Society & Policy

Elise Chen came to Norway from China in 1983, and has since 1994 been working for cultural exchange between Norway and China. She is on the Top 10 list because of her commitment as director in China-Norway Culture promotion, Program Director for Chinese Culture Festival and Chairman of Norwegian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Read more >

The introduction of a comprehensive social security system is a much debated question in China – and questions related to social security and equitable distribution of wealth is an area of co-operation between Chinese and Norwegian institutions. From January 6 to 8, Norwegian economist Jo Thori Lind held a series of lectures in Guangzhou on the Nordic Model of social security. Read more >

Photo: Johan Wildhagen/Innovation Norway

Twenty years after the Samediggi (the Sámi parliament) was established, the number of individuals registered as part of the Sámi population has risen from 5 500 to almost 14 000. Read more >

Photo: Erik Svedahl

On 3 November 2009, the Norwegian Embassy in Beijing hosted a mini-seminar on highly enriched uranium (HEU) minimization, entitled “Getting Bomb-Grade Uranium Out of Civilian Hands: Implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1887”. Read more >

Photo: Alban Bodineau / Council of Europe

On 29 September, President of the Norwegian parliament Thorbjørn Jagland was elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Now he intends to modernise what he describes as the world’s most important human rights organisation, and make it more effective. Read more >

Mr Jagland meets with Mr Barroso, Brussel 3 June 2009.
Photo: European Commission

The election of the next Secretary General of the Council of Europe will take place in Strasbourg 29 September. Thorbjorn Jagland, President of Parliament and former Prime Minister of Norway, now stands a chance to become the next Secretary General. Read more >

The three party leaders in the re-elected coalition.
Photo: The Office of the Prime Minister

On 14 September, the Labour Party, Socialist Left Party and Centre Party received the majority of votes in the national election, giving them a mandate to govern for another four-year period. “We will focus on securing jobs, renewing and improving the welfare society, and playing an active role in climate issues,” says Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. Read more >

On the 12th of May Norway was elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for a three year term. Read more >

More than 500 representatives from the world’s resource rich countries  met in Oslo 16-17 October 2006 to take the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to the next level. Read more >

At the very first China-Nordic Peace Research Conference, scholars from China and the Nordic countries gathered in Beijing to discuss UN peace operations, the changing world order and energy security. Read more >