Translation from the Norwegian

The Speech from the Throne by His Majesty the King on the Occasion of the Opening of the 145 ^th Session of the Storting, 3 October 2000

Madam President, Representatives of the People,

I greet the Storting as it takes up its solemn responsibilities with the wish that the fulfilment of these duties will be of benefit to our country.

Norway is a country of opportunity. Our welfare society is based on fundamental values such as a shared sense of responsibility for our fellow citizens, solidarity and equitable distribution.

The Government’s overriding aim is to further develop one of the world’s best welfare societies in order to secure the basis for economic growth and equitable distribution.

Norway is rich in resources and opportunities. Most important of all are the knowledge and the skills of the people living here. The Government wishes to make use of these opportunities to create a better, safer society for everyone. Our main tasks are to focus on health and social welfare, a good educational system and a secure environment in which children and young people can grow up. More funding will be allocated to these areas.

Experience has shown that too high a level of private and public consumption weakens our competitive position and results in higher unemployment and high interest rates, all of which affect the weakest sectors of society in particular. We must not allow such mistakes to be repeated.

The Government will therefore pursue a responsible long-term policy that enhances the country’s ability to meet the welfare challenges of tomorrow. We will continue to develop our social welfare services step by step.

The government budget for 2001 is designed to ensure balanced growth in the Norwegian economy and to further develop our social welfare services. Our monetary policy is oriented towards maintaining exchange rate stability against European currencies.

Work is the most important source of welfare. The Government will therefore cooperate with the social partners in order to maintain high employment and keep the numbers of unemployed low. Price and cost inflation in Norway must be reduced to the level among our trading partners.

The Government’s goal is to ensure equitable distribution and social cohesion. We wish Norway to be a country where everyone has an equal opportunity to realize their abilities and potential. We will ensure that the weakest groups also enjoy the benefits of improvements in welfare.

The Government will submit a long-term programme for the period 2002-2005.

In the spring of 2001 the Government will submit a plan of action for the follow-up to the Report to the Storting on Equitable Redistribution.

Any changes in the tax system must promote equitable distribution and the efficient use of society’s resources. The Government will submit a proposal for a VAT reform.

If everyone is to have equal access to social welfare services, we must be willing to adopt communal solutions. People are entitled to have high expectations of public social welfare services. The Government will therefore seek to strengthen and renew the public sector. An important part of this will be to reduce unnecessary red tape and administration and to free resources that can be used to provide high quality services.

The Government will strengthen local democracy. As many decisions as possible should be taken where people actually live and work. As part of the renewal of the public sector, the Government intends to simplify central government rules considerably. The local government sector will be allocated higher revenues and will be given greater freedom to make local decisions in accordance with local needs.

The Government will give priority to greater state involvement in housing policy, with particular emphasis on helping young people to enter the housing market.

The Government will submit a report to the Storting on living conditions for children and young people in Norway.

The Government will ensure that national minorities enjoy conditions that enable them to take part in Norwegian society and preserve their language and culture.

Through an active dialogue between various immigrant communities and the authorities, refugees who are granted asylum in Norway will be integrated into their communities as quickly as possible. Particular emphasis will be placed on ensuring that women are included in this process.

There is a shortage of labour in many areas in Norway today, especially in the health and care sectors. We must ensure that working conditions encourage people to remain in long-term employment. We must also find ways of facilitating entry into the labour force for people who have difficulties in this respect. High priority will therefore be given to following up the report from the Sandman Commission, which was appointed to review the causes of absence due to illness and trends in numbers of people receiving disability pensions.

Higher priority will be given to efforts to ensure gender equality.

Greater diversity also requires greater tolerance. The Government will promote wider acceptance of lesbians and homosexuals.

The Government will review how responsibility is divided between state, county and municipal levels and how the various administrative levels are organized. The aim is to ensure that the tasks of the public administration are dealt with in the best possible way.

The use of information technology will make it possible for the public administration to be accessible round the clock. All state agencies that have contact with the general public are to draw up service declarations by the end of 2000. The Government wishes to see the establishment of public service offices at municipal level.

The Government will continue to give high priority to the health sector. New hospital equipment will be procured. The care of cancer patients will be improved, and the capacity of the psychiatric services will be increased. The Government will renew the hospital sector and will consider whether state hospitals should be reorganized as state-owned enterprises. Services for the care of the elderly will be considerably expanded.

A forward-looking school system requires good teachers. The Government will, in the follow-up to this year’s wage settlement, continue its efforts to increase recruitment to the teaching profession and to improve the organization of schools.

The quality of higher education must be improved and the system made more flexible to meet new challenges. The Government will submit a report to the Storting on higher education and its financing.

The Government will give priority to the building of more day-care centres in order to achieve the aim of providing day-care places for everyone who needs them by the year 2003. A report assessing the cash-benefit scheme for parents who do not make use of day-care institutions will be submitted to the Storting.

Crime is a source of violence and insecurity in society, and it must and will be combated. Priority will be given to targeted measures and the rapid follow-up of first offenders. Procedures for dealing with criminal cases and police efficiency will be improved.

Norwegian security and defence policy will be adapted to new challenges, on the basis of our cooperation in NATO. There is general agreement on the need for a swift, comprehensive restructuring of the armed forces. An important aim is to build up a military force for deployment internationally, which will also be suitable for territorial defence.

The Government will promote active involvement in culture, the pursuit of knowledge and sustainable innovation. Knowledge and culture are closely bound up with each other. This is the source of the creativity that is the seed of innovation.

Within the framework of the competence reform (continuing education for adults), special priority will be given to developing effective, flexible adult education models that make use of distance learning and information technology.

Greater priority will be given to research, for example through the Fund for Research and Innovation. The aim is to bring Norway up to the average OECD level in the course of a five-year period.

The Government will give priority to cultural organizations in the years leading up to the celebration of the 100 ^th> anniversary of the dissolution of the union with Sweden in 2005.

The Government intends to strengthen Sami culture and language and to promote the development of the Sami areas.

The Government’s church policy is designed to promote active involvement in and the continual renewal of the Church of Norway as a confessing, evangelizing, tolerant and open national church.

Our oil and gas resources will be managed on a long-term basis. The knowledge gained through almost 30 years of operations on the Norwegian continental shelf must be further developed to safeguard jobs and enhance value added. The use of gas, renewable energy sources and efforts to limit energy use will contribute to environmentally sound energy production.

Globalization involves tougher competitive conditions for the business sector. Our business policy will facilitate innovation, restructuring capacity and the development of a viable business community.

The Government will propose that an investment company be established with state and private capital which will enable Norwegian enterprises to take a proactive part in structural changes and merger processes in the business sector.

Good transport facilities are important both for the business sector and for welfare in all parts of the country. New digital technology will play a central role in the new knowledge and information society. The whole country will be ensured access to basic ICT services and will have access to broad band communication.

The goals of our regional policy are to develop viable regions, promote more equal living standards and ensure satisfactory access to public services in all parts of the country.

The Government is seeking to strengthen Norway’s position in the international seafood market on the basis of sustainable and coherent management of marine resources. Marine research is one of the Government’s main priorities.

The Government gives high priority to maintaining a modern and competitive agricultural sector that produces a broad range of high quality, safe foods.

Environmental protection at municipal level will be further developed and strengthened. The Government will give higher priority to improving opportunities for outdoor recreation for the general public and intensify its efforts in the field of cultural conservation.

The Government’s target for the Sixth Conference of Parties of the UN Climate Change Convention in The Hague is that the parties agree on solutions that make it possible for the Kyoto Protocol to come into force.

Norway is a rich country in a peaceful part of the world and, as such, has a special responsibility for promoting peace and development in other countries. The Government will seek to promote international solidarity and a shared sense of responsibility among the countries of Europe. Norway will actively take its share of responsibility in Europe and will allocate greater resources to the international effort to combat world poverty. The Government will pursue an active peace and mediation policy, both in and beyond our neighbouring areas.

The Government gives high priority to strengthening UN efforts to promote peace and development. Norway is therefore one of the candidates for a seat on the UN Security Council for the coming two-year period.

The Government will actively promote Norwegian interests vis-à-vis the EU within the framework set by the 1994 referendum. EU enlargement will help to eliminate economic and political dividing lines, thereby enhancing security and stability in Europe.

The Government endorses the development of cooperation on crisis management in the EU and will contribute civil and military personnel to the new force that is being established. Our strong transatlantic ties will continue to be important in efforts to promote Norwegian and European security.

Norway will, together with Denmark, head the KFOR forces in Kosovo from April next year.

The Government gives high priority to the preparations for Norway’s participation in the Schengen cooperation and Norwegian affiliation with the Dublin Convention on the examination of applications for asylum.

Our cooperation with our neighbouring Russia will be further developed, for example in the fields of nuclear safety and safety at sea.

The Government will continue its political, military and humanitarian commitment to the Balkans and Norway will continue to participate actively in the OSCE.

Allocations to development cooperation will be increased. Education and health are priority areas in the fight against poverty. Efforts to promote human rights both nationally and internationally will continue to receive high priority.

The Government would like to see new momentum in the international cooperation in the field of environment and development, and is seeking actively to enhance the ability of developing countries to fulfil their international environmental obligations.

Norway is seeking actively to promote a new, comprehensive round of negotiations in the World Trade Organization. We must ensure that the developing countries also benefit from the opportunities provided by more open world trade.

I pray that God will bless the deliberations of this Storting, and I hereby declare the 145 ^th> session of the Norwegian Storting to be opened.

Given at the Royal Palace in Oslo on 29 September 2000.