Kyaukgyi is the first pilot village in a Norwegian-led initiative to shore up the peace process in Burma. Donors are lining up to give their support. But little concrete information has been made public, and humanitarians worry that Oslo’s rush to bring aid into ceasefire areas can put vulnerable communities at risk.

SADEV evaluation agency under fire

Since it was established six years ago, the Swedish aid evaluation agency SADEV has not produced a single evaluation of the effects of aid. Blame should be shared by SADEV’s boss and the Foreign Ministry.

In a few weeks, the experienced Swedish diplomat Jan Eliasson will take over as number two at the United Nations. In an interview with Development Today, he says the UN must be a catalyst and bring different players together to take action, rather than engaging in turf battles.

The Finnish multi-party aid committee will be led by the veteran Christian Democrat politician Jouko Jääskeläinen.

Aware that the lack of informationhas caused confusion, the Foreign Ministry is working on documentation that will clarify the nature of its mission in Burma, Norwegian Ambassador Katja Nordgaard says to DT.

Mona Sahlin misses the mark

Guy Ryder, British citizen, was elected the new Director General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva.