Policy Updates

Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced on August 23, 2026, that Norway would provide NOK85 billion (US$9.2 billion) to Ukraine in FY2027 for military and humanitarian spending, matching its 2026 commitment.

Støre made the announcement during a visit to Kyiv with leaders from Nordic and Baltic countries, who demonstrated support for Ukraine amid Russia’s war. He said Norway viewed support for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction as an investment in Europe’s security.

On August 17, 2026, Norway reported NOK30 billion (US$3.3 billion) in 2025 climate financing, more than quadrupling annual funding from NOK7 billion (US$770 million) in 2020 and meeting its 2021 pledge to double climate financing and at least triple adaptation support by 2026.

Norway’s Minister for International Development Åsmund Aukrust attributed the increase mainly to private capital mobilized through the Climate Investment Fund, managed by Norfund. Mobilization reached NOK16 billion (US$1.8 billion) in 2025, an 181% increase from 2024. Aukrust cautioned that annual mobilization could decline in 2026 because investment levels vary.

Norwegian financing supported renewable energy, rainforest protection, and measures to strengthen resilience to floods, droughts, and other climate-related disasters. Norfund CEO Erik Sandersen said combining public funds with private investment could increase the climate impact of each krone spent.

Norway provided NOK3 billion (US$333 million) for climate adaptation in 2025, a 5% increase from 2024. The government plans to announce a new climate-financing target before the end of 2026. Developing countries are estimated to need US$2.5 trillion annually by 2030 for emissions reductions and climate adaptation.

Norad Director General Gunn Jorid Roset said Norway will provide NOK400 million (US$42.8 million) to support mine clearance and explosive-remnants-of-war assistance in Ukraine.

Norwegian funding will also finance rehabilitation, psychosocial support, and social reintegration for mine survivors, alongside risk education, community awareness raising, and national advocacy and coordination

Norway said mine clearance would help people move safely and resume agricultural production as the war continued. Approximately 20% of Ukraine’s land area is expected to remain contaminated by mines and explosives in the coming years.

On August 11, 2026, the Future of Development Cooperation Coalition welcomed Norway as its 20th supporting country and JICA as an observer institution, strengthening the Coalition’s representation across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Norway joined Barbados, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Senegal, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and Zambia. The supporting countries brought varied experience in development cooperation, including financing, technical assistance, knowledge, and technology.

Head of the Coalition Secretariat Alexia Latortue said the Coalition had reached its original goal of 20 supporting countries. Supporting countries followed the Coalition’s work, engaged with emerging ideas, and considered how to apply forthcoming principles and recommendations in their own contexts. Their participation helped test whether the Coalition’s proposals were relevant across different political, economic, and institutional settings.

The Coalition’s Co-Chairs and Commissioners finalized the Purposes and Principles of Effective Development Cooperation and began developing recommendations based on research, country and thematic consultations, and engagement with supporting countries and other partners.

On June 30, 2026, Norway increased emergency assistance for Venezuela’s earthquake response by NOK20 million (US$2.0 million), split equally between UNHCR and IFRC to provide protection, shelter, health care, and other vital services.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the allocation will support immediate relief following the June 24 earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela, where authorities declared a state of emergency and rescue operations continue.

Funding to the IFRC will prioritize clean water, health care, and other life-saving efforts. Support to UNHCR will establish centers offering assistance, information, psychosocial support, and basic household items for affected people.

On June 2, 2026, former Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg was elected Chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for 2026-2029.

Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust said Solberg helped raise global health and sustainable development on the international agenda during her term as prime minister from 2013-2021, making her well-positioned for the role.

During Solberg’s time in office, CEPI was established to strengthen global preparedness for pandemics and provided support to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to expand access to vaccines in low-income countries. Solberg also promoted international cooperation and equitable access to vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, including support for global initiatives to improve access to vaccines, diagnostics, and treatment.

On May 18, 2026 during the World Health Assembly, Norway announced NOK30 million (US$3.1 million) for WHO basic emergency care program to strengthen life-saving skills at around 1,000 hospitals in five African countries over three years.

The program was developed by Laerdal Global Health in partnership with WHO and will be implemented with national health authorities in Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Sierra Leone. The program will build basic emergency medicine skills for health personnel, with a focus on district and regional hospitals.

Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre said Norway prioritized cooperation that strengthened health systems and supported life-saving innovation. Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust said the partnership demonstrates how the UN, private actors, and governments can improve health services, noting that Norway prioritizes strengthening WHO through flexible funding and targeted partnerships.

Norway said the NOK30 million (US$3.1 million) support is additional to Norway’s NOK1 billion contribution to WHO investment round for 2025-2028, which aimed to secure more predictable and sustainable financing for the organization.

On April 20, 2026, Norway announced NOK100 million (US$11 million) in budget support to Palestine to help maintain basic public services, including education, and ensure the payment of salaries to government employees.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide made the announcement during a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Brussels, where Eide also chaired a meeting of the Palestine Aid and Liaison Group together with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. The budget support comes amid an acute economic crisis in Palestine, exacerbated by movement restrictions and violence, which have severely strained public finances and forced drastic cuts to the state budget, leaving public employees including teachers, health workers, and police receiving only partial salaries.

Norway stated that budget support would help provide financial stability and ensure the Palestinian population continued to receive health care and education, while calling on other countries to contribute. Norway's planned support to Palestine, including to Palestinian refugees, will be approximately NOK1 billion (US$110 million) in 2026.

On April 16, 2026, the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents announced new funding commitments totaling US$806 million from governments and philanthropic partners to support its TRANSFORM 2030 strategy, a five-year plan to accelerate reductions in preventable maternal and child deaths.

The announcements were made on the sidelines of the World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington, DC. The commitments represent more than 80% of the GFF's fundraising goal of US$1 billion by the end of 2026, with additional pledges expected in the coming months.

Commitments announced included:

• CAD190 million (US$139 million) from the Government of Canada;
• EUR45 million (US$53 million) from the Government of Germany;
• US$186 million from the Government of the Netherlands;
• NOK600 million (US$66 million) from the Government of Norway;
• US$150 million from the Children's Investment Fund Foundation;
• US$200 million from the Gates Foundation; and
• US$15 million from the Laerdal Scale Up Fund.

Philanthropic and private sector commitments included US$250 million for the newly launched Sustainable Commodities Access Program, designed to incentivize countries to expand access to high-quality commodities and address supply chain bottlenecks, and US$15 million for a new innovations challenge program to scale up the Safer Births Bundle of Care in 10 countries.

On March 24, 2026, Norway announced NOK767 million (US$77 million) in additional humanitarian funding for Ukrainians affected by the war, including NOK260 million (US$26 million) in new support for displaced people in and from Ukraine through UNHCR and other UN partners.

The Norwegian government announced an increase of NOK225 million (US$23 million) to UNHCR's efforts in Ukraine and a further NOK35 million (US$4 million) for its refugee response in neighboring Moldova. Additional funding was directed through the WFP, UNICEF, and the UN's humanitarian country-based pooled funds to support humanitarian work in Ukraine and the refugee response in Moldova.

The new funding for the humanitarian response in Ukraine, totaling NOK725 million (US$73 million), will be allocated as follows:

• NOK225 million (US$23 million) to UNHCR;
• NOK175 million (US$18 million) to WFP;
• NOK110 million (US$11 million) to UNICEF;
• NOK80 million (US$8 million) to UNOCHA's country-based pooled funds;
• NOK50 million (US$5 million) to UNFPA;
• NOK50 million (US$5 million) to WHO;
• NOK30 million (US$3 million) to FAO; and
• NOK5 million (US$500,000) to UNOCHA for coordination.

Additional funding for the refugee response in Moldova, totaling NOK42 million (US$4 million), is allocated as follows:

• NOK35 million (US$4 million) to the UNHCR;
• NOK4 million (US$400,000) to UNFPA; and
• NOK3 million (US$300,000) to UNICEF.