About Norad
Norad is the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. We are responsible for managing large parts of Norway’s development assistance to other countries. We manage funding, provide expert advice and monitor results to help ensure that Norwegian development policy makes a real difference for people, the environment and the climate.
Our goal is simple to describe, but demanding to achieve: a greener future in a world without poverty.
Norad works on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Climate and Environment. Our mandate is set out in the Instructions for Norad and in the annual allocation letters from the ministries. These define our tasks and set the framework for how much funding we manage, which countries and thematic areas are prioritised, and which results we are expected to report on.
In short, Norad is responsible for managing Norwegian development funding in a safe, effective and transparent way, providing expert advice on development policy and aid, and contributing with knowledge on global development, climate and poverty.
Our ambition is that every "Norwegian aid krone" should be used as effectively as possible and contribute to lasting change where the needs are greatest.
Values and framework for our work
- The UN Sustainable Development Goals – 17 global goals to end poverty, reduce inequality and tackle climate change by 2030
- Climate goals – especially efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect nature and forests
- Human rights – all people have equal rights and equal worth, wherever they live
How we work
Norad staff do not work directly on projects in the field. Instead, we support partners who implement programmes and activities on the ground, such as:
- International and local civil society organisations
- UN organisations
- The World Bank and other development banks
- Research institutions
- Private sector companies
- Public authorities in partner countries
Norad provides expert advice to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norwegian embassies and the Ministry of Climate and Environment. We also monitor and verify that funds are used as intended and that the measures we support deliver results.
Read more: What is aid?
Our main areas of work
Health, education and welfare
Good health and education are essential for people to build better lives. Norad supports efforts to strengthen health services, including vaccination programmes and the fight against HIV and AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases that affect large numbers of people.
Norwegian development assistance also helps children and young people gain access to education, with a strong emphasis on including girls and vulnerable groups. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is an important priority, helping young people in developing countries make informed choices about their own bodies and their futures.
Emergency relief, humanitarian assistance and coherent responses – including the Nansen Programme for Ukraine
In crises and conflicts, rapid and targeted support is essential. Norad manages funding for humanitarian assistance and works closely with humanitarian organisations, the UN, and other international and local actors to provide life-saving assistance to people who have been displaced or affected by natural disasters and war.
At the same time, we work to link emergency relief with long-term development efforts, so that people are not only able to survive, but also have the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
The Nansen Programme for Ukraine is Norway’s largest development assistance programme of all times. Norway contributes with humanitarian support, energy security and reconstruction, as well as support for democracy-building, human rights defenders and anti-corruption efforts.
Climate, nature and renewable energy
Climate change affects the poorest the hardest. That is why climate action and nature conservation are important parts of Norwegian development assistance. Norad supports investments in renewable energy, such as hydropower, solar and wind, so that more people in developing countries can gain access to clean and reliable electricity.
Through Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative, Norway pays rainforest countries for documented results in reducing deforestation. Norad manages support to civil society organisations and their work to support Indigenous peoples and protect tropical forests.
We also support projects that help countries adapt to climate change, for example through climate-smart agriculture and improved preparedness for floods and drought.
Democracy, human rights and good governance
Development is not only about funding and economic growth, but also about how a country is governed. That is why Norad supports free media, independent courts, human rights defenders and civil society organisations that can hold authorities to account.
We also support efforts to build resilient public institutions, strengthen the rule of law and combat corruption. Open and trusted institutions are essential for long-term development.
Private sector development, job creation and taxation
To reduce poverty over time, countries need to create jobs and generate their own revenues. That is why Norad also works on private sector development, job creation and taxation. Through support for business development, innovation and investment in developing countries, the aim is to contribute to more sustainable economic growth.
We support measures that strengthen tax systems so that countries can raise more domestic revenue and become less dependent on aid. Further, we emphasis on schemes that make it easier to do business, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.
«Cross-cutting issues»: gender equality, rights, and climate and environment
In addition to being a dedicated priority area in its own right, gender equality and women’s rights are integrated across all development programmes supported by Norway. The same applies to human rights, climate and the environment.
We refer to these as cross-cutting issues.
«Facts matter» - knowledge at the core
For Norwegian development assistance to be effective, we need solid knowledge about what works and what does not. Norad carries out and commissions evaluations of development programmes, and collects and analyses data and experience from projects and partners.
We share knowledge through reports, analyses and professional forums. This knowledge helps us both provide better advice to the authorities and improve the way Norwegian development funding is managed.
At Bistandsresultater.no, you can find official aid statistics for total Norwegian development assistance, managed by Norad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Climate and Environment, and other public institutions.