Strategy for Norway's culture and sports co-operation with countries in the South

As the first comprehensive declaration of principles on Norway’s culture and sports co-operation with developing countries, this strategy should help to foster broad understanding of why cultural factors are important in development policy, poverty reduction and human rights issues. The purpose is to bring culture to the forefront and make it more visible in Norway’s development co-operation, and to increase the resources allocated to culture and sport. The strategy is based on two fundamental premises.

Firstly, it regards cultural co-operation as an integral part of a comprehensive policy for poverty reduction. Secondly, the strategy considers cultural rights to belong to the universal human rights.

The strategy covers artistic activity, contact among intellectuals, media development, cultural heritage and sport. The measures include exchange activities and support for the establishment and strengthening of cultural institutions in the South (public institutions, NGOs, etc.). The purpose of the co-operation is to encourage long-term competence-building in developing countries. The aim is to strengthen the cultural sector in a broad sense and to promote active involvement in cultural and sports activities in developing countries. At the same time, a number of measures will be directly linked to other policy areas like peace and reconciliation, good governance and human rights.