The first official Norwegian delegation to arrive in Sri Lanka on the subject of facilitating in the ethnic conflict was on February 16, 2000. The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry announced this as an attempt to explore “the possibility of Norway assisting discussions to take place between the Sri Lanka Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) aimed at resolving the ethnic problem” (Jeyaraj). The statement further read that “Norway was willing to accept the task of initiating a dialogue between the Sri Lanka government and the LTTE aimed at resolving the ethnic problem” (Jeyaraj).
The Oslo Accord of 1993, brokered by Jan Egeland, gave Norway some credibility as an International Mediator. Norway’s interest as a Humanitarian Force was originally intended to gain access to the superpowers and to obtain crucial ‘political currency’. There was ‘a frenzy of Norwegian peace-making, or at least peace-trying, that has put peace somewhere alongside oil and timber as one of this country’s signature exports’ (Bruni)
Unlike many rich countries, Norway doesn’t have a powerful national identity. “It is clear from polls conducted over the last twenty years that Norway has consistently lacked a clear and widely recognised identity.” Norway’s engagement in peace-building emerged from the need for a more distinct national identity. “In the global battle for political influence, investment, trade and tourism, national image plays a critical determining role' (Leonard & Small).
In order to overcome this reality, Norway (and also Canada) has developed a strategy called ‘niche diplomacy’ to wage, not war but peace. Alan K. Henrikson describes niche diplomacy in the following way;
“The ability of a nation’s diplomacy to ‘generate returns’, primarily for the country itself, depends on very careful selection of the policy-product lines to be developed and also on an accurate reading of global political-market conditions…. To support ‘good’ works, to perform ‘good’ deeds, to use ‘good’ words, and to project ‘good’ images can pay off in terms of international prestige, and in even more practical expressions of others’ appreciation. A country can become known, admired, and also rewarded for its ‘goodness’—which becomes a kind of niche in itself.”
Unfortunately this ‘niche’ has been eluding Norway ever since the now faded glory of the Oslo Accord. Norway’s recent Mediations, including Sri Lanka and Eritrea have put significant strain on the realistic achievement of Norway’s proclaimed interests as an International Mediator.
Henrikson, A.K. Niche Diplomacy in the World Public Arena. Available at http://campus.diplomacy.edu/env/scripts/Pool/GetBin.asp?IDPool=952
