Illicit capital flows, gender equality, debt and ODA are of high priority for Norway in the preparatory process for the Doha conference this fall.
20/05/2008 :: In a statement at the informal review session on Chapter III of the Monterrey Consesus 20 May 2008, Norway stressed the importance of strengthening women's participation in international trade. Norway is working closely with developing countries to stimulate trade as a tool for development. One of the main priorities is to assist women in taking full part in trade and economic activites.
The need to mobilise ODA for equality and the empowerment of women was addressed at the recent meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women. Norway supports the modest, yet important ambitions that the share of ODA for women’s empowerment and gender equality should be scaled up to reach 10 per cent of ODA by 2010 and 20 per cent by 2015. The Norwegian Government appeals to all stakeholders, when preparing for Doha, to give due attention to gender issues.
Norway is still the only country not reporting bilateral debt cancellation as Official Development Assistance. Norway’s objective is to increase the ODA in 2008 by NOK 1.5 billion, equivalent to nearly USD 300 million, which would bring the total for 2008 to 0.98 per cent of Norway’s GNI.
In a statement at the informal review session on Chapter IV of the Monterrey Consesus, Norway called for increased legitimacy, transparency and integrity in the international monetary, financial and trading systems. Norway will cooperate closely with The World Bank in the battle of illicit capital flows, and they will jointly sponsor a conference on the development impact of illicit financial flows in preparation to the Doha conference.
Read the Norwegian statements at the review sessions of the Monterrey Consensus:
Chapter III on "International trade as an engine for development" (pdf)
Chapter IV on “Increasing international financial and technical cooperation for development” (pdf)
Chapter V on “External Debt” (pdf)
Chapter VI on "Addressing systemic issues: enhancing the coherence and consistency of the international monetary, financial and trading systems in support of development" (pdf)
Velaug Hobbelstad Sælid / Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations