Input to the strategy for Norway's cooperation with the World Bank

Dear Secretary of State Håheim,

Thank you for the invitation to contribute to the government's work on a new strategy for Norway's cooperation with the World Bank until 2030. This work comes at a time when the international development landscape is in stark change, with developing countries squeezed by rising debt loads, new economic shocks, multiple crises, climate risks, and a global economy that increasingly prioritizes poverty alleviation through traditional aid.

This means that the way we spend every single donation crown becomes even more important than before.

The World Bank's Fund for the Poorest (IDA) is -- and will remain -- the mainstay of the global development system. It is not perfect and needs to be reformed. But it is the most important institution we have, because it combines funding with knowledge, accountability and standard-setting, and targets the poorest countries. Where private actors and bilateral lenders provide quick capital without conditions, IDA provides capital that strengthens institutions and builds systems. Where funds fragment the effort, IDA pools it.

In such a reality, Norway should see its cooperation with the World Bank, particularly IDA, as more than an aid tool - it should be part of our long-term strategy to contribute to a stable and resilient world with less inequality and less poverty. This is especially important now that the geopolitical competition for influence in the global south is increasing.

We therefore believe that Norway's strategy must be based on the World Bank's IDA becoming the mainstay of a future in which traditional aid is becoming scarcer, while mobilising capital — both international and domestic in developing countries — becomes increasingly important. In this image, Norway should be a consistent defender of multilateral solutions, national ownership and sustainable investments.

We recommend nine measures.

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Download to read the statement (in Norwegian).