. The massacres of civilians and flagrant violations of humanitarian law are unfortunately growing problems. More attention than ever needs to be paid to the protection of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons. The work of the ICRC and the UNHCR in this respect will be supported by my Government in every possible way - as will the essential work of securing access to the victims, which I know is of great concern to the ICRC.

In accordance with humanitarian law, victims of war have a right to receive assistance and aid workers have a right to deliver such assistance safely. As we know these rights are being violated over and over again. Terror cannot be allowed to interfere with humanitarian operations. I therefore wholeheartedly support the crucial work of the ICRC with regard to securing aid workers safe access to victims of war and conflict. We demand that those who commit crimes against aid workers are apprehended, tried in a court of law and punished. This is a struggle we cannot afford to lose.

Fourth, promoting human rights. War-torn societies generally lack the most basic respect for human rights. Efforts to remedy this must become an even more integral part of our humanitarian operations. It is not sufficient simply to feed the refugees. We must also make sure that they are not harassed. It is not sufficient to repatriate refugees. We must also make sure that returnees are decently received and reintegrated into their communities.

It is our strategy to integrate human rights activities into the humanitarian operations. A wide range of projects can be supported, including many ICRC initiatives. The exchange of prisoners and monitoring of prisons are examples of activities which are prerequisites for improving the human rights situation. And the ICRC is a leading agency for work in these particular fields.

Fifth, promoting peace and reconciliation. All prolonged conflicts are characterized by an escalation of hatred and distrust. In some countries this has reached a point where any attempt at conflict resolution leads to bloody clashes and massacres. Burundi and Rwanda are horrifying examples of this.

A conflict can never come to an end unless all the involved parties sort out their differences and agree to declare and implement peace. In our humanitarian strategy we must design or support activities aimed at promoting dialogue and reconciliation. Educational programs in which the various parties to the conflict participate are particularly important. Another crucial objective is to promote an orderly and due process as regards alleged war criminals. All groups must realize that violence and crime cannot be accepted in a civilized society.

Norway takes pride in having facilitated dialogue between the parties in Guatemala, thus contributing to the peace process there. A final peace agreement was signed in Guatemala City about a month ago. This may not be the definitive end of the conflict, but considerable progress has certainly been made. This shows that determined peace and reconciliation efforts can succeed and should be an integral part of our humanitarian operations.

My sixth and final point is promoting democracy. Even in some of the most fragile post-conflict African countries, there is a strong interest in democracy. This deserves our support. I am convinced that the sustainability of these countries can only be ensured by establishing strong democratic structures.

The preconditions for democracy include free elections, independent media, minority rights, an independent judiciary and the rule of law. In all of these fields Norway provides expertise to assist the UN, non-governmental organizations and governments who request support for a democratization process. It is our firm conviction that democracy is inseparable from an overall humanitarian strategy.

This is, in short, our humanitarian perspective. We need many partners to implement our strategy, Norwegian as well as international. I would like to emphasize again that the Norwegian Red Cross and the International Red Cross Movement are invaluable in this respect. We look forward to continuing our excellent cooperation with them in the years ahead.