29/11/2007 :: Norwegian Embassy Partners’ meeting,
Lahore, 26-27 November 2007
Opening remarks by Ambassador Aud Marit Wiig
My first and foremost message to you today is that I am very glad to see you! – glad to meet you and make your acquaintance, glad to see first-hand the strength of our development network in Pakistan and the dedication of our partners, and glad to confirm our on-going relations in spite of the turmoil this beautiful country is going through.
An ancient Chinese threefold curse – real or imagined – is quoted to say:
May you live in interesting times
May you come to the attention of those in authority
May you find what you are looking for
In this sinister sense we in Pakistan are living through interesting times. Vital civil liberties are threatened, important functions of society are at risk, and many people have good reason to fear the attention of those in authority. This is of course a situation that affects us in a political and ethical sense, but also in practicalities. We have very well established relations with many parts of civil society and it is definitely our intention to continue to build those relations. However, the climate we operate in has changed and we must expect that to affect us.
The Norwegian government has expressed its regret at the declaration of a state of emergency in Pakistan. It is especially regrettable that the state of emergency is directly affecting the independence of the judiciary, media and human rights activists. We hope that the situation can be normalised as soon as possible, and that the process leading to democratic elections can be resumed, and we expect all actors in Pakistani society to further this development. Furthermore, our government has appealed to the Pakistani authorities to exercise the utmost restraint in the use of force in this difficult situation.
This message has been conveyed to Pakistani authorities on various occasions. The Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre emphasised the Norwegian concerns in a personal phone call to his Pakistani colleague two weeks ago, and I have also expressed Norway’s concern in conversations with several political leaders.
It has become a tradition to assemble our partners once a year to provide a forum for sharing experiences, for networking, for discussions of relevant topics and for updates on Norwegian strategies and policy development. For us, representing the Norwegian side, this forum is an important chance to gather multiple feedback and get an overall impression of the conditions for development and of your concerns and ambitions.
I cannot be present all through the meetings, but I hope to be able give you an opportunity to bring forth your concerns. I hope you will not hesitate to take up with me whatever you feel I should be aware of and to make your suggestions known.
The Partners' Meeting brings us into contact with an extremely varied cross-section of the development field, from government agencies and UN agencies to civil society organizations across the whole spectrum of human rights, culture and media. Together you represent very influential factors in Pakistan’s future development, and the topic before us - Impact of Norwegian supported interventions at policy level: Linkages between grass-roots initiatives and policy level goes to the heart of our joint responsibility.
Norwegian efforts in development in Pakistan involve activities at different levels of society. While we cannot exclude the effects of the present emergency rule on our direct involvement with Pakistani national authorities, it is my sincere hope that our involvement on the ground, through partners in civil society, will continue unrelenting.
After these first weeks of my stay in Pakistan I am still digesting all the new impressions, all the unexpected and sometimes confusing impulses of my new beat, and I realize that it will take time and effort to start really to understand it all. But almost above all I am struck by the amazing vitality and the wealth of human capital available. It is this human capital that will bring about future development. I am pleased to see the representatives of other international partners and from the government of Pakistan. Norway, a country half the size of Lahore, cannot alone hope to make decisive contributions to the development of Pakistan, unless we do it in synergy with other external and internal partners, and unless we release the development potential of the people of Pakistan. I invite the contributions and the input of all, and pledge our willingness to join hands.
So, even if we cannot claim that it is ‘Business as usual’, can we at least agree that our goals are unchanged – steady progress and a better life for all in Pakistan? The roles of representatives of Pakistani civil society – ‘the movers and shakers’ of development’ – will continue to be crucial, and with our assistance they will achieve great things.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you well for the deliberations of this meeting and for your future work, and thank you for your attention!