Most of the poor countries in the world today have fragile social structures. They are vulnerable to international economic fluctuations, political unrest and conflict. Our main partner countries must feel secure that Norway, through its development cooperation efforts, is also willing to stand by them in times of adversity. Our cooperation with these countries should, as a general rule, cover a narrower range of fields and be less extensive than our cooperation with our main partner countries, and it will not necessarily have the same long-term perspective. In several countries and regions the most important contribution we can make is to support peace processes, directly or indirectly.
Many countries are able to play an influential and constructive role in their regions.
I am firmly convinced that regional cooperation between the countries of the South has great potential. We must help to realize this potential to an even greater degree than before. In some countries or regions it may be fruitful for Norway to focus more closely on selected areas , such as improving the situation of children, health, education, the environment, energy, good governance, or combating corruption. The Government will continue its efforts to strengthen the UN, and will, to an increasing degree, draw on the UN and the competence of the multilateral system in practical development assistance work. With Kofi Annan at the helm, the UN is definitely on the right track.