Policy Updates

On June 13, 2024, Norway announced a commitment of NOK1 billion (US$94 million) to support CSOs working to enhance food security in six African countries.

The funding aims to bolster local food production, preserve local seeds, and increase yields for smallholder farmers, particularly in regions vulnerable to food insecurity. Norway’s initiative emphasizes gender equality, aiming to reduce the food insecurity gap and enhance economic opportunities for women farmers.

Norad received 200 concept notes, from which 12 organizations were invited to submit full proposals. The proposals were assessed by experts and five were awarded support for five years. The selected organizations work in Niger, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Mozambique. The projects were listed as:

• The Royal Norwegian Society for Development in collaboration with NORCAP: Focus on rice production in Tanzania and cashew farming in Mozambique, received NOK200 million (US$19 million);
• Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada: Integration of agriculture and aquaculture in Malawi, received NOK170 million (US$16 million);
• PELUM Uganda: Development and conservation of local seed varieties in Uganda, Malawi, and Niger, received NOK175 million (US$17 million);
• SNV: Increase production of various crops and enhance farmer income in Tanzania, received NOK200 million (US$19 million); and
• Stichting IDH: Collaboration with the private sector to boost smallholder production and local food processing in Tanzania and Ethiopia, received NOK255 million (US$24 million).

On May 14, 2024, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of the ADB Group, and the executive director of the International Energy Agency co-hosted the Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa.

The aim of the summit was to emphasize 2024 as a turning point for progress on ensuring clean cooking access for all.

Støre noted that nearly four in five Africans cook their meals over open fires and traditional stoves, using wood, charcoal, animal dung, and other polluting fuels that have severe impacts on health, gender equality, and the environment. Women and children are especially affected. Støre announced that Norway will support the financing of clean cooking with more than NOK500 million (US$46 million).

On May 8, 2024, during the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, Norway announced a NOK33 million (US$3 million) commitment to support the implementation of a ten-year action plan for improving soil fertility in African countries.

Norwegian Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim noted that the state of the African soil is at its poorest after decades of overexploitation, causing of micronutrients that are crucial for crops to thrive. Harvests grown in the poor soils have been negatively affected, contributing to the hunger crisis across the continent. Tvennereim noted that collecting detailed information about the current situation is a key delivery of Norwegian support.

The African Union Development Agency is planned to play a leading role in supporting the implementation of the African action plan at country level. The Norwegian support will be used on capacity building for policymakers and farmers, as well as facilitating regional knowledge exchanges. Part of Norway’s support will be a financial contribution to the creation of an open digital platform on soil health established by CGIAR and Varda. The platform aims to collect soil health data and make it available for policymakers, private sector, fertilizer producers, researchers, and farmers.

On May 7, 2024, Norad presented the statistics on Norwegian development assistance in 2023, showing that Norwegian ODA reached a record high of NOK58.6 billion (US$5.4 billion), an increase of 18% or NOK9 billion (US$832 million) compared to 2022.

ODA increased in all regions, significantly affected by the one-time additional allocation of NOK5 billion (US$462 million) to LICs particularly affected by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

By region, the largest increase in ODA was to Europe. In total, European countries received NOK9.1 billion (US$842 million) in funding. Of the total European allocation, the largest share of funding went to Ukraine and Moldova. The funding to Ukraine in 2023 stood at NOK7.9 billion (US$730 million).

Development assistance to the African continent increased by NOK2.5 billion (US$321 million), reaching a total of NOK10.2 billion (US$943 million). Africa remains the region receiving the most development assistance from Norway. The increase in funding to Africa is explained by long-term assistance to agriculture, fisheries, food security and emergency relief.

Development assistance to the Middle East increased by over NOK1 billion (US$92 million), reaching NOK3.8 billion (US$351 million) in 2023. The increase was almost exclusively in emergency assistance. Palestine was the second-largest recipient of Norwegian development assistance in 2023, receiving NOK1.2 billion (US$111 million). The majority of the funding was given as humanitarian assistance and emergency relief.

By partner, multilateral organizations were the largest partner group for Norwegian ODA, followed by CSOs and the public sector. Multilaterals received NOK31.7 billion (US$2.9 billion) in 2023, an increase of NOK6.3 billion (US$582 billion) from 2022. CSOs received NOK13.2 billion (US$1.2 billion) in 2023, compared to NOK10.3 billion (US$952 million) in 2022.

The World Bank Group was the largest partner with NOK7.4 billion (US$684 million) in 2023, of which slightly over one-fifth was core support. The WFP was the second-largest recipient with NOK2.4 billion (US$222 million), approximately half of which was earmarked for emergency relief. Overall, multilateral organizations were the dominant partner group for Norwegian health assistance, with over 80% being channeled through multilateral partners in 2023.

By sector, emergency relief and multisectoral support saw the largest growth from 2022 to 2023, while there was a decrease in refugee expenses and earmarked assistance for education.

ODA to agriculture, fisheries, and food security significantly increased from NOK3.9 billion (US$360 million) in 2022 to NOK6.4 billion (US$592 million) in 2023. Most of the increase of NOK2.5 billion (US$231 million) was funded by the one-time funding package for LICs particularly affected by Russia's war against Ukraine.

Total Norwegian ODA to health stood at NOK6.5 billion (US$601 million) in 2023, up from NOK6.3 billion (US$582 million) in 2022. This is significantly lower than in 2020 and 2021, when development assistance globally was influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Between 2014 and 2023, health assistance slightly increased when measured in 2024 prices, from NOK4.7 billion (US$434 million) in 2014. The largest partners in health assistance in 2023 were Gavi at NOK1.5 billion (US$138 million), UNFPA at NOK1.1 billion (US$101 million) and the WHO at NOK687 million (US$63.5 million). Of the earmarked health ODA, totaling NOK3.5 billion (US$323 million) in 2023, 58% went to programs targeting LICs not geographically earmarked. Africa received the most of the geographically earmarked health support, with around NOK600 million (US$55.5 million).

In 2023, NOK1.7 billion (US$157 million) went to SRHR, down from NOK1.8 billion (US$166 million) in 2022. Multilateral organizations, an important partner group in Norwegian SRHR efforts, received 51% of the earmarked support in addition to the calculated core support, totaling 81% of SRHR support. UNFPA was the largest individual partner and received nearly half of total SRHR support.

On April 24, 2024, the Norwegian government announced a new pledge of NOK430 million (US$39 million) in core funding to the WFP.

The Norwegian government noted that the WFP will be able to use the Norwegian support where it is needed the most.

According to Norwegian Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, the WFP is one of the most important tools in the fight against hunger. By funding the WFP, Norway will be able to help reduce acute hunger and contribute to increased local food production.

On February 15 and 16, 2024, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan visited Norway for an official state visit, where the countries entered three new agreements on climate-adapted food production, soil health and research.

Norway and Tanzania have had a close collaboration for decades, with climate and food security being key focus areas.

Norway and Tanzania signed a cooperation agreement on climate-adapted agriculture and food security. Norway's efforts will support Tanzania's ambitions to produce 10% more food by 2030. In addition, the NIBIO and the TARI entered into a new agreement on soil health. NIBIO and TARI are slated to work together on methods to use less artificial fertilizer. Soil health is an important focus area for increasing food production and enhancing food security for smallholder farmers.

Norwegian Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim underlined that a close collaboration around research has become increasingly important. She emphasized this as a founding reason for why the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences have entered into a new agreement on research collaboration.

On February 12, 2024, Norwegian Church Aid launched a report titled The West against the rest, which contained several development suggestions to Norwegian political parties as the parties draw up their programs for the 2025-2029 parliamentary period.

Norwegian Church Aid argued that, compared to most countries, Norway has a unique financial leeway considering its notable additional income from oil and gas sales following the war in Ukraine. As such, Norway has an opportunity and a special responsibility to contribute to worldwide development.

Norwegian Church Aid presented a variety of program proposals with the expressed hope that the political parties will take them into consideration.

The suggestions included:

• Ensure that, as a general rule, investments in global common goods are financed outside the one percent. The investments should still be earmarked for development assistance for poverty reduction and emergency assistance;
• Step up climate financing in line with Norway's fair climate responsibility;
• Work on international regulations making it possible to collect illegal or illegitimate debts;
• Support a tax convention in the UN;
• Actively support free media, independent courts, and local civil society;
• Step up work against GBV in areas of crises and conflict;
• Invest a larger share of the Norwegian Oil Fund in low-income countries; and
• Enshrine further measures to ensure that Norwegian weapons are not used in violation of humanitarian law and human rights.

As a response to these suggestions, both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party underlined that Norway must continue to be an international bridge builder. The SV called for more political solidarity.

Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide has promised that 1% GNI/ODA will still go to development assistance. The Conservative Party stated that, going forward, it would be imperative to discuss how Norway spends money allocated to international development, and the Norway must be more concerned about the results and effects of development assistance.

On December 16, 2023, it was announced at COP28 that Sierra Leone, Brazil, and Norway will take the lead of a new food systems alliance.

Norwegian Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim called COP28 a breakthrough for food security. Tvinnereim stated that the alliance declaration on food systems is the single thematic declaration that received the largest number of signatories at the conference.

On December 3, 2023, the Norwegian government and the opposition SV announced an agreement on Norway's 2024 state budget, which fell NOK2.1 billion (US$196 million) short of achieving the government's goal of 1% ODA/GNI to international development.

Negotiations on the 2024 state budget have been ongoing since November 13, 2023.

The agreement included an allocation of an additional NOK1 billion (US$93 million) to climate and forestry investments. This was the only change in the budget for international development.

Leader of the SV Kirsti Bergstø underlined that she believes it to be the governing party’s responsibility to achieve 1% ODA/GNI. Bergstø had previously announced that SV would not save 1% ODA/GNI at all costs during the budget negotiations. The SV argued that the government had previously stated the intention to commit 1% ODA/GNI to the UN SDGs, and that it was not the SV's duty to enforce the pledge.

Several public figures criticized the fact that the SV did not prioritize the 1% ODA/GNI target in negotiations.

Secretary-General of Norwegian Church Aid, which initially reported the funding shortfall, Dagfinn Høybråten described the agreement as deeply disappointing and incomprehensible. He underlined multiple extraordinary and intersecting global crises, including widespread war and conflict, a global food crisis, and a climate crisis requiring immediate action. Høybråten noted that Norway has enormous additional income from oil sales, putting it in a unique financial state to undertake development action. He asserted that in light of this, Norway should give significantly more 1% of GNI to international development rather than reducing its ambitions.

Secretary-General of Save the Children Birgitte Lange shared a similar disappointment. She argued that global extreme poverty is increasing and threatening increasing numbers of children. Lange also expressed disappointment that the SV did not use its negotiating power to push for more funding to international development.

Deputy leader of the Liberal Party Sveinung Rotevatn, which is a traditional ally of the SV in prioritizing international development, expressed his approval that the government and the SV committed to strengthening funding to welfare services in Norway. He noted, however, that he believes that Norway, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, should be able to allocate 1% of GNI to development.

On November 25, 2023, Norway pledged NOK200 million (US$19 million) to the WFP to support food security in Ukraine, including through the humanitarian food program Grain from Ukraine.

The announcement was presented during the Second International Summit on Food Security in Kiev, Ukraine. Norway also pledged NOK50 million (US$5 million) to the World Bank's URTF.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide underlined that Norway, particularly its Nansen Program, stands firmly by Ukraine. He emphasized that Norway had also not lost sight of the other global crises.