The debate was not so big this year

The big development debate was not quite as big this year. There were no ministers or party leaders present. That probably had some effect on the audience turnout. The hall was barely half full. 

State Secretary Stine Renate Håheim (AP) debated against Heidi Nordby Lunde (Høyre). Leftist Hans Jacob Huun Thomsen, representing Civita, was responsible for a professional "break" segment on a climate fund based on oil fund revenues. 

Lundby and Håheim agreed on many things. Above all, that aid works. They also agreed that it was important not to take the Norwegian people's support for aid for granted, and that one could therefore not tolerate too many negative reports about non-compliance. Therefore, it is important to have sufficient control. Lundby in particular was also very concerned with measuring results.

On the other hand, they also both agreed that one must take risks if one wants to achieve results. This is clearly in contradiction to the need for control. 

– There are some dilemmas here, Håheim stated. 

Lundby and Håheim also agreed that taking advantage of the Petroleum Fund to finance climate action is not the way to go.

– Here you say no before you say hello, said Lundby. 

Something they disagreed about was whether the consequences of a possible bourgeois election victory, with a large and dominant Frp, would be a disaster for Norwegian aid.

Lundby pointed out that the Conservative Party would not only be in government with the Frp in such a situation, but also with the Liberal Party and the Christian Democratic Party.

– There's something about the size ratio, commented Håheim.

Overview of participants

• Stine Renate Håheim (Labour Party), State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Minister of International Development
• Heidi Nordby Lunde (H), Member of Parliament
• Hans Jacob Huun Thomsen, project manager at Civita and parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Party
• Moderator: Trine Østereng, advisor at Tankesmien Agenda.

Overview of co-organizers

Forum for Development and Environment, Amnesty International Norway, Atlas Alliance, Attac, Grandparents' Climate Action, Care Norway, Caritas Norway, Changemaker, Digni, Joint Council for Africa, Fivas, FORUT, Church emergency response , Latin American groups in Norway, LHL International, Interchurch Council for the Church of Norway, Mission Alliance, Norwegian Christian Council, Norges Vel, Norwegian People's Aid, Save the Children, Rainforest Fund, SAIH, Sex and Politics, Debt Justice Norway, Spire, Strømmestiftelsen, Development Fund, WWF World Wildlife Fund, Tax Justice Norway, Fokus, Red Cross, LM Norway, Plan Norway