STATEMENT
UNHCR 89th meeting of the Standing Committee, 13-15 March 2024
Agenda Item 3a VI - Regional update on operations in Europe.
Statement by Norway delivered by Svenn Wroldsen, First Secretary, the Permanent Mission of Norway
Check against delivery
14 September 2024
We thank the UNHCR for your update on operations in Europe.
Norway continues to condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. We stand together with our allies in supporting Ukraine as it exercises its right of self-defense.
The war has dramatic consequences. We call again on Russia to comply with international law, cease all hostilities and facilitate urgent, safe, and unimpeded access for humanitarian actors to assist civilians in need, at the frontline and in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine.
Norway, as one of the largest humanitarian donors to Ukraine and affected neighbors, will continue its support through the five-year Nansen Support Program. The program includes refugee response to neighboring countries, where Moldova is a particular priority. Norway also grants temporary collective protection to people from Ukraine and has welcomed more than 70 000 Ukrainians displaced by the war, which constitute more than 1% of Norway’s population.
Norway commends the tireless work of UNHCR and its partners for rapidly scaling up your response and provision for live-saving activities. Supporting the Ukrainian government in protecting and assisting those who are displaced in Ukraine must continue. We want you to be able to respond quickly and adjust to rapidly shifting needs.
We also welcome UNHCR’s support for early recovery, working in complementarity with development actors such as the UNDP to foster durable solutions, supporting local economic recovery and access to protection and services in line with the Government of Ukraine’s priorities and plans.
The extensive use of mines, cluster munitions and other explosives causes tremendous harm to civilians in Ukraine. In addition to direct harm, the indirect harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure is long lasting and reverberating. It is also a significant driver of displacement. The political declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA declaration) is a tool for addressing the humanitarian consequences of urban warfare, and we look forward to discussing this at the Oslo EWIPA Conference 22-24 April.