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Self Report 2018

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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  • 1B
    Act early

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to act early upon potential conflict situations based on early warning findings and shared conflict analysis, in accordance with international law.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to make successful conflict prevention visible by capturing, consolidating and sharing good practices and lessons learnt.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Norway is a strong advocate and supporter of United Nations (UN) preventive diplomacy. One example is the support given to the UN Operations and Crisis Centre (UNOCC), as secretariat for the Regional Monthly Reviews (and in the context of the Human Rights Up Front initiative) with a view to increasing coordination across the UN and strengthening the UN’s work on conflict prevention, in line with the UNSG’s reform agenda.

    Norway has also increased its voluntary contribution to the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) in 2017. For more details, see commitment 1C.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)

  • 1C
    Remain engaged and invest in stability

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Norway will commit NOK 45 million over three years to enhance the capacity of the African Union Commission and its collaborative partners, as appropriate, to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts and promote stability in Africa through the Training for Peace programme.


    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Invest in Humanity
    • Norway commits to invest in analysis and mediation capacity in local, regional and international organizations and to support direct capacity building on a national, regional and global level (e.g. support UNITAR's mediation courses).
    • Capacity
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Norway commits to maintain a dedicated division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for mediation and conflict resolution.
    • Operational
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts

    • Norway will continue to support and further develop important UN preventive diplomacy tools, such as the UNDP-DPA Joint Programme on Conflict Prevention, and DPAs Standby Team of Mediators and will advocate for the use of increased and reliable funds for conflict prevention.


    • Financial
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to improve prevention and peaceful resolution capacities at the national, regional and international level improving the ability to work on multiple crises simultaneously.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to sustain political leadership and engagement through all stages of a crisis to prevent the emergence or relapse into conflict.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to address root causes of conflict and work to reduce fragility by investing in the development of inclusive, peaceful societies.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Norway increased its voluntary contributions to the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) in 2017, including to DPA’s collaboration with regional organisations on providing conflict analysis and mediation training.

    Norway had human and financial resources available for peace and reconciliation efforts, and also had flexible funding mechanisms in place for these efforts. This, together with Norway’s significant development assistance, made it possible for Norway to support negotiation processes and help secure sustainable peace settlements by contributing to monitoring mechanisms and peacebuilding.

    Norway continued to support the Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution (NOREF).

    Norway continued to support and further develop important UN preventive diplomacy tools, including through the following concrete actions:

    • Norway increased its support to the UNDP-DPA Joint Programme on Conflict Prevention (from NOK 5 million to NOK 7 million) and concluded a three-year agreement in 2017.
    • Norway maintained its steadfast support for the UN Standby Team on Mediation, providing NOK 11 million in 2017. This came in addition to Norway’s general support to the DPA Multi-Year Appeal.
    • The Norwegian delegation to the UN argued for increased and reliable funds for DPA in the UN General Assembly’s fifth committee, and supported the Secretary-General’s vision for UN reform aimed at strengthening the UN’s ability to prevent conflict.
    • Norway supported an internal mapping of the UN’s capacity and tools for conflict prevention.
    • Norway increased its support to the UN Peacebuilding Fund and fulfilled the pledge it made in 2016 to provide NOK 115 million to the Fund over a three-year period (2017–2019).

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Other: Peace and reconciliation work is long-term work, and measuring results is challenging. Collecting and systematising experiences gained makes it easier to measure progress.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    To achieve the commitment, Norway supports actors that are implementing relevant projects or programmes.

    Peace and reconciliation work involve difficult processes with highly uncertain outcomes and considerable political risk. Efforts are made to reduce this risk through strategic planning, follow-up and controls. 

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    More – and better – data and analysis from grant recipients would make it easier to measure progress on UN preventive diplomacy tools.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • In 2018, Norway plans to maintain or increase the support it provided to efforts in 2017, including its contributions to DPA.
    • Norway will sign an agreement with the UN Office to the African Union (AU) to strengthen AU’s preventive and mediation capacity.
    • Norway will further develop expertise on transitional justice, ceasefires, inclusive processes and gender and collect experiences from peace processes and knowledge about international conflict resolution. Norwegian peace research expertise will be strengthened, in collaboration with international research institutions.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Given the magnitude and complexity of today’s conflicts, which have led to unprecedented humanitarian needs, the international community must invest more in analysis and mediation capacity to prevent and resolve conflict.

    Peace and reconciliation work requires taking a long-term perspective. Norway attaches importance to collecting and systematising experience gained from peace processes, in part to make it easier to measure results. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Norway has been a major contributor to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research-International Peace Institute (UNITAR-IPI) Fellowship Programme, the only UN programme to provide training in preventive diplomacy and peacemaking. In 2017, thirty-nine Fellows participated.

    Norway’s Section for Peace and Reconciliation has played a key role in enhancing and consolidating Norway’s capacity, institutional continuity and coordination on mediation and conflict resolution.

  • 1D
    Develop solutions with and for people

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Norway commits to develop and strengthen the newly established Nordic women's network of peace mediators. It will strengthen cooperation with South Africa in this regard and establish cooperation with similar regional networks. Norway further commits to increasing the number of Norwegian women mediators. It commits to cooperate with and support local organizations and support mechanisms that ensure inclusive peace processes (e.g. gender commissions).
    • Operational
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Norway commits to engage with parties to conflict and encourage participation in dialogues with the aim to reduce violence and manage and solve conflicts.
    • Operational
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts

    • Norway commits to implement the Norwegian National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security, which commits Norway to preventing and combating sexual violence and to promoting women's participation and the integration of a gender perspective in all peace processes and negotiations, international peace operations, peace building and stabilisation efforts, and humanitarian response where Norway is involved.


    • Operational
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Norway commits to supporting the development of a new Global Women, Peace and Security Index, an early warning index with a gender perspective. It also commits to deepening its support to women's and youth's participation in the prevention of violent extremism, and is engaging in policy dialogue with these partners to ensure that its policy development is informed by their voices.


    • Operational
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    In 2017, Norway, together with the other Nordic countries, continued to develop and strengthen the Nordic Women Mediators network. Norway engaged with others who considered establishing their own networks. Norway initiated, in dialogue with the other Nordic countries and the United Nations (UN), a process towards establishing a global network of women mediators.

    Norway works with partners to increase women’s influence in peace processes. These partners include networks and organisations working on specific conflicts, and those seeking to strengthen the normative framework and assess its implementation. Norway has a specific allocation for civil society organisations working to ensure women’s influence in peace and reconciliation processes. A new call for proposals was made in the autumn of 2017.

    Norway followed up its National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and the cross-cutting priority area preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict. Norway held an accountability conference with Norwegian humanitarian partners in the spring of 2017.

    Norway supported the Missing Peace Initiative, which focuses on sexual violence in conflict and applying research findings in policy. Norway established partnerships with the UN Secretary-General and the African Union (AU) to address sexual violence in conflict.

    Norway supported the Women, Peace and Security Index, launched in October 2017. The Index combines data on women’s security and access to justice with data on their economic and political participation.

    Norway supports networks that work to prevent and counter violent extremism.

    Together with Jordan, Norway launched a Group of Friends of Preventing Violent Extremism, which emphasises women’s and youth engagement.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    • Other: Through the annual report on Norway’s implementation of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, and collecting and systematising experience gained from it
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Peace and reconciliation have highly uncertain outcomes, but risk is reduced through strategic planning, follow-up and control.

    Norway monitors and evaluates financial partnerships through Norway’s grant management process. Norway’s best tool for its work on women, peace and security, including political initiatives, is the annual report on the implementation of Norway’s National Action Plan.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    At times, policies and programmes do not fully integrate gender perspectives or ensure women’s participation. This could lead to a perception that the gender dimension is an add-on, rather than an integral part of programmes.

    More – and better – data and analysis from grant recipients would make measuring progress easier.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • Norway continues the allocation for civil organisations seeking to strengthen women’s influence in peace and reconciliation processes.
    • Norway’s new National Action Plan on women, peace and security will be finalised in 2018.
    • Norway will continue as facilitator of the peace processes in Colombia and the Philippines, and will continue to support dialogue initiatives, stabilisation efforts, and capacity- and confidence-building measures in several countries.
    • Norway will support the follow-up of the global women, peace and security index and research based on it.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The relevant competence and experience of the women in the networks of women mediators should be mapped. The UN and other key players should be encouraged to make use of their expertise and ensure inclusive processes where women participate and are influential in peace and reconciliation efforts.

    Peace and reconciliation work requires taking a long-term perspective. Norway attaches importance to collecting and systematising experience gained from peace processes, partly to make it easier to measure results. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    The global network of women mediators is an important example of good practice, and the follow-up index on women, peace and security will monitor changes and status.

    Keywords

    Gender, Youth

  • 2A
    Respect and protect civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of hostilities

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • As one of the top donors to mine action, Norway will continue to support humanitarian mine action programmes, with a particular focus on the clearance and victim assistance obligations under the Mine Ban Convention and the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Norway commits to promote and enhance the protection of civilians and civilian objects, especially in the conduct of hostilities, for instance by sparing civilian infrastructure from military use in the conduct of military operations. This means that it will work to increase the protection of education from attack during armed conflict, inter alia by sparing, as far as possible, schools and educational facilities from military use in situations of armed conflict. In this context, Norway commits to intensifying its efforts to support implementation and universalize the Safe Schools Declaration, which contains a number of important preventive measures aimed at increasing the protection of education in armed conflict. Norway will also promote and participate in follow-up initiatives to the Oslo Conference on Safe Schools.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Norway is committed to protection as a central component of humanitarian action and will promote the integration of protection concerns and measures throughout the humanitarian response cycle.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance the protection of civilians and civilian objects, especially in the conduct of hostilities, for instance by working to prevent civilian harm resulting from the use of wide-area explosive weapons in populated areas, and by sparing civilian infrastructure from military use in the conduct of military operations.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    As one of the top donors to mine action, Norway continues to support programmes aimed at surveying and clearing landmines, cluster munitions, and other explosive remnants of war. In 2017, Norway disbursed over NOK 300 million to mine action programmes in 20 affected countries. Norway’s assistance focuses particularly on helping states parties to the Mine Ban Convention and the Convention on Cluster Munitions to fulfill their clearance and victim assistance obligations.

    Norway continued its leading role to enhance the protection of civilians and civilian objects, especially in the conduct of hostilities.

    Central to these efforts was the promotion of the Safe Schools Declaration (by March 2018 endorsed by 73 states), a political commitment to action to limit the effects of armed conflict on students, teachers and educational facilities. In March 2017, this initiative reached an important milestone when the Second International Safe Schools Conference was held in Argentina. Norway contributed actively to the preparations for the conference.

    In 2017, Norway worked to strengthen the protection of education, bilaterally and in multilateral bodies, supported the implementation of the declaration in endorsing countries, and actively worked to promote the universalisation of the declaration, in close cooperation with other states, United Nations (UN) organisations and civil society.

    Norway includes protection as a key component of its partnership agreements with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the UN, and is engaged in an ongoing dialogue with members of the Global Protection Cluster on protection in humanitarian response.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    • Other: By financially supporting production of the annual Mine Action Review reports, which evaluate mine action programme performance in affected countries.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    The best measure of progress is the number of affected countries that declare themselves mine-free each year.

    The steadily increasing number of states endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration (SDD) is a clear indication of progress in the efforts to protect education.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • Funding amounts
    • Human resources/capacity
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    A lack of national ownership, capacity and financial contributions creates dependence on donor contributions to ensure progress on surveying, mine clearance and victim assistance. The resurgence in the use of improvised landmines by non-state actors in recent conflicts poses a serious threat to the protection of civilians, including internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Norway will maintain its high level of financial contributions for mine action. Norway will continue its close partnership with leading humanitarian operators to bring experiences gained in the field into multilateral policy development.

    Norway will co-host several launches of the global report, Education under Attack 2018, which Norway is supporting financially. The report charts attacks on education and documents how governments, local communities, NGOs and UN agencies try to prevent and reduce the impact of violence of this kind.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Universalisation of the Convention on Cluster Munition and the Mine Ban Treaty and dedicated efforts by all states parties to abide by the commitments of these treaties, including by providing international assistance to affected states.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Norway initiated several country-focused seminars in Lebanon and Bosnia, bringing together all stakeholders in mine action to exchange experience. Norway encouraged donors to adopt and promote this one-country approach.

    Cooperation between governments, humanitarian and development organisations, education clusters, education policy programmes, and civil society groups is necessary in the work on the protection of education.

    Keywords

    Education, Protection

  • 2B
    Ensure full access to and protection of the humanitarian and medical missions

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Norway commits to actively promote the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence in humanitarian action and to integrate these in relevant humanitarian policy frameworks.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Norway commits to support national and international stakeholders in their efforts to protect access to and the delivery of impartial health care and to actively promote and support implementation of Resolution 4 (Health Care in Danger: Continuing to Protect the Delivery of Health Care Together) adopted at the 32nd Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and UNSC Resolution 2286 (2016) aimed at strengthening the protection of health care in conflict situations.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to ensure all populations in need receive rapid and unimpeded humanitarian assistance.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Commit to promote and enhance efforts to respect and protect medical personnel, transports and facilities, as well as humanitarian relief personnel and assets against attacks, threats or other violent acts.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a meeting with humanitarian partners to raise awareness about the 2016 Guidance Note on Ensuring Respect for the Humanitarian Principles. The guidance note gives advice on how organisations can ensure respect for the humanitarian principles during the various phases of humanitarian operations. Its purpose is to promote a common understanding of what is expected of recipients of Norwegian humanitarian funding.

    During the course of 2017, a more detailed, internal version of the Guidance Note was developed, to assist case officers in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and the embassies in their work.

    Norway leads the work on documentation in the Group of Friends of resolution 2286, and have allocated funding to the Health Care in Danger project. Norward is working along several tracks with the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to promote protection of health in conflicts.

    Norway continues to strengthen its partnership with the Red Cross/Crescent movement on implementing recommendations for the protection of health that have been made during consultations with a variety of stakeholders at local level. Norway has also played an active role in WHO with a view to enhancing its efforts, including by providing financial support for the organisation’s Surveillance System of Attacks on Healthcare.

    Norway is supporting the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2286.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Regular meetings are held with humanitarian partners on the relevance and impact of the Guidance Notes.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Norway held a stakeholders meeting in 2017, and on the basis of the discussions at this meeting, is planning to prepare an updated version of the Guidance Note on Ensuring Respect for the Humanitarian Principles.

    Keywords

    Humanitarian principles, Protection

  • 2C
    Speak out on violations

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    There is broad international agreement that much of the harm caused to civilians in armed conflict could be avoided, if only international humanitarian law (IHL) were properly respected and implemented by the parties to conflicts. In other words, the main problem is not the law, but the lack of respect for and/or full implementation of the law.

    Intensified efforts to strengthen compliance with IHL among parties to armed conflicts are therefore urgently needed. For this reason, Norway is a strong supporter of the initiative launched by Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to establish an international compliance mechanism.

    Norway participates actively in the ongoing Intergovernmental Process on Strengthening Respect for International Humanitarian Law, with the aim of moving discussions forward in an effective manner.

    The co-facilitators of the process (Switzerland and the ICRC) will report to the 2018 International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent on progress made and any agreed decisions and/or recommendations, and Norway will remain actively engaged in this process.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    • Other: The main challenge is the lack of international agreement on the establishment of a new mechanism for strengthening compliance with international humanitarian law.
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Norway will continue to participate actively in the process.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    It would be beneficial to have a forum in which states could discuss ongoing challenges and practical measures. This would provide an opportunity for discussions on practical experiences in the application of IHL, challenges in IHL implementation, best practices, and for states to flag capacity needs and foster international cooperation in addressing such needs – with the consent of the state concerned.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

  • 2D
    Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

    Individual Commitments (5)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Norway commits to further develop tracking mechanisms for funding for sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) programming in humanitarian response and increase dialogue with humanitarian partners on how to improve mandatory reporting on how a gender perspective is integrated in all aspects of operations.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Norway commits to implement the Norwegian National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security, which commits Norway to preventing and combating sexual violence and to promoting women's participation and the integration of a gender perspective in all peace processes and negotiations, international peace operations, peace building and stabilisation efforts, and humanitarian response where Norway is involved.


    • Operational
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Norway commits to prevent and fight sexual- and gender-based violence through training of police officers in several countries. Among others, Norway will continue to contribute to the Norwegian-Canadian police team that has been engaged in this effort since 2010 in Haiti and as part of the UN mission (MINUSTAH). A continued support will be given to the Haiti national plan to fight SGBV and the capacity building for all its police districts on these issues.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Norway commits to support development of methodology by Norwegian Church Aid for the reduction of gender-based violence in conflict and post-conflict settings based on experiences from DRC. This is to be tested in pilot projects in neighbouring countries. Experience from the field will inform advocacy work on a national and international level to prevent and protect from gender-based violence.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Norway commits to support the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) activities to prevent and respond to sexual violence through contribution to the special appeal: strengthening the response to sexual violence 2016.


    • Financial
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Implement a coordinated global approach to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in crisis contexts, including through the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Other-2D

    Norway’s commitment to implement the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security has been reported earlier, in 1D.

    Gender-based violence prevention and response

    Norway deploys women to international operations, including in leadership positions. Norwegian soldiers in international operations are trained to integrate a gender perspective into all stages of the operations. Norway has initiated a whole-of-mission handbook on preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict, in close cooperation with the United Nations (UN), for use in UN operations.

    Norway held a conference on International Women’s Day 2017, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and important humanitarian donors. Topics discussed included accountability and the implementation of a gender perspective in humanitarian response, the sharing of good practices, and challenges.

    Norway has continued its efforts in Haiti throughout 2017, through the Norwegian Specialised Police Team, deployed as part of MINUSTAH, and by supporting the Haitian National Police’s Strategic Plan and National Action Plan. 

    The Norwegian Church Aid pilot project that Norway has been supporting, as part of its commitment to develop instruments to reduce gender-based violence in conflict and post-conflict settings, has been extended by one year.

    In 2017, Norway provided NOK 15 million in support for International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) activities to prevent and respond to sexual violence.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    • Other: Through the annual report on Norway’s implementation of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Buy-in
    • Data and analysis
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    The whole-of-mission handbook initiated by Norway on preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict, for use in UN operations, will be launched in the autumn, to ensure that a more consistent and holistic approach is taken.

    Norway will continue its support for Haiti’s national plan to fight sexual and gender-based violence, and for capacity-building on these issues in all police districts in Haiti. Sustainability will be a focus area in 2018 to consolidate the project’s achievements.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The area of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is one that engages many people and countries. It is vital to ensure that there is understanding at the local level of the importance of SGBV issues, and of the need for information-sharing, an effective division of labour, coordination, and support for the UN structure and regional organisations. There needs to be a focus on women as actors, not just victims, and on men as victims and agents of change. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    The whole-of-mission handbook on sexual violence in conflict assists effective delivery by the components in UN operations.

    The Norwegian Specialised Police Team in MINUSTAH (working in partnership with Canada) is the first of its kind in the UN. It has ensured the recruitment of men and women, including police officers with special expertise and knowledge. 

    Keywords

    Gender

  • 2E
    Uphold the rules: a global campaign to affirm the norms that safeguard humanity

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Norway commits to engage constructively in the intergovernmental process as set out in Resolution 2 of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2015, "to find agreement on features and functions of a potential forum of States and ways to enhance the implementation of IHL using the potential of the International Conference [of the Red Cross and Red Crescent] and IHL regional forums".
    • Partnership
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Norway has actively participated in the process following the conference, and has supported the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to develop a forum for discussing compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) while preserving the character and integrity of the international conference as a whole-of-movement forum for states.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

  • 3A
    Reduce and address displacement

    Individual Commitments (5)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • As stated at the Syria and Region Conference 2016, Norway commits to providing a record high NOK 10 billion over a 4 year period as a response to the protracted displacement crisis in Syria and neighboring countries. The funding will go towards humanitarian assistance and long-term development aid. Norway and other co-hosts will continue to work to ensure that pledges and commitments from the conference are delivered and effectively disbursed.


    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Leave No One Behind Invest in Humanity
    • Norway commits to allocate through the financial mechanism under the European Economic Zone agreement for 2014- 2021 financial means to assist the new members states in the EU to improve their national capacity to receive refugees and migrants and to process applications for asylum according to international standards. Financial support will also be available to NGOs for campaigns and projects to fight xenophobia and racism in the new EU-countries.
    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Norway commits to promote the protection of refugees according to UN convention of 1951 and the 1967 protocol. Regarding IDPs it will commit to increase the protection and assistance in their country of origin.
    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Norway commits to support the new financing initiative to support the Middle East and the North Africa Region jointly developed by the World Bank Group, the UN and the Islamic Development Bank. Through innovative financing this initiative aims to support refugees, host communities, recovery and reconstruction.


    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind Invest in Humanity
    • Norway commits to working for better burden-sharing in identifying durable solution for refugees and internally displaced. It will actively support efforts to develop a new cooperation on predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing among countries of origin, transit countries and resettlement countries.
    • Partnership
    • Leave No One Behind

    Core Commitments (5)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new approach to addressing forced displacement that not only meets immediate humanitarian needs but reduces vulnerability and improves the resilience, self-reliance and protection of refugees and IDPs. Commit to implementing this new approach through coherent international, regional and national efforts that recognize both the humanitarian and development challenges of displacement. Commit to take the necessary political, policy, legal and financial steps required to address these challenges for the specific context.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to promote and support safe, dignified and durable solutions for internally displaced persons and refugees. Commit to do so in a coherent and measurable manner through international, regional and national programs and by taking the necessary policy, legal and financial steps required for the specific contexts and in order to work towards a target of 50 percent reduction in internal displacement by 2030.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Acknowledge the global public good provided by countries and communities which are hosting large numbers of refugees. Commit to providing communities with large numbers of displaced population or receiving large numbers of returnees with the necessary political, policy and financial, support to address the humanitarian and socio-economic impact. To this end, commit to strengthen multilateral financing instruments. Commit to foster host communities' self-reliance and resilience, as part of the comprehensive and integrated approach outlined in core commitment 1.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to collectively work towards a Global Compact on responsibility-sharing for refugees to safeguard the rights of refugees, while also effectively and predictably supporting States affected by such movements.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to actively work to uphold the institution of asylum and the principle of non-refoulement. Commit to support further accession to and strengthened implementation of national, regional and international laws and policy frameworks that ensure and improve the protection of refugees and IDPs, such as the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol or the AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala convention) or the Guiding Principles on internal displacement.
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Cross-border, disaster and climate related displacement

    Norway has disbursed more than 50 % of the pledge made at the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in London, in total NOK 5.25 billion since 2016. Norway will deliver on this pledge within the next two years and will work to ensure that the pledges and commitments from the conference are delivered and effectively disbursed.

    Other-3A

    Norway has signed agreements with Bulgaria, Greece, Poland and Romania on building the capacity of national asylum and migration management systems, and on addressing needs with regard to the reception and screening of new arrivals. Financial support is available to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for campaigns and projects to fight xenophobia and racism in the beneficiary European Union (EU) countries.

    Refugees

    Norway sees the process to develop a Global Compact on Refugees as the most important process for safeguarding and improving the international system for refugee protection and assistance.

    Norway is supporting the Global Compact on Refugees process politically and financially, particularly through financial support to tthe Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In 2017, Norway provided NOK 829 million (approximately USD 107 million). Norway is in continuous dialogue with international organisations, NGOs and states on the Global Compact on Refugees process, both on normative issues and on the roll-out of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework.

    Norway more than doubled its contribution to the World Bank Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) by disbursing NOK 120 million in 2017. Norway’s total contribution now amounts to NOK 235 million.

    IDPs (due to conflict, violence, and disaster)

    Norway was penholder for the General Assembly resolution on protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons, which was adopted by consensus in 2017.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Other: Norway discusses how to support improved mapping of burden sharing and responsibility sharing with actors like the UNCHR and the World Bank, and other countries.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Norway uses UN reports, NGO reports and internal and external evaluations of its humanitarian and development assistance.

    Progress made under the GCFF is reported annually by the World Bank to the GCFF Steering Committee. In 2017 the World Bank was encouraged to improve reporting on aggregate results to demonstrate the impact of facility financed interventions.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • Data and analysis
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    A lack of standardisation and different analysis of data makes it difficult to measure trends and progress in the protection of and provision of assistance to refugees and IDPs. There is no international consensus yet on the definition of burden sharing. Statistical cooperation between UNHCR and the World Bank is a potential way forward.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Norway will continue to engage with other states and UN agencies to improve the protection of and assistance to IDPs. Norway is engaged multilaterally, for instance in UNHCR’s ExCom, in efforts to safeguard the Refugee Convention and Protocol and its implementation.

    Norway will continue to engage in, and contribute to, the Global Compact on Refugees process, including by supporting UNHCR’s key role. Norway will focus on improving data collection and analyses, and will give priority to education in refugee response.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    In 2018, the way forward on the refugee agenda will be primarily through consultations on the Global Compact on Refugees. For IDPs, states and UN agencies have to pool resources and identify common goals, standards and methods of working.

    The Global Compact on Refugees process and commitments to follow it up must conclude successfully. There is a need to reach agreement on improving data collection and analyses, and implement it in practice. More countries need to contribute funding and resettlement places.

  • 3D
    Empower and protect women and girls

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Norway commits to enable the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) to conduct 4 Gender in Humanitarian Action training courses and provide roster management of gender advisors within IASC Gender Standby Capacity Project (GenCap) to be rapidly deployed to UN agencies, at country, regional and global level, including in all L-3 crises.
    • Capacity
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Norway commits to supporting the development of a new Global Women, Peace and Security Index, an early warning index with a gender perspective. It also commits to deepening its support to women's and youth's participation in the prevention of violent extremism, and is engaging in policy dialogue with these partners to ensure that its policy development is informed by their voices.


    • Operational
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Empower Women and Girls as change agents and leaders, including by increasing support for local women's groups to participate meaningfully in humanitarian action.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome documents of their review conferences for all women and adolescent girls in crisis settings.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure that humanitarian programming is gender responsive.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Norwegian Refugee Council’s Gender in Humanitarian Action training courses were held, with humanitarian actors and gender focal points in Ukraine, Congo Brazzaville and Lebanon receiving training. In addition, a Gender in Humanitarian Action Training of Trainers technical workshop was held in Switzerland.

    Please see report on 1D – Develop solutions with and for people, on Norway’s commitment to supporting the development of a Global Women, Peace and Security Index.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    • By applying processes/indicators developed to measure WHS commitments specifically.
    • Other: Through the annual report on the implementation of our National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Financial partnerships are subject to regular monitoring and evaluation, in line with Norway’s standards for development cooperation.

    Norway's best monitoring tool for its overall work on women, peace and security, including political initiatives, is the annual report on the implementation of its National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Other: This work has substantial support, but there is a way to go before there is a broad sense of ownership and lessons learned are used.
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Please see report under 1D – Develop solutions with and for people.

    Keywords

    Gender

  • 3E
    Eliminate gaps in education for children, adolescents and young people

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Norway commits to expand its cooperation with UNICEF to a multiyear framework of NOK 300 million over three years to provide education for children and youth affected by the Syrian crisis. This comes in addition to the already agreed multiyear framework with UNHCR of NOK 500 million over three years to the victims of the protracted Syria-crisis.
    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Norway commits to promote quality education for children and young people in emergencies and protracted crises through continued political engagement and increased financial contributions.
    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Norway will make a substantial amount available for «Education Cannot Wait - The Fund for Education in Emergencies» which was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit.


    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Norway has continued to promote quality education for children and young people in emergencies and protracted crises through continued political engagement and increased financial contributions.

    In 2017, Norway provided a substantial amount of funding to the Education Cannot Wait fund, launched at the World Humanitarian Summit, and was actively engaged in the fund.

    Furthermore, Norway provided support for education in emergencies through a number of civil society partners, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in various responses at country level, notably in Syria and the region.

    Globally, Norway allocated more than 8% of its humanitarian funding to education.

    Norway’s partners are followed up closely, for instance through yearly meetings and dialogue throughout the year.

    The Ministry’s support for education in emergencies, channeled through civil society organisations, has recently been evaluated in a report by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), and the Ministry is now following up this evaluation in concrete terms with our partners.

     

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    This is being assessed through close contact with partner organisations, the appointment of designated education colleagues at some of Norway's embassies, and active engagement in central forums.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • Funding amounts
    • Human resources/capacity
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Norway is making a substantial contribution to the Education Cannot Wait fund in 2018. Education in crisis remains a key priority in Norwegian humanitarian assistance.

    Keywords

    Education

  • 4A
    Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Norway commits to promote consideration of cash by relevant partners alongside other humanitarian response modalities where appropriate and to work towards an increased use of cash programming beyond current low levels.
    • Policy
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Norway commits to support the UN, Red Cross/Crescent Movement, NGOs and other relevant actors to develop simplified and equitable partnerships to strengthen front-line response.
    • Partnership
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    Core Commitments (6)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to reinforce national and local leadership and capacities in managing disaster and climate-related risks through strengthened preparedness and predictable response and recovery arrangements.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to increase investment in building community resilience as a critical first line of response, with the full and effective participation of women.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to ensure regional and global humanitarian assistance for natural disasters complements national and local efforts.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to increase substantially and diversify global support and share of resources for humanitarian assistance aimed to address the differentiated needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises in fragile situations and complex emergencies, including increasing cash-based programming in situations where relevant.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to empower national and local humanitarian action by increasing the share of financing accessible to local and national humanitarian actors and supporting the enhancement of their national delivery systems, capacities and preparedness planning.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Strengthening national/local leadership and systems

    Norway supports the strengthening of local and national actors’ capacity through various humanitarian and development instruments. In 2017, Norway increased its support for the Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPFs), which allow donors to pool unearmarked funds to support local humanitarian efforts.

    Norway is a central donor to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Disaster Relief Emergency Fund, which is seen as another important instrument for strengthening local and national first responders.

    Based on the experiences gained from the Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region in February 2017, Norway initiated a pilot project with NORCAP (the Norwegian Refugee Council’s expert deployment capacity) on strengthening the capacity of local civil society organisations in Chad and Niger – and of a regional civil society network established during the conference – while responding to the ongoing crisis.

    Cash-based programming

    Norway is committed to promoting cash programming, also as part of its Grand Bargain commitment.

    As co-chair, with the UK, of the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) initiative’s workstream on cash, Norway is seeking to engage more donor countries in the cash agenda and contribute to better donor coordination. Donor coordination is one of six action points identified following a May 2017 meeting with members of the Grand Bargain workstream on cash. Norway and Germany are following this up. Two workshops were held in Geneva, with input from the Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP), NGOs and the UN.

    During 2017, Norway systematically raised the cash issue with its humanitarian partners, conveying the message that cash should be considered alongside, or in combination with, other modes of delivery from the outset.

    Norway initiated dialogue with Norwegian NGOs on the role of NGOs in situations where important actors deliver humanitarian assistance as cash. Through the framework agreement with NORCAP (the Norwegian Refugee Council’s expert deployment capacity) Norway financed the Cash and Markets Capacity Development Roster (CashCap), a roster of cash experts used in multi-agency humanitarian response.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    By paying considerable attention to cash in Norway's ongoing dialogue and annual consultations with all its partners, Norway has contributed to raising awareness and strengthening its partners’ commitments. In general, donor coordination and joint messages have proved to be the preferred way of working.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The lack of clarity and consensus surrounding cash coordination throughout the programme cycle has been identified as a key impediment to scaling up and making effective use of cash assistance in emergencies. A lack of data sharing has hampered large-scale cash programming.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Norway remains committed to the Grand Bargain workstream on cash and the GHD initiative, where its current mandate ends in June 2018.

    The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ new humanitarian strategy will address localisation of humanitarian aid and establish how Norway will achieve this commitment. It will establish that cash is preferred in humanitarian response when appropriate.

    The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation’s (Norad) revised principles for civil society support will highlight local and national civil society’s importance in humanitarian response.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Tracking or quantifying the localisation process is hard. The discussions should focus on the quality of the partnerships, not just on quantitative targets and definitions.

    By paying considerable attention to cash in ongoing dialogue and annual consultations with all its partners, Norway has contributed to raising awareness and strengthening its partners’ commitments.

    In general, donor coordination and joint messages have proved to be the preferred way of working.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    The concrete action with the greatest impact in bringing the cash agenda forward is the Joint Donor Mission on cash programming to Jordan and Lebanon, organised together with Germany, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 

    Context-specific approaches deserve more attention. Different humanitarian situations call for different approaches and international humanitarian actors play a vital role in many crises.

    Keywords

    Cash, Local action

  • 4B
    Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Norway will commit to contribute to the achievement of the Sendai Framework target to increase people's access to multi-hazard early warning systems, and disaster risk information and assessments by 2030, including through initiatives such as the Global Framework for Climate Services.
    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to accelerate the reduction of disaster and climate-related risks through the coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as other relevant strategies and programs of action, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to improve the understanding, anticipation and preparedness for disaster and climate-related risks by investing in data, analysis and early warning, and developing evidence-based decision-making processes that result in early action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Norway has continued to support the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) Adaptation Programme in Africa, which seeks to enhance climate services in Malawi and Tanzania.

    The activities have contributed to (1) increasing the capacity of national actors to design, tailor, deliver and evaluate climate services to support adaptation, (2) ensuring that targeted communities are better able to manage the risks related to climate variability and (3) improving understanding of the effectiveness of the GFCS in climate risk management adaptation.

    Through expert deployments to the GFCS, facilitated by NRC/NORCAP (the Norwegian Refugee Council’s expert deployment capacity), capacity development for climate services has been supported in seven countries in Africa.

    Norway has also been supporting the strengthening of climate services in South-East Asia through the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Norwegian meteorologists have provided training for meteorologists in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Myanmar, and have provided free-of-charge forecasting software, ensuring more precise weather and climate predictions.

    Norwegian support to the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre has led to increased capacity for Disaster Risk Management in the same countries, e.g. through improved climate projection capability in Bangladesh and enhanced earthquake knowledge in Myanmar. Furthermore, support to UNOSAT has contributed to strengthening the use of geo-spatial information for disaster risk reduction and capacity development for improved resilience in Asia and Africa.

    Support through the World Bank Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction has further contributed to the transformation.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Other: Through annual reports from implementing organisation(s), through annual consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Norad and the implementing organisation, and through external reviews and/or evaluations.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Progress is assessed on the basis of whether or not concrete results are contributing to the overall goals of the support. This is also done through reviews and evaluations.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The correct data, the capacity to analyse it, and local systems to follow up the results is necessary.  Another challenge is efficient coordination between the various initiatives working to promote effective use of resources. Norway encourages collaboration and coordination between stakeholders that may have quite different approaches, e.g. through the Global Framework for Climate Services.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Norway will continue its efforts through existing partners and initiatives to increase the capacity of early warning systems. In addition, Norway will continue to support broader initiatives through multilateral and national organisations, with a view to contributing to the achievement of the Sendai Framework. Norway will work for coherence in the follow-up of the Sendai Framework, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Identify the steps that should be taken to ensure the enhanced involvement of the private sector.
    • Continue working for better coherence in the follow-up of the Sendai Framework, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, i.e. by integrating follow-up programmes and actions into common planning frameworks.
    • Promote effective coordination between the various initiatives working towards the same goals.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    The provision of open-source, state-of-the art forecast processing software developed in Norway is contributing to enhanced capacity for predicting weather events in South-East Asia. When this is combined with capacity development on disaster risk management in the same region, the region’s resilience to extreme weather events and climate-related disasters is increased.

    Keywords

    Community resilience, Disaster Risk Reduction

  • 4C
    Deliver collective outcomes: transcend humanitarian-development divides

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis and planning towards collective outcomes

    The Ministry remains committed to taking a comprehensive approach that addresses the immediate humanitarian needs and identifies durable solutions for those affected by crisis. In 2017, the Ministry launched a new white paper on development, where this is a focus area. In 2017, the Ministry also launched a new strategic framework for Norway’s engagement in conflict prevention, stabilisation and resilience building.

    Norway remains committed to supporting full implementation of the 2016 Quadrennial comprehensive policy review (QCPR) resolution (71/243), including the provision on the need to work collaboratively in humanitarian emergencies to move beyond short-term assistance towards longer-term development gains, with the aim of reducing need, vulnerability and risk over time.

    In the Syria crisis response, Norway promotes durable solutions and early recovery. In 2017, Norway doubled its contribution to the Global Concessional Financing Facility in support of Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan and Lebanon.

    Norway is committed to finding durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs), and supports the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework process both politically and financially.

    Norway supports the UN-World Bank Group partnership, by funding analyses and pilot projects on strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus.

    Norway supports the ongoing review of the New Way of Working, looking particularly at lessons learned from country-level implementation, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

    Other-4C

    Norway’s engagement to promote education in crisis, the multi-year Syria pledge, efforts to increase the use of cash programming, and the increased focus on funding for national and local responders and multi-year funding are all examples of efforts to strengthen the humanitarian-development nexus. Norway’s commitments in these fields have been reported on earlier in this report.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Norway’s designated budget allocation to transitional assistance to countries affected by conflict will be increased in 2018. The allocation will be used for strategically important measures to prevent and resolve crises, and to promote stabilisation as a basis for peacebuilding and long-term development.

    Norway’s new humanitarian strategy will emphasise the importance of strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus.

    Keywords

    Cash, Community resilience, Education, Humanitarian-development nexus

  • 5A
    Invest in local capacities

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Norway commits to contribute to the development of an international humanitarian financing system that allow front-line responders access to adequate, timely and quality funding, including through the country-based humanitarian pooled funds and by simplifying and harmonizing partner capacity assessments and reporting requirements.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to empower national and local humanitarian action by increasing the share of financing accessible to local and national humanitarian actors and supporting the enhancement of their national delivery systems, capacities and preparedness planning.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Country-based pooled funds

    Norway supports capacity strengthening of local and national actors through many different instruments, including the Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
     (IFRC) Disaster Relief Emergency Fund, which Norway sees as important instruments for strengthening local and national first responders. Please see further reporting under 4C - Deliver collective outcomes: transcend humanitarian-development divides, and the separate Grand Bargain report.

    Keywords

    Country-based pooled funds, Local action

  • 5B
    Invest according to risk

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to accelerate the reduction of disaster and climate-related risks through the coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as other relevant strategies and programs of action, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to invest in risk management, preparedness and crisis prevention capacity to build the resilience of vulnerable and affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Please see report submitted under 4B – Anticipate, do not wait for, crises.

  • 5C
    Invest in stability

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Norway will commit NOK 45 million over three years to enhance the capacity of the African Union Commission and its collaborative partners, as appropriate, to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts and promote stability in Africa through the Training for Peace programme.


    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Invest in Humanity
    • Norway commits to investing in prevention and building resilience. It is developing a holistic strategy for supporting fragile states. The main purpose is to strengthen their capacity to meet their own challenges and to prevent countries from joining the ranks of failed states.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Norway commits to prioritizing a larger share of its development budget to fragile states and situations with a special focus on education and health.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • Norway will continue to support and further develop important UN preventive diplomacy tools, such as the UNDP-DPA Joint Programme on Conflict Prevention, and DPAs Standby Team of Mediators and will advocate for the use of increased and reliable funds for conflict prevention.


    • Financial
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Norway continued to support and further develop important United Nations (UN) preventive diplomacy tools, including through the following concrete actions:

    Norway increased its support to the United Nations Development Programme - Department of Political Affairs (UNDP-DPA) Joint Programme on Conflict Prevention (from NOK 5 million to NOK 7 million) and concluded a three-year agreement in 2017.

    Norway maintained its steadfast support to the UN Standby Team on Mediation, providing NOK 11 million in 2017, in addition to Norway’s general support to the Department of Political Affairs Multi-Year Appeal.

    The Norwegian delegation to the UN argued for increased and reliable funds for the Department of Political Affairs in the UN General Assembly’s fifth committee.

    The Norwegian delegation to the UN supported the Secretary-General’s vision for UN reform aimed at strengthening the UN’s ability to prevent conflict.

    Norway supported an internal mapping of the UN’s capacity and tools for conflict prevention.

    Norway fulfilled the pledge it made in 2016 to provide NOK 115 million to the UN Peacebuilding Fund over a three-year period (2017–2019).

    Norway launched a strategic framework for its engagement in conflict prevention, stabilisation and resilience building, which links long-term investments in development with humanitarian action.

    Norway’s designated budget post for transitional assistance to countries affected by conflict was increased by NOK 130 million in 2017. Among measures supported were the multi-donor trust funds for stabilisation in Iraq and Syria. Norway also supported other multi-donor trust funds in order to finance development initiatives in a number of countries, tailored to match the needs of vulnerable populations in conflict areas. Funding to countries in the Sahel region, the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region (DRC and CAR) was increased by NOK 225 million.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis

  • 5D
    Finance outcomes, not fragmentation: shift from funding to financing

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • As stated at the Syria and Region Conference 2016, Norway commits to providing a record high NOK 10 billion over a 4 year period as a response to the protracted displacement crisis in Syria and neighboring countries. The funding will go towards humanitarian assistance and long-term development aid. Norway and other co-hosts will continue to work to ensure that pledges and commitments from the conference are delivered and effectively disbursed.


    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Leave No One Behind Invest in Humanity

    • Norway commits to support the new financing initiative to support the Middle East and the North Africa Region jointly developed by the World Bank Group, the UN and the Islamic Development Bank. Through innovative financing this initiative aims to support refugees, host communities, recovery and reconstruction.


    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind Invest in Humanity
    • Norway will continue to provide flexible, unearmarked and multiyear funding when appropriate to ensure effective humanitarian response and better linkages with long-term development assistance in protracted crisis and situations of fragility.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to enable coherent financing that avoids fragmentation by supporting collective outcomes over multiple years, supporting those with demonstrated comparative advantage to deliver in context.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to broaden and adapt the global instruments and approaches to meet urgent needs, reduce risk and vulnerability and increase resilience, without adverse impact on humanitarian principles and overall action (as also proposed in Round Table on "Changing Lives").
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The pledge to Syria and its neighbouring countries (2016-2019) continued to make up a substantial proportion of Norwegian humanitarian aid. As part of this pledge, Norway had ongoing multi-year letters of intent to support the work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). For more on Norway’s commitment to provide NOK 10 billion over a four-year period, please see 3A – Reduce and address displacement.

    Norway more than doubled its contribution to the World Bank Global Concessional Financing Facility by disbursing NOK 120 million in 2017. Norway’s total contribution now amounts to NOK 235 million.

    In 2017, Norway reached its Grand Bargain target of 30 % non-earmarked or softly earmarked humanitarian contributions, while multi-year funding reached about 21 %.

    Norway approved multi-year planning and programming for selected protracted crises in multi-year agreements with Norwegian NGOs, and in February 2017, Norway made a three-year pledge (2017-2019) to provide humanitarian and development funding for the Lake Chad region. Furthermore, in December 2017, Norway pledged to provide the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) with multi-year funding over a four-year period.

    The commitments to flexible, unearmarked and multi-year funding are also part of Norway’s Grand Bargain workstreams. Please see the attached Grand Bargain report.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Progress made under the Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) is reported annually by the World Bank to the GCFF Steering Committee. At the 2017 meeting of the Steering Committee, members encouraged the World Bank to improve reporting on aggregate results in order to demonstrate the impact of the interventions financed by the Facility.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Funding amounts
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Norway remains committed to continuing to meet the Grand Bargain target. Two multi-year agreements with Norwegian NGOs will be renegotiated and signed in 2018, and with the new multi-year agreement with CERF, Norway has committed to providing substantial amounts of unearmarked funding out of its total humanitarian budget. As Norway is in the process of developing a new humanitarian strategy, further steps will depend on the content of the new strategy.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Multi-year financing makes it necessary to focus on multi-year collaborative planning and response plans. Norway is committed to principled humanitarian action, but sees the need for response plans that can better link the activities of humanitarian and development actors in protracted crises, with a view to reducing vulnerability and building resilience.

    The increased flexibility for recipients provided by unearmarked funding and more comprehensive framework agreements will reduce total administrative costs.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    In Norway’s agreement with OCHA, the combination of unearmarked funding to core activities and earmarked funding to the Country-Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs), Norcap and GenCap gives greater flexibility and predictability. The increased number of multi-year pledges and framework agreements enhances predictability and reduces administrative costs for Norway and for recipients of Norwegian funding.

  • 5E
    Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency

    Individual Commitments (5)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • As one of the top donors to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Norway remains committed to providing substantial contributions to enable effective and timely responses to humanitarian crisis and explore innovative and sustainable financing solutions to reach the new funding target set by the UN Secretary-General.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Norway commits to stepping up its international engagement in combating corruption to prevent diversion of resources and the undermining of humanitarian and development outcomes.
    • Operational
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Norway commits to work in support of efforts to broaden and diversify the funding base for humanitarian action, including through innovative financing mechanisms involving new donors, civil society and private sector.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Norway increased ODA to 1.1% of BNI in 2015 and remains committed to a high level of ODA, including a significant proportion for humanitarian assistance.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Norway supports the Grand Bargain between donors and humanitarian organisations to better and more efficiently serve people in need and commits to be a strong advocate for inclusive and accountable follow-up.
    • Policy
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to increase substantially and diversify global support and share of resources for humanitarian assistance aimed to address the differentiated needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises in fragile situations and complex emergencies, including increasing cash-based programming in situations where relevant.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Storting (the Norwegian parliament) is committed to upholding a high level of ODA, of at least 1 % of BNI. This commitment was reiterated in the 2017 white paper on development policy. Humanitarian assistance is one of five prioritised areas and accounts for a significant proportion of the Norwegian aid budget.

    Norway remains one of the top donors to the UN Central Emergency Fund (CERF). In 2017, Norway contributed USD 53 million to CERF and pledged multi-year funding over a four-year period starting in 2018.

    Norway has continued to increase its support to the Country-based Pooled Funds (CBFPs) which allow humanitarian partners to deliver a timely, coordinated and principled humanitarian response. In 2017, Norway contributed USD 41 million to the CBPFs.

    Anti-corruption is a cross-sectoral issue to be included in the risk assessment of all projects and programmes that receive Norwegian development cooperation or humanitarian assistance funding. Norway continues its support to the Corruption Hunters Network. In September 2017, a new act on combating money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism was announced.

    In 2017, Norway spearheaded a UN resolution on preventing and countering corruption more effectively, including when it involves vast quantities of assets. Norway is working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and with other interested countries to follow up this important resolution.  A technical assistance programme on Tax for Development was revitalised and strengthened in accordance with the Addis Tax Initiative (2015).

    Norway is doing many of the actions under the Grand Bargain workstreams, as illustrated in the 2017 and 2018 self-reporting exercises.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    • Other: OECD DAC statistics on Norway’s ODA.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Progress on pooled funds and CERF is assessed through annual reports, regular updates and meetings in the Pooled Fund Working Group and CERF Advisory Group.

    Anti-corruption progress is assessed through review mechanisms for the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption, the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and implementation of SDG 16.5 on reducing corruption and bribery.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    • Human resources/capacity
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Inadequate commitment to anti-corruption at field level is perhaps the most important hurdle.

    Inadequate laws, institutions, instruments and mechanisms pave the way for corruption at the expense of the intended beneficiaries. Corruption undermines growth, development, good governance and security.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Norway’s high level of ODA will continue.

    The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will launch a new humanitarian strategy in 2018. Humanitarian financing issues will be one important area covered by the strategy.

    Norway’s multi-year agreement with CERF will take effect from 2018.

    Norway will act decisively on corruption, illicit financial flows, asset recovery and return and seek to ensure that action is taken in countries of origin, transit and destination. Norway will promote the responsible use of returned assets.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    There is a need to broaden and deepen CERF’s financial support base, given the needs and the aim to build a USD 1 billion fund.

    Governments, public and private sector actors, multilateral organisations and civil society must take joint action to combat corruption and illicit financial flows. A clear commitment to integrity, inclusion, transparency and accountability in all processes and levels, nationally and internationally is vital.

    Anti-corruption work requires policies, laws, institutions and mechanisms to prevent, detect, handle and apply sanctions.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Norway has pledged multi-year funding to CERF to ensure more predictable and flexible humanitarian financing.

    Norway is cooperating closely with key countries from various regions of the world to further develop international norms, in particular relating to grand corruption and illicit financial flows.

Attachments