Norway has voted to decriminalise drugs across the country in a landmark move that will see addicts treated instead of punished. Four out of nine parties in the country’s parliament voted in favour of the move as Norway becomes the first Scandinavian country to decriminalise.
It means users will be given treatment instead of a prison sentence and lawmakers hope it will free up police resources. Norway’s Health Committee was inspired by a recent trip to Portugal, a country which has implemented its own decriminalisation programme. While drug use and possession will still be illegal, decriminalisation would mark a shift in the authorities’ attitudes to users.
Nicolas Wilkinson, health chairman of the country’s Socialist Left Party, told VG: ‘This is the start of a big reform. Now a big effort is being done to switch the system from punishment to help.’ Sveinung Stensland, deputy chairman of the Storting Health Committee, added: ‘The change will take some time, but that means a changed vision: Those who have a substance abuse problem should be treated as ill, and not as criminals with classical sanctions such as fines and imprisonment.’
Portugal decriminalised drugs in 2001, and addicts there are given therapy or community service instead of being sent to prison. Like the model soon to be adopted in Norway, drugs still remain illegal in Portugal which means growing them, dealing and trafficking them carry criminal penalties. But if you are caught in possession of a small amount, the drugs are confiscated and the suspect is interviewed by social worker, a psychiatrist and lawyer. You could then be hit with sanctions which include a fine, travel bans and confiscation of professional licences. Addicts could also be sent to rehab or given community service.
(metro)
Norway has today introduced restrictive measures against Venezuela. These measures are a response to the negative developments in the country.
Hindus are urging Government of Norway and Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) to mandate food manufacturers to mention the source of gelatin, if used in the product, on its “Ingredients” label.
This statement was issued jointly by the Governments of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Norway.
US Marine Corps General Warns “I Hope I’m Wrong, But There’s A War Coming”
Prince William and Kate Middleton will go on a royal tour of Sweden and Norway from January 30 to February 2, Kensington Palace announced this morning.
The Government of Norway’s additional $6.9 million contribution to UNICEF earlier this year in May 2017 is helping in strengthening the education system and increasing access and quality of learning services provided to all children including Syrian refugee children.
China has announced the creation of what is expected to be the world’s largest carbon trading market. The market initially covers the power sector, but will gradually expand to include industry and other sectors.
The 36TH Annual Meeting of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) was held in London from 13 to 17 November 2017.
On 19 November the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Yangon was proud to receive Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide in Yangon. This was the minister’s very first visit to Myanmar, and one of her first visits abroad as Foreign Minister. In Yangon, she met with local, international and UN organizations, learning about the situation in the country. She also met with representatives from Norwegian businesses and NGOs in Myanmar.
The Lefortovo District Court in Moscow, Russia has given the order for a Norwegian to be arrested according to court spokesperson Yekaterina Krasnova from Russia.
Lefortovo District is a district of South-Eastern Administrative Okrug of the federal city of Moscow, Russia.
Norway Royal Salmon and Aker obtained approval to increase their production volume of aquaculture operations in the Arctic after filing a complaint against the original allocation decision.
Sri Lanka and Norway have held Foreign Office Consultations in Oslo on 11 December 2017.
Next summer NATO will hold another summit, gathering heads of state and government from all 29 member countries. Summits focus our efforts and provide guidance and direction for the alliance, and this summit takes place at a crucial time.
On November 30th, diplomats from the Department of State 
The Embassy of the United States of America announces the sale of the former U.S. Embassy property at Henrik Ibsens gate 48 to Fredensborg AS marking a new chapter in the history of this historic 58 year old building.
Norway’s third autonomous shipping test-bed has been opened on the Oslofjord in Horten, near Kongsberg Maritime’s local facility.
Norwegian timber specialist Moelven has announced that it is building an 80m-tall mixed-use building in its home town of Brumunddal, about 100km north of Oslo.
An anti-nuclear weapons campaign group accepted the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize during the elaborate awards ceremony on Sunday in Oslo. The Norwegian Nobel Committee had picked the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) for its work on addressing the gap in international law regarding the restriction of nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, the recipients of the Nobel Prizes for medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and economics received their awards in Stockholm.
Another ICAN campaigner says she survived in the rubble of Hiroshima when she was aged 13 by pushing towards the light – and a nuclear ban is the new light to strive towards.
As long as atomic bombs exist, a disaster is inevitable, the head of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, the winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, said Saturday.
Norway has awarded VFS Global an extension to its global contract for visa processing services.
