November 15, 2009

Source: The Nordic Page

Norway is this year’s best donor in the Humanitarian Response Index (HRI) overall ranking, moving up one position from 2008 by catching last years top, Sweeden. In the ranking, Norway took 1st place in Pillar 1 (Responding to needs) and Pillar 3 (Working with humanitarian partners), 2nd place in Pillar 4 (Protection and International Law) and 7th place in Pillar 2 (Prevention, risk reduction and recovery), where it moved up several positions, and in Pillar 5 (Learning and accountability). Norway ranked 1st in terms of generosity and burden sharing along with Sweden, Ireland and Luxembourg. This nomination was given as a result of Norway’s remarkable support for crisis prevention and preparedness measures, coordination, and conditionality of aid that does not compromise humanitarian action. In the area of legal frameworks, Norway ranked well in terms of respect for international humanitarian law (1st), respect for human rights (2nd) and implementation of refugee law (2nd), confirmed by related qualitative indicators around advocacy for the respect for human rights (2nd), protection (3rd) and supporting needs of internally displaced persons (3rd). Among its lowest marks were equitable funding in accordance to needs in the crisis (18th), facilitating safe humanitarian access (16th), monitoring the adherence to quality standards (16th), timely funding to sudden onset disasters (15th) and funding to local capacity (15th). Norway ranked better than the overall donor average in the crises studied in the HRI 2009.