Norwegian Delegation

Position Paper for the General Assembly Economic and Financial Committee

The topics before the General Assembly that will be dealt by the Economic and Financial
Committee are:"Use of information and communication technologies for development" and
"Empowering women to defeat hunger".

Topic A: Use of information and communication technologies for development

The government of Norway has been willingly seeking for a strengthening of the use of Information
and Communication technologies (ICT) in developmental issues, surely convinced of the important
results that may be achieved through it. Since 2000 it is developing a strong knowledge of ICT
through the e-Norway project and the country now one of the most technologically advanced of the
world. The information and communications technology industry has become Norway’s new
flagship. It is now Norway’s second-largest land-based industry by turnover, and not only creates
wealth, but is also a vital supplier to other businesses and the public sector. The industry
encompasses a wide variety of high-tech companies that create new telecommunications, hardware,
software, and industrial electronics products, and provide consultancy services. Norway is one of
the world’s top per-capita users of ICT, with an infrastructure that includes a well-developed system
of land-earth stations and fiber optic cable networks for digital transmission. The Norwegian
communications network is being rapidly expanded, and the telecommunications sector has
generated a growing number of internationally competitive companies, as well as a sizeable
research community. The range of available products includes satellite communications systems,
global positioning systems, mobile phone systems, network management systems, transmission
systems, and fiber optic technologies. Norwegian hardware producers are innovative, and have
devised a long list of specialized products, such as videoconferencing systems, multimedia
equipment, digital radio transmitters, tape-based data storage solutions, credit card terminals, and
power supply units. Norway’s software revolution was fuelled by developments in its traditional
industries, like oil, shipping and fisheries. The needs of these sectors, and their ability to create and
pay for technically advanced, cost-saving solutions, have spurred the development of new software
and integrated systems. Use of the Internet is widespread in Norway, and is increasing at a rapid
pace. Norwegian companies are at the forefront of Internet technologies, including the development
of multifunctional web- and intranet sites, superfast web browsers, online games, and e-commerce
solutions. The Norwegian ICT industry excels at finding user-friendly solutions that put the user
and interaction between people first. Undoubtedly in a short amount of time Norway is changing
itself to be a global player in the ICT industry. The government of Norway seriously believes in the
power of a network-based education and therefore it is participating to a series of projects for
technological development. Although not a member of the European Union, Norway is participating
to CORDIS(COmmunity Research and Development Information Service), a project made by many
countries with three key areas: more productivity and innovation for creativity and management,
modernization of public services (health, education, transportation, etc) and advance in science and
technologies through a better cooperation. The last meeting with the EU on ICT issues took place in
June 2011 when the Norwegian government spoke about “Greening ICT”, its purpose was to ensure
an ecological footprint to companies created using ICT, at the end of the meeting new
methodologies were created and 18 companies will be trying them. The Norwegian government
ultimately believes that the far advanced scientific research on ICT will be useful to deal with the
main issues of the world that concern underdevelopment. The Norwegian ICT and technological
know-how is at complete disposal for the purposes that the United Nations aim at with the hope that
all people around the world will find an effectual benefit from their use especially regarding their
developmental programs.

Topic B: Empowering women to defeat hunger

Empowering women is very useful because researches show a direct link between women’s
education and the reduction of child mortality and undernourishment. A mother is more likely to
invest her income on goods and service that would benefit her family. Essential to empowering
women is ensuring equal access to education and training at all levels. This year the Norwegian
foreign minister Jonas Gohr Støre said “A number of studies show that promoting women’s health,
education and employment has a positive ripple effect for whole families and communities.
However more research is needed on how investments in women’s health contribute to economic
growth.” This is why the government launched the “white paper” project. Norway has fought for 30
years to reach the gender equality and now it is the second country in the “Gender Gap Index”, so
with this new project the government of Norway wants to help other countries to reach higher level
of gender equality by learning the economic benefits of investing in women’s health. This year is
very important for Norway that has finally won a seat in the UN commission on Population and
Development and has also had a strong presence at the UN commission on the status of women
(UNWomen). This commission was born in 2010 to recognize a simple truth, as UN Secretary
General Ban Ki Moon said, that gender equality is not only a basic human right but also a social and
economic imperative. Researches show that where women are educate and empowered economies
are more productive and stronger, where women are fully represented, societies are more peaceful
and stable. UNWomen have five thematic priorities in line with Norwegian gender discrimination
policies: expanding women’s voice, leadership and participation, ending violence against women,
ensuring women full participation in conflict resolutions, enhancing women’s economic
empowerment, gender equality priorities to national, local and sectorial planning and budgeting.
Furthermore, Norway is a frontline nation in aiding and helping other nations to eradicate tragic
disasters such as hunger and famines. Norwegian commitment to defeat hunger has implied that
only in the year 2010, as the official statistics highlight, the development aid towards foreign
nations has reached overall the 27 681.2 NOK. In this context women work actively in both
governmental agencies as well as in NGOs helping to reach the goals proposed by them.
Several NGO’s or governmental agencies are active in some of the world’s most unlucky and poor
places, especially in specific regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Amongst all organizations
some are particularly effective and helpful such as the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPAID), the
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), the Norwegian Red Cross, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC),
the Strøme Foundation, and so on.
Thanks to the almost total breakdown of cultural and social barriers between different genders
Norway is convinced to be able to continue to assist actively other nations in need of help,
eradicating first of all the misfortune of hunger.