Knowledge for Development. Norad's strategy towards 2020

Om publikasjonen

Utgitt:November 2016
Type:Strategier
Utført av:Norad
Antall sider:12
ISBN:978-82-7548-912-6

NB! Publikasjonen er KUN tilgjengelig elektronisk og kan ikke bestilles på papir

Preface

The UN adopted the new sustainable development goals in 2015. These provide guiding parameters for the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation’s (Norad’s) activities for the next 15 years.

There is general consensus that Norway should spend one per cent of its national income on combating global poverty and striving to attain other development goals. Making the best possible use of resources, and achieving the best possible results, is challenging.

Many choices are involved: Which countries should we prioritize? The poorest, those in conflict situations, or those with the greatest environmental challenges?

Which sectors should we concentrate on? Education, health, energy, forestry, fisheries or agriculture?

What should be the balance between short-term humanitarian aid, long-term aid and investment in shared global benefits?

How best can we promote key values such as democracy, human rights and gender equality? How do we cooperate with countries where corruption is rife?

Many of these are political choices. They should be made on the basis of sound professional advice, founded on the best insight the world can offer. Many are professional choices, and should be based on how we can obtain the highest possible return on our investments: not in the form of a cash-flow back to Norway, but in the form of less poverty in the world.

Development cooperation is not just about money; it is increasingly about know-how and experience as well. Many developing countries fund the greater part of their development from sources other than aid. A country’s own tax revenues, private investments and transfers from migrants are more important cash flows.

Yet many developing countries still need access to expertise and experience. How should natural resources such as fish and hydropower be managed so as to both provide the country with income and safeguard the environment? How should international companies be taxed so as to both promote investment and assure tax income?

One of Norway’s international commitments is to make Norwegian expertise and experience available to developing countries – if they want it.

Developing countries are not a homogeneous group. Even though many countries still face many developmental challenges, they are nonetheless interesting partners for Norwegian business, research communities and artists.

Development cooperation should increasingly consider the opportunities created by these common interests. This lays the foundation for future cooperation on an equal footing between Norway and countries that are emerging from poverty.

Norad, as Norway’s expert public institution for development cooperation, will contribute to shape Norwegian development policy. It will also ensure that aid funding is invested in a manner that provides optimal development results, that Norwegian expertise is made available to developing countries and that the foundation is laid for a future relationship of equals.

Jon Lomøy Director