Norway

Last Updated: 22 November 2013

Support for Mine Action

In 2012, the Kingdom of Norway contributed NOK281,519,998 (US$48,386,930) in mine action funding to 28 mine-affected states, two areas, and several NGOs and institutions for global activities.[1] This represented the fourth largest contribution in 2012 after the United States, European Union, and Japan. Almost one-third of the contribution went to NGOs and institutions for global activities along with the ICRC. The ICRC received NOK25.5 million ($4.3 million).

Norway contributed 17% of its support to institutions and NGOs for advocacy activities such as for the universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions and support to the ICRC.

Contributions by recipient: 2012[2]

Recipient

Sector

Amount (NOK)

Amount ($)

Global

Various

62,763,171

10,787,572

ICRC

Various

25,531,716

4,388,325

Bosnia

Clearance, Victim assistance

17,030,985

2,927,242

South Sudan

Clearance

15,000,000

2,578,161

Afghanistan

Clearance, Victim assistance

14,678,193

2,522,850

Lebanon

Clearance

14,000,000

2,406,284

Lao PDR

Clearance

12,500,000

2,148,468

Tajikistan

Clearance, Victim assistance

9,572,152

1,645,237

DR Congo

Clearance

9,000,000

1,546,897

Libya

Clearance

8,910,000

1,531,428

Sri Lanka

Clearance

8,630,000

1,483,302

Serbia

Clearance

8,520,000

1,464,396

Mozambique

Clearance

7,950,000

1,366,425

Vietnam

Clearance, Victim assistance

7,912,803

1,360,032

Cambodia

Clearance

7,000,000

1,203,142

Ethiopia

Clearance, Victim assistance

6,915,350

1,188,592

Jordan

Clearance

6,000,000

1,031,265

Myanmar

Clearance, Victim assistance

5,050,000

867,981

Iraq

Clearance

5,000,000

859,387

Mauritania

Clearance

5,000,000

859,387

Somaliland

Clearance

4,700,000

807,824

Thailand

Clearance

4,000,000

687,510

Senegal

Clearance

3,000,000

515,632

Zimbabwe

Clearance

3,000,000

515,632

Colombia

Victim assistance

2,000,000

343,755

Ecuador

Clearance

1,800,000

309,379

Peru

Clearance

1,800,000

309,379

Azerbaijan

Clearance

1,500,000

257,816

Guinea Bissau

Clearance

1,000,000

171,877

Western Sahara

Clearance

930,000

159,846

El Salvador

Victim assistance

725,628

124,719

Uganda

Victim assistance

100,000

17,188

Total

 

281,519,998

48,386,930


Norway is one of the largest donors that supports victim assistance through traditional mine action funding sources. In 2012, Norway contributed NOK24.29 million ($4.17 million) to victim assistance, including NOK10 million ($1,718,774) to the ICRC.

At the intersessional Meetings for the Convention on Cluster Munitions in April 2013 in Geneva, Norway cautioned about evaluating victim assistance support solely as a horse race involving financial contributions:

“Taking a rights based, non-discriminatory and inclusive approach to victim assistance – which we as the mine action community have agreed in principle for many years – must have as its consequence that we at some point stop discussing assistance to victims of specific weapons in separate fora depending on which weapon caused the injury, and rather spend more time and resources making sure that the victims of mines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war are included in other influential for a which might have a more direct bearing on the situation of victims than our own plenary discussions. In addition, we must conclude that funding projects dedicated to or earmarked for assisting victims of weapons might be contradictory to the principle of non-discrimination. It is therefore my prediction that in the coming years we will see a downward trend in funds identified as dedicated to assisting victims of landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war – but that more and more states, including donors such as Norway, will strive to ensure that their development cooperation will strive to ensure that their development cooperation is inclusive of all persons with disabilities.”[3]

Contributions by thematic sector: 2012

Sector

Amount (NOK)

Amount ($)

% of total contribution

Clearance

183,480,000

31,536,068

65

Advocacy

49,140,000

8,446,056

17

Various

24,609,525

4,229,822

9

Victim assistance

24,290,473

4,174,984

9

Total

281,519,998

48,386,930

100

Summary of Contributions: 2008–2012[4]

Year

Amount (NOK)

Amount

($)

2012

281,519,998

48,386,930

2011

299,018,235

53,375,145

2010

304,163,181

50,315,657

2009

224,615,910

35,705,460

2008

206,631,608

36,659,560

Total

1,315,948,932

224,442,752

 

 



[1] Average exchange rate for 2012: NOK5.8181=US$1. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2013.

[2] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Ingunn Vatne, Senior Advisor, Department for Human Rights, Democracy and Humanitarian Assistance, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 11 April 2013.

[3] Statement of Norway, Ingunn Vatne, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Technical Workshop on Cooperation and Assistance, Meetings on the Convention on Cluster Munitions Geneva, 15 April 2013.

[4] See Landmine Monitor reports 2008–2011; and ICBL-CMC, “Country Profile: Norway: Support for Mine Action,” 19 September 2013.