Norway
Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
Rights-based
development
Education defined as
a human right?
Commitment to free
and compulsory education
Non-discrimination
(race, ethnicity, religion, minority, disability)
Gender
Trends in Norwegian
Aid
Aid for Education
Rights-based
development
"Both the
international community and each individual state
have the political responsibility for promoting
development in accordance with human
rights…Realisation of the right to
development depends first and foremost on
systematic commitment, nationally and
internationally, to the promotion of already
existing human rights. Adopting a rights-based
approach to development cooperation will be one
of several contributing measures in this
regard." 1
"Respect
for human rights is a cornerstone of the
Government’s policy. The promotion of human
rights, both nationally and internationally, is
therefore accorded high priority…Regardless
of mutual benefits, our international involvement
is, in the final analysis, an expression of our
respect for human dignity" 2
"In the
planning and implementation of specific projects,
the human rights dimension will be regarded as an
aspect of the standardized project cycle which
every Norwegian development project
undergoes."3
"Norwegian
development cooperation promotes human rights by
contributing to higher income levels, improved
access to social services, and better and more
education and other advances…assistance is
also directed to measures aimed at strengthening
the principle of the rule of law." 4
"Only
through a concerted effort to promote all civil,
political, economic, social and cultural human
rights can we pursue a foreign policy that
advances Norway’s interests and security,
strengthens international peace and justice and
safeguards human rights…the government
intends to pursue a proactive human rights
policy, both in international fora and in direct
cooperation with individual countries." 5
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Education defined
as a Human Right?
"There are
some themes on which the Government focuses
particular attention…the protection of
special groups and causes such as internally
displaced persons, persons with disabilities,
human rights defenders, minorities and indigenous
peoples, Fundamental Standards of Humanity, the
right to development, the right to
education, legal protection standards,
labour standards and freedom of expression."
6
"Poverty
takes children out of school and puts them to
work. Illiteracy and ignorance impede the
development of democracy and keep poor people in
poverty. Education-at all levels-is therefore a
priority area in the Government’s
development cooperation policy…[the
Government is]particularly concerned about the
girls’ right to education
and the potential for social development this
represents." 7
"Considerable
weight is…given to different activities to
secure children’s right to
education." 8
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Commitment to free
and compulsory education?
"The
Norwegian authorities are particularly concerned
to see that girls can exercise their right to
basic education. Making basic education available
to all should be an objective…" 9
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Non-discrimination
(race, ethnicity, religion, minority, disability)
"The right
to education means access to primary education
for all children, irrespective of gender,
ethnicity, physical abilities, or geographic
locality." 10
"Central
to Norway’s approach to protecting the
interests of indigenous people in development
processes is involvement in the four areas of
democracy and influence, good governance and
accountable authorities… distribution
policies and basic social services " 11
"Norway
will work towards giving indigenous peoples the
opportunity to safeguard and develop their own
identity, language and culture. The question of
improving the global legal protection of
indigenous peoples has been a central plank of
Norway's engagement for human rights." 12
"The
challenge of combating all forms of racism or
ethnic discrimination is one of the
Government’s priority tasks in the fight for
human dignity, human rights, gender equality and
justice…Norway’s main focus will be on
the following themes: national minorities;
children and young people…women’s
perspectives" 13
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Gender
"The
Government’s efforts are also based
on…development co-operation which is
oriented towards women and gender equality.
Securing women’s rights and their
participation in decision-making processes are
two areas of priority for Norwegian endeavours in
this respect." 14
"A gender
perspective is to be integrated into all
Norwegian development co-operation. Education is
a priority area and it is proven to be the most
important means of strengthening the position of
women." 15
"Norwegian
development assistance policy is to contribute
towards promoting equal rights and opportunities
for men and women in all areas of society."
16
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Trends in
Norwegian Aid
- Norway’s
place among 22 DAC donors17
Net ODA
volume:
-11th in 1999 (US$1.37b)
-12th in 2000 (US$1.26b)
ODA/GNP:
-2nd in 1999 (0.91%)
-4th in 2000 (0.80%)
- Breakdown of
Norwegian ODA (1999)
-Bilateral 73%
-Multilateral 27%18
- In 1999, 0.9%
of bilateral aid commitments were tied to
goods and services from Norway.19
- Norway is set
to increase aid volume gradually to 1% in
2005 20
- Norway’s
ODA/GNP ratio has exceeded the United
Nations’ target (0.7%) for 24
consecutive years.21
- NGO’s
play a crucial role in Norwegian
development assistance, particularly
those with a focus on human rights and
democracy. 24% of ODA was channelled
through them in 1998.22
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Aid for Education
- In 1999,
Norway committed 10.4% of bilateral ODA
to Education, and 6.5% to basic education23
- In 1997/98
Norway committed 10% of bilateral ODA to
basic social services 24
- The Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated
that "support to education remains a
fundamental pillar of developmental aid
policy…and continues to be given
high priority."25
- According to
the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, "the Government has already
reached the target set by the Storting,
i.e. that Norwegian development
assistance for education, with special
emphasis on primary education, be
increased to 10 per cent of the total
development budget in the year
2000." 26
- In light of
the so-called 20/20 Initiative (developed
during the World Summit for Social
Development in Copenhagen 1995), which
calls for the allocation of, on average,
20 per cent of the budget in developing
countries and 20 per cent of official
development assistance to basic social
services, the Norwegian government
"has made education its top priority
and aims at this support reaching 15 per
cent of total Norwegian development
assistance." 27
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1 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, 17 December
1999, p.120.
2 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, p.83.
3 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, p.121.
4 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, p.121
5 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, p.8.
6 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, p.151
7 Minister of International
Development Anne Kristin Sydnes. Statement to
the Storting on Development Cooperation Policy,
9 May 2000, p.9.
8 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights. 17 December
1999, p.138.
9 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. A Strategy for Women and
Gender Equality in Development. August 1997,
p.13.
10 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights p.128.
11 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, p.132.
12 Royal Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Questions Concerning Foreign Policy,
September, 1995.
13 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, p.159.
14 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, p.130.
15 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, p.159.
16 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. A Strategy for Women and
Gender Equality in Development Cooperation,
August 1997, p.7.
17 DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
18 DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
19 DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
20 Garbo, Gunnar, Norwegian
People’s Aid. Website "The Reality of
Aid," Norway.
21 DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
22 DAC/OECD Aid Review of
Norway: Summary and Conclusions. Text at http://www.oecd.org/dac/htm/norway99.htm
23 DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
24 DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
25 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. The 2001 Development Aid
Budget.
26 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, p.128.
27 Royal Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. Report No. 21 to The
Storting 1999-2000, Focus on Human Dignity: A
Plan of Action for Human Rights, p.128.
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