The Government enters new partnership agreements with humanitarian organisations

‘These agreements will provide predictable and flexible funding for our most important partners among the Norwegian humanitarian organisations, and will help to improve their response capacity in the many protracted and complex crises across the world. We now see the importance of flexibility as organisations have to make rapid changes to maximise access to people who need protection and vital humanitarian assistance such as food, water, hygiene and health services. The restrictions introduced to control Covid-19 have made it challenging for the humanitarian organisations to carry out their work,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

The strategic partnerships are a new arrangements agreed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the organisations following an open and thorough application process with clear criteria. The partnerships will enhance operational response based on humanitarian principles while highlighting key humanitarian policy issues such as compliance with international humanitarian law.

‘I am confident that these partnership agreements will contribute to the implementation of the Government’s humanitarian strategy in areas we both prioritise. These priorities include the protection of children, protection from sexualised and gender-based violence, protection of refugees and internally displaced people, and protection of civilians from landmines and other explosives. I am also determined to see Norway at the forefront of promoting innovation, ensuring more rebust and effective humanitarian action,’ said the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In recent years, humanitarian needs around the world have increased even though the humanitarian budgets of donor countries have never been larger. With the spread of Covid-19, humanitarian needs are expected to increase further. Norway’s combined humanitarian budget for 2020 is at a record level of just over NOK 5.5 billion. Innovation in key areas such as cash-based assistance, renewable energy, green response and needs assessments, means that we will be able to meet the needs of more people affected by crises, while at the same time enabling these people to participate in humanitarian efforts.

The partnership agreements will run for four years and have a total annual financial frame of NOK 1.7 billion. The agreements provide both predictability and flexibility for Norwegian humanitarian organisations in their efforts to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain human dignity.  

The remainder of the Norwegian humanitarian budget are channelled through the United Nations and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement as well as to Norwegian organisations other than those that have entered into strategic partnership agreements.