Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust met today with the Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Pierre Krähenbühl, for discussions on the protection of civilians in conflicts and on the close cooperation between Norway and the ICRC. During the visit, Norway concluded a new multi‑year funding agreement with the organization.
New partnership agreement of NOK 760 million per year for four years
At the meeting, it was confirmed that Norway is entering into a new agreement to support the ICRC with NOK 760 million annually for the period 2026–2029. This maintains the same level of support as in the previous agreement.
Norway is also open to providing additional allocations throughout the year when humanitarian needs require it.
– The scale and long-term nature of the agreement demonstrate how highly we value the ICRC’s critical work – both its operational efforts and its role in developing and defending international humanitarian law, Aukrust said.
The ICRC’s unique mandate is based on the four Geneva Conventions, granting it a mandate to provide protection and assistance to people affected by armed conflict and to engage in dialogue with parties to conflict and States Parties to the Geneva Conventions on compliance with humanitarian law and the protection of civilians. The ICRC often operates in places where other humanitarian organizations cannot.
The situation for civilians in several conflict areas was a central topic in the meeting. The Minister and the Director-General discussed, among other issues, the acute humanitarian needs in Sudan, the grave situation in Gaza, the ICRC’s extensive efforts in Ukraine, and how Norway can best help strengthen the protection of civilians in increasingly complex conflicts.
Krähenbühl also briefed the Minister on the consequences of the global budget cuts the ICRC has had to implement, as well as the organization’s ongoing restructuring and prioritization efforts.
Aukrust invited the ICRC to contribute input to the development of Norway’s forthcoming development policy.
– We are facing a world with more polarization, more conflicts, and greater humanitarian needs. This makes our partners’ knowledge and experience more important than ever, he said.
The ICRC is one of Norway’s most important humanitarian partners. In addition, N the ICRC has a unique tripartite agreement with the Norwegian Red Cross and the Norwegian government, which strengthens cooperation on civilian protection, humanitarian access, crisis response, and basic services.