The Norwegian Red-Green government put growth in traditional aid on hold to fund its prestigious multi-billion crown rainforest package, launched ahead of the UN climate conference in Bali last December. Opposition parties, including the Conservatives, want additional aid funds to cover the Bali promise.

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Denmark (just) breaks downward trend in aid

The Danish government broke a six-year downward trend in aid when it jacked up the aid budget by 0.01 per cent of GNI. DKK 100 million for climate efforts in developing countries did the trick.

Einar Risa, a former Director at Statoil, disputes the claim that a lack of available experts is a bottleneck in expanding Norway's Oil for Development Programme.

The Nordic countries have become huge donors in the UN System. Sweden is the third largest overall UN donor, while Norway is No 6 on the list. If the tied, in-kind US support to WFP is taken out of the equation, Norway and Sweden together become bigger donors to the UN than the United States.

Following the sudden departure of founding member Gitte Seeberg from the New Alliance Party in Denmark late January, the party’s three remaining Members of Parliament - Naser Khader, Anders Samuelsen og Jørgen Poulsen - have done some soul-searching and concluded that they will fight on.

Danish NGOs accuse the government of overselling the notion of a hand-in-glove relationship between the military and humanitarian organisations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Danish TV charity record

Denmark set a new record in the second annual television fund-raising campaign last month. The public donated DKK 66 million to projects supporting vulnerable children in Africa. Last year when the event was first aired by TV channel DR, the result was DKK 54 million.

The Swedish National Anti-Corruption Unit is in the final phase of investigating the involvement of Swedish companies in bribery related to the UN-financed oil-for-food scheme in Iraq. Christer van der Kwast, Chief Public Prosecutor, tells Development Today that efforts are being focused on “some larger companies".

Nordic oil-for-food network

As reported earlier in Development Today, over 80 Nordic-registered firms - Denmark, Sweden and Finland - are listed in the Volcker Report.

Norway’s traditional aid to be frozen to fund Bali rainforest pledge

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