Practical Implementation of Public Diplomacy of the Kingdom of Norway in the Countries of Africa, Middle East, Asia, Central and Latin American

Abstract

Today, Norway uses a wide range of tools to implement public diplomacy – from official meetings, exhibitions, forums, to the introduction of special projects to promote Norway as a wealthy, social, cultural country that does everything to establish peace around the world. It is the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), which was established in 1968 as the Directorate for Development Assistance, and is involved in the development of Norway's international cooperation with other actors in the international arena. A number of countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Central and Latin America receive organizational and financial assistance from Norway in education, equal rights and democratic values. Much attention is paid to the protection and restoration of forests, as well as climate issues.

The first to receive assistance from Norway were African countries: Uganda, Liberia, Sudan, Madagascar. The funds were used to support democratic development, human rights, peace, the judiciary and initiatives to strengthen civil society's efforts to address financial irregularities and inefficient use of public resources to resolve land disputes. In addition, significant Norwegian assistance is aimed at developing the cultural sphere (holding music festivals).

Norway’s assistance to the Middle East is also quite serious. Thus, since 1993, Norway has acted as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, thus contributing to the maintenance of peace. Nevertheless, Norway did not stay away from Palestine, identifying in 2014 three priority areas for cooperation: budget support, Gaza reconstruction and education.

Considering Norway’s cooperation with Asian countries, it should be noted that Myanmar and Vietnam are one of the priority Asian countries to which Norway provides assistance in the management of natural resources, energy and environment, climate. Significant emphasis is placed on the implementation of peace and reconciliation, political and economic reforms.

Among Latin American countries, Norway’s focus is on supporting civil society in Brazil, where the emphasis is on combating forest-related crime, mapping tropical forests and ensuring stable agricultural practices.

As a result, through the implementation of public diplomacy, Norway has managed not only to create the image of a successful, important and influential country, but also to help address important issues in the above countries.