Input to the government and the Storting from 18 organizations.

The world is in a deep crisis. The needs of the world's poorest, most vulnerable and most oppressed are increasing dramatically, while several of the world's largest donors – such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany – are cutting aid. In this situation, Norway had a historic opportunity to take responsibility and contribute more. Unfortunately, the government's proposal for a revised national budget does not seize this opportunity.

For several years, spending on refugee measures in Norway and support for Ukraine has been financed from the development aid budget. This has come at the expense of the world's poorest, despite the fact that Norway has had the financial room to do both. As the graph below shows, the share of Norwegian development aid going to the least developed and poorest countries has fallen drastically, from 56% to 31%. Even after the proposed reduction in the revised national budget, expenditure on refugee costs in Norway amounts to over 3 billion kroner in the development aid budget – almost six percent of the total. These are funds that should never have been taken from long-term development work and poverty reduction.

When the government now proposes to reduce the allocation for refugee measures by 843.7 million kroner, these funds should have been returned to other items in the aid budget. Instead, it is proposed that the money be cut. It is a missed opportunity to strengthen efforts for the world's poorest – at a time when the needs are greater than they have been for a long time.

International aid saves lives. Now it is needed more than ever. The Minister of Finance himself has confirmed that increased international spending does not increase the pressure on the Norwegian economy. There is therefore no good economic justification for not strengthening aid.

We call on the government and the Storting to reverse this cut and use the room for manoeuvre to strengthen aid where the needs are greatest. Norway has the means – and a responsibility – to do more.

The recording is signed by the following organizations:

• Save the Children, Henriette Killi Westhrin, Secretary General
• FORUT, Ida Oleanna Hagen, general secretary
• UNICEF Norway, Maria Greenberg Bergheim
• The Human Rights Foundation, Ingeborg Moa, CEO 
• Caritas , Ingrid Rosendorf Joys, Secretary General
• Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, Secretary General
• ADRA Norway, Lena Sømme, Secretary General 
• Church's emergency response , Arne Næss-Holm, acting secretary general
• Development Fund, Ulf Flink, Secretary General
• The Strømme Foundation, Erik Lunde, Secretary General 
• LHL International, Mona Drage, general manager
• SAIH, Selma Bratberg, leader
• Sex and Politics, Tor-Hugne Olsen, general manager 
• FOCUS, Sylvi Bratten, general manager
• ForUM, Birgitte Lange, acting secretary general
• United Nations Association, Catharina Bu, Secretary General 
• Norwegian People's Aid, Raymond Johansen, Secretary General
• Plan International Norway, Kari Helene Partapuoli, secretary general