Bjørn H Amland

Nordics defend gender equality and reproductive rights, as UN embarks on downsizing | Development Today The UN Population Fund UNFPA and UN Women, two UN agencies where Nordics are top providers of core funding, have been singled out to be merged first as part...

Danish Ambassador Erik Laursen said SRHR and gender equality must be protected in the reform. Laursen was the only representative to raise the issue of #SRHR, speaking on behalf of the Nordic group.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Nordics defend gender equality and reproductive rights, as UN embarks on downsizing | Development Today The UN Population Fund UNFPA and UN Women, two UN agencies where Nordics are top providers of core funding, have been singled out to be merged first as part...

The @unfpa.org & @unwomen.bsky.social, two UN agencies where #Nordics are top donors, have been singled out to be merged first in the #UN80 reform process. UN chief Guterres: transformation "urgently needed” to make UN fit for today’s challenges. www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Egypt asks Norway to co-chair donor conference on rebuilding Gaza | Development Today Norway will continue to be deeply involved in coordinating donor support for Palestine. Egypt is organising a major conference on Gaza reconstruction and has...

The Palestine donor forum #AHLC, which Norway chairs, will continue its work. Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian: “Norway has been instrumental in the past. It is very much respected by the Palestinian people and leadership.” #RebuildGaza.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Egypt asks Norway to co-chair donor conference on rebuilding Gaza | Development Today Norway will continue to be deeply involved in coordinating donor support for Palestine. Egypt is organising a major conference on Gaza reconstruction and has...

#Norway will continue to be deeply involved in coordinating donor support for #Palestine. #Egypt is organising a major conference on #Gaza reconstruction and has asked Norway to be co-chair, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide says.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

UN80: Stark African warning against proposal to sunset UNAIDS | Development Today In a strongly worded joint statement this week, 54 African governments have criticised the UN Secretary General’s reform proposal which calls for UNAIDS, the...

The proposal to close down @unaids.org next year is contained in the UN reform document, #UN80: Shifting Paradigms,” presented by UN Secretary General António Guterres last month. #globalhealth #UN80 #AIDS
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

UN80: Stark African warning against proposal to sunset UNAIDS | Development Today In a strongly worded joint statement this week, 54 African governments have criticised the UN Secretary General’s reform proposal which calls for UNAIDS, the...

"The team who made this recommendation were not guided by scientific statistics and were not objective,” says Cleopa Mailu, #Kenya's ex-Health Minister. “Cannibalizing @unaids.org is not the solution for the entire #UN system to claim efficiencies.” #UN80
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

UN80: Stark African warning against proposal to sunset UNAIDS | Development Today In a strongly worded joint statement this week, 54 African governments have criticised the UN Secretary General’s reform proposal which calls for UNAIDS, the...

In a strongly worded joint statement last week, 54 African governments criticised the UN Secretary General’s reform proposal which calls for @unaids.org, the body that coordinates the response to the #HIV #pandemic, to be shut down next year.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

New Norad chief set to bring peace to Norway’s aid administration | Development Today In a recent shift of leadership at the Norwegian aid agency, a seasoned diplomat has replaced an outspoken politician. The new Norad chief’s mission is to bring...

Gunn Jorid Roset promises to safeguard the independence and integrity of staff, while insisting that @norad.no’s main job is to implement government policy.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

New Norad chief set to bring peace to Norway’s aid administration | Development Today In a recent shift of leadership at the Norwegian aid agency, a seasoned diplomat has replaced an outspoken politician. The new Norad chief’s mission is to bring...

In a recent shift of leadership at the Norwegian aid agency, a seasoned diplomat has replaced an outspoken politician. The new @norad.no chief’s mission is to bring calm and a unified direction to #Norway’s aid administration.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

FN-uka: USA og Israel avslo invitasjon til norskledet givermøte om Palestina Av Bjørn H Amland

Norge har ledet giverlandsgruppen for #Palestina (AHLC) i tre tiår. Da Norge i forrige uke innkalte til møte i #AHLC, møtte verken USA eller Israel opp. På agendaen var en krisepakke som skal forhindre kollaps i de palestinske selvstyremyndighetene.
rundskue24.substack.com/p/fn-uka-usa...

The strategy specifies for the first time that 25% of #humanitarian funding should be channelled directly or via intermediaries to local organisations. Sida leaves the door open for support to #UNRWA, despite the government’s decision to defund the agency.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

The new strategy reiterates #Sweden’s adherence to #humanitarian principles of neutrality, independence, and impartiality. It includes two key innovations: One is “humanitarian diplomacy” and that “Sida should contribute to humanitarian diplomacy efforts”..
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Sweden’s new strategy for #humanitarian assistance managed by Sida is lauded by experts for its focus on “humanitarian diplomacy” and on increasing the share of aid to be channelled through local #NGOs. #Sweden @sidasweden.bsky.social
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Syriske #flyktninger i #Jordan er mer skeptiske til å reise hjem. Mindre #nødhjelp og ufullstendige dokumenter gjør det vanskelig for syriske flyktninger å reise tilbake til #Syria, viser en ny rapport fra @flyktninghjelpen.bsky.social
substack.com/@rundskue24/...

Norge inngår milliardavtale med Kroatia Denne uka undertegnet Norge en avtale med Kroatia om at landet får om lag 1.5 milliarder kroner i norsk støtte fram til 2028 fra de såkalt EØS-midlene.

Denne uka undertegnet #Norge en avtale med #Kroatia om at landet får 1.5 milliarder kroner i norsk støtte fram til 2028 fra de såkalt #EØS-midlene. Midlene skal finansiere samarbeid med Kroatia om grønn omstilling, utdanning i distriktene og justissektoren.
rundskue24.substack.com/p/norge-inng...

Norge inngår milliardavtale med Kroatia Denne uka undertegnet Norge en avtale med Kroatia om at landet får om lag 1.5 milliarder kroner i norsk støtte fram til 2028 fra de såkalt EØS-midlene.

Også energi og næringsutvikling blir viktig, ifølge Utenriksdepartementet. I Kroatia er Innovasjon Norge, Direktoratet for høyere utdanning og kompetanse, Domstolsadministrasjonen, Kriminalomsorgsdirektoratet og NVE blant norske institusjoner involvert.
rundskue24.substack.com/p/norge-inng...

Sida to carry out ‘media review’ of humanitarian applicants to rule out links to extremism | Development Today 25 humanitarian actors shortlisted by Sida for multi-year funding have been informed at the last minute that the agency will be carrying out a “media review...

The new requirement aligns with new instructions from the government. This delays the selection process, which began a year ago and was supposed to be decided last week. #humanitarian #Sweden @actioncontrelafaim.bsky.social @oxfaminternational.bsky.social
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Sida to carry out ‘media review’ of humanitarian applicants to rule out links to extremism | Development Today 25 humanitarian actors shortlisted by Sida for multi-year funding have been informed at the last minute that the agency will be carrying out a “media review...

25 humanitarian actors shortlisted for multi-year funding from Sida, have been informed that the agency will be carrying out a “media review” to ensure they do not support violent #extremism, #islamism, #antisemitism or #terrorism. @sidasweden.bsky.social www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Klimafond på høygir vil bygge energigigant i Sør-Afrika Av Bjørn H Amland

Klimainvesteringsfondet går ut av Afrikas største sol- og batteriprosjekt med solid gevinst og investerer 765 mill. kroner i nye Anthem, som skal bygge fornybarprosjekter i #Sør-Afrika som kan produsere kraft tilsvarende 1/4 av Norges strømforsyning. #fornybar rundskue24.substack.com/p/klimafond-...

Klimafond på høygir vil bygge energigigant i Sør-Afrika Av Bjørn H Amland

Anthem sikter mot en storstilt utbygging av sol- og vindkraft i #Sør-Afrika med mål om å produsere 11 gigawatt. Utviklingsminister Åsmund Aukrust sier bidrag i «denne skalaen må til for å få fart på overgangen til #fornybar #energi i Sør-Afrika».
rundskue24.substack.com/p/klimafond-...

Klimafond på høygir vil bygge energigigant i Sør-Afrika Av Bjørn H Amland

Samlet norsk investering i Anthem er 850 mill. kroner. KLP, Norges største pensjonsfond bidrar med 85 mill kroner. Bjørnar Baugerud, leder for Klimainvesteringsfondet, sier Anthem blir en nøkkelinvestering for å bidra til #fornybar energi i #Sør-Afrika.
rundskue24.substack.com/p/klimafond-...

“The risk in the project has now been reduced. It has been built on time and within [budget] and has been operational for a while. Since the risk has come down, South African banks can lend to the project,” Baugerud says.
#africa #dfi #climatefinance www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

South African authorities required a min. 49 % local black ownership in the project. UK's British International Investment and the Norwegian fund provided loan financing for equity to the holding company H1 Capital Ltd, which facilitates local ownership.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Norway's Climate Investment Fund is exiting the Kenhardt hybrid #sunpower and #battery project in #SouthAfrica, the largest of its kind in #Africa, after just 2 years. Fund chief Bjørnar Baugerud says their job is done, others can take over the financing.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

The 2026 budget calls for a solid development cooperation effort “to create strategic alliances.” This is to be aligned with security policy and to promote business interests. #DKaid #DKpol This is the first in a series of articles about Nordic aid budgets.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen

The aid budget proposal for 2026 solidifies this trend.
Aid has always had a role in foreign policy, but Russia’s war in Ukraine and increasing competition for access to emerging markets, especially Africa, have reinforced this.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Photo: EU commission

On the surface, #Denmark ’s aid is steady and predictable. But in this time of global turmoil and the downward spiral in global aid, Danish aid is increasingly transformed into a realpolitik toolbox in the hands of Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Global Fund’s uphill drive to USD 18 billion | Development Today The Global Fund has so far survived the US aid cuts, but slow disbursements from donors like France, Canada, and Germany mean that it is short billions of dollars...

The Global Fund has an ambitious fund-raising target of USD 18b for the next 3 years, despite donor fatigue, competing catastrophes & diminishing aid budgets. The agency breaks with past high-level replenishment events and opts for a more low-key approach.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Global Fund’s uphill drive to USD 18 billion | Development Today The Global Fund has so far survived the US aid cuts, but slow disbursements from donors like France, Canada, and Germany mean that it is short billions of dollars...

The #GlobalFund faces two huge funding challenges at once. Though it has so far survived the US and UK aid cuts, slow disbursements from donors like #France, #Canada, and #Germany mean that it is short billions of dollars for this year. #globalhealth #HIV
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...

Brazilian lawsuit over forest carbon trading deal throws a wrench into Norwegian-funded initiative | Development Today The Brazilian Federal Prosecution Service is suing the state government of Pará, host of the upcoming COP30 climate summit, for damages to indigenous communities...

The lawsuit calls for the immediate cancellation of an Emission Reduction Purchase Agreement that commits a group of companies - #Amazon, #Bayer, #BCG, #Capgemini, #H&M Group, and the #Walmart Foundation - to buy USD 180m worth of forest #carboncredits.
www.development-today.com/archive/2025...