Society & Policy

Homosexuals in Norway are now allowed to get married. The new Marriage Act, which the Storting passed in the middle of June, gives homosexuals greater rights in a number of areas.

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Gordon Brown have launched a major new initiative to preserve the rainforest in the Congo Basin. The two Prime Ministers each committed GBP 50 million to the Congo Basin Forest Fund.

Today the Government submitted a report to the Storting that explores the many challenges related to disarmament, and gives an overview of Norway’s positions and initiatives in this area. This is the first time since the end of the Cold War that the Storting has been presented with a separate white paper on these matters.

“In keeping with its policy platform, the Government took the initiative for a ban on cluster munitions a year and a half ago. I am delighted to see that we already seem to have a ban in place,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Press release from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Press release from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

Press release from the Norwegian Foreign Ministry on the attack on Serena Hotel in Kabul Monday 14 January 2008.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is implementing a number of measures to strengthen the administration of Norwegian development funds, including better systems for dealing with suspected misuse of funds.

The Norwegian funds are to support the ongoing efforts to stabilise the central African country following many years of civil war.

Norwegian People’s Aid, the implementing partner of the National Committee for Demining and Rehabilitation in Jordan, has cleared more than fifty thousand mines that Israel planted in the restored area of Wadi Araba and Aqaba.