The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ethiopia is responsible for approximately 40% of total Norwegian aid to Ethiopia. Other channels for Norwegian support includes the UN-system and Norwegian and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In 2009 it is expected that the Embassy will disburse approximately NOK 118 million to various development projects in Ethiopia.
For a detailed version of the Development Cooperation with Ethiopia please read the Strategy Paper (you will find the link at the right side of this article).
The Norwegian Parliament has, through the Parliament White Paper (St.Prp.nr.1 2007-2008), decided some focus areas for the part of the bilateral development budget that the Embassy is responsible for. The Embassy will this year focus on these areas:
1. Hydopower development and promotion of Ministry of Mines and Energy and EEPCO
Support to Ethiopian hydropower development through the Ministry of Water Resources complies with PASDEP as developing its hydropower resources to underpin industrial development is a key to the Ethiopian development agenda. The agreement with GoE/Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) has an indicative estimate of 70 mill. NOK over 3 years. An important motivation behind Norway's support to Ethiopia in this area stems from our understanding that the increased economic collaboration between the Nile countries that will follow from the exploitation of the Ethiopia's abundant hydrodropower resources is mutually beneficial and strengthens the basis for long term stability in the region.
The initiative will in a longer perspective give improved access to clean energy for several countries in the sub- region and will consequently contribute to fulfilling the energy needs of the region as well as the Norwegian government’s ambitions and goals in the area of clean energy and climate. Further, the hydropower initiative represents an area where Norway’s expertise is considered to have comparative advantages
2. Capacity building and good governance focuses on the internal political and societal challenges. If Ethiopia is to continue to transform its political system and economy it is imperative that the democratisation process the country is going through should be maintained. This requires the strengthening of public institutions such as the legislature, the election board, human rights commission and so on and active participation of civil society organisations in civic and voter education to ensure that ordinary citizens are on board. The right of such groups as women and the youth should also be respected as they constitute the bulk of the population. Norway plans to sustain its support to such initiatives.
Another effort linked to this sector is support to “Strengthened National Humanitarian Mine Action Capacity” through Norwegian People’s Aid collaboration with the national Ethiopian Mine Action Office.
The programs and projects included in this sectorial effort cover areas that coincide with the priorities of the government of Ethiopia. The development cooperation efforts in this sector include combating corruption through support to Federal Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (FECCA) as part of the Democratic Institutions Programme (DIP), and efforts towards improving the women/gender situation through UNICEF/UNFPA agreements and through strategic partnership with Save the Children Norway-Ethiopia on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
3. Natural Resources Management and Food Security is based on the wish to contribute to poverty reduction through focussing on sustainable management of natural resources which again will include growing enough agricultural produces for own private consumption and the market. This sectorial effort complies clearly with one of Ethiopia’s priorities within the national program for combating poverty (PASDEP). Further it complies with the Norwegian government’s effort to mitigate environmental degradation. In time of normalization between the two countries and possible increase in the volume of development cooperation, new budgetary resources should be channelled to efforts linked to this priority sector. The needs linked to environmental threats in the form of land degradation with food and water supply implications are formidable in Ethiopia, and increased efforts in the area of natural resource management including forestry will further be the focus of support the new priorities of the Norwegian government.
The aim of the UNCCD agenda as well as the Global Climate Agenda will remain relevant to the Embassy. Hence, the Embassy will continue support to some of the projects under the Natual Resources Management & Food Ssecurity (NRM & FS) pillar. Projects working on improving and diversifying livelihoods in the dry land and degraded areas of Ethiopia will be given emphasis. Moreover, continuation of capacity building programs for agricultural and environmental professionals shall be further assessed and reshaped. The Embassy shall also consider engagement in the national platform for Sustainable Land Management (SLM).
The Embassy is in a process of negotiating a Medium Term Development Framework with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development which will formalize government to government assistance. Total Norwegian assistance to Ethiopia, however, annually reaches NOK 200-250 million. Assistance at this level is also anticipated for 2009. Norwegian NGOs like Norwegian Church Aid, Save the Children-Norway, Development Fund, Norwegian Peoples Aid, Norwegian Lutheran Mission and Norwegian Missionary Society all have offices and substantial programmes in Ethiopia in social sectors and contributes importantly to the total Norwegian engagement in Ethiopia.
Apart from substantial direct financial support from the Embassy, in particular to UNICEF and UNFPA, other UN-organisations, like UNDP and UNESCO, also receives Norwegian funding.