At Ap’s national meeting 30 years ago, a decision was made that saved millions of lives and gave millions of people education, health, hope and security. Today, it seems as if that battle has been forgotten, and the contents put in a drawer. In 1992, I met for the first time as AUF leader at the Labor Party national meeting, a meeting that is primarily remembered for the decision on the EU application and for Gro’s dramatic departure as party leader. But the most important issue for AUF at the time was neither the EU nor who would take over after Gro. The most important thing was the fight for the very poorest in the world. The program committee in Ap had proposed that the wording of 1 per cent for aid should be replaced with “a high level of aid”. No one had any doubts that the new wording in reality meant a lower level of aid. AUF received support from a massive majority in the party and won the case. The aid goal went to the heart of the Labor Party’s ideology and values. It was about who we are and should be. Ever since 1969, a time when Norwegians had much less to worry about, we had stuck to the goal of helping the poorest. Now this clearly no longer applies. In the presented proposal for the national budget, many billions are missing from reaching the target. The cut proposal is bad, but the justification is even worse, namely that the growth in our national income is so extraordinarily large that the aid target is too demanding to reach. We have become too rich to help. While previous generations shared what little they had, we now have such enormous incomes that we can no longer give a hundredth of this in aid. To use figures: Due to the Ukraine war and sky-high oil and gas prices, our national income is increasing by around NOK 1,600 billion, which we had not anticipated. If we give 1 percent of this in aid, it amounts to NOK 16 billion, exactly what we need to maintain the aid percentage. The government therefore believes that it is too bad that we contribute 16 billion and are “only” left with 1,584 billion of the lottery winnings we have received due to the energy crisis in the world. This logic becomes even less understandable when we know that the same crisis that has given us completely undeserved extra income is hitting other people in a brutal way. High energy prices, the food crisis and the pandemic have led to the number experiencing acute food shortages increasing from 135 million to 345 million since 2019, 50 million facing a famine. In a situation with food shortages, refugees, drought and climate change, the government deviates from the 1 percent target. The government wants a tight state budget to prevent pressure on the Norwegian economy that could lead to increased inflation and higher interest rates. It is wise. And it is true that Norwegian aid organizations also contribute to activity in Norway. But it is entirely possible to help the poorest in the world without contributing to pressure on the Norwegian economy. This can be solved by transferring one hundredth of our large additional income directly to the UN’s aid programmes. It is important that the government understands that the fact that more people in the world die of hunger, or that boys and girls lose schooling and health care, does not result in lower Norwegian interest rates. In the shadow of the Ukraine war, China and Russia are actively working to win support and strategic positions around the world. A Western world that has had enough of itself creates voids that they can fill. We also know that rising food prices, economic crisis and refugee flows are fertile ground for political unrest, instability and conflicts. If we want to create democracy, human rights and freedom, we must support economic development and security. We cannot wait until we have to defend these rights with weapons. Less poverty and more hope create a better and safer world for us too. In 1992, the party determined that the 1 percent target still applied. It has been in every party program since. It is not up to those at the top who today manage Ap’s legacy, to throw wreckage at this proud history. “A rich nation that cannot use a krone of every 100 note it earns to share with people who lack food, medicine and a roof over their heads, is poor in more than money,” said Gro Harlem Brundtland (Ap) in 1996. Those are words worth listening to.
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Aid cuts create a more insecure world – Statement
