Norwegian Ministry of Defence
Encyclopedia
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence (Norwegian: Det kgl. Forsvarsdepartement) is a Norwegian
government ministry in charge of the formation and implementation of national security and defence policy, and for the overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies. The ministry is located at Glacisgata 1, Oslo, inside Akershus festning. The ministry is headed by the politically appointed Minister of Defence
, currently Espen Barth Eide
. The ministry controls a large group of defence-related agencies, not to be related with Ministry of Foreign Affairs that controls all intelligence-related agencies in the country.
On behalf of the Secretary General, the secretariat prepares, quality-assures, coordinates and priorities all issues that are submitted to the Minister. Accordingly, the secretariat maintains overall responsibility for the Minister's activities.
The unit provides support both to the Minister and senior staff, both political and administrative, and to the Chief of Defence. The spokesman function is performed by separate spokesmen for the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence.
The Internal Auditor will contribute to the overall achievement of defence objectives by providing support to the Ministry’s senior management in controlling and managing subordinate departments and agencies.
The Department of Personnel and General Services spans over a range of different professional areas, some administrative and some more related to aspects of development. Some of the department’s tasks are purely internal while others, for example personnel policy and common legal services, entail responsibilities across the sector as a whole.
The Department of Security Policy is responsible for the handling of questions of security policy as well as for the Ministry’s international activities and external relations in the field of security policy.
The Department of Management and Financial Governance has the overall responsibility for the planning and development of activities, the organisation and the structure of the Armed Forces within the particular long-term planning period. The department also exercises overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies.
The Department of Defence Policy and Long-Term Planning is responsible for strategic analysis, the development of long-term defence policy and overall planning for the defence sector.
s. Individuals who have won a lawsuit, include former UNIFIL-soldier Knut Braa
in 2006.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
government ministry in charge of the formation and implementation of national security and defence policy, and for the overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies. The ministry is located at Glacisgata 1, Oslo, inside Akershus festning. The ministry is headed by the politically appointed Minister of Defence
Minister of Defence (Norway)
The Norwegian Minister of Defence is a Councillor of the Council of State and Chief of the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, the position has existed since the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of the Navy was combined into the Minister of Defence...
, currently Espen Barth Eide
Espen Barth Eide
Espen Barth Eide is Norway's Minister of Defense. He is a political scientist and a politician for the Labor Party.Eide went to high school at the Oslo Cathedral School, and graduated from the University of Oslo with the cand.polit. degree in 1993...
. The ministry controls a large group of defence-related agencies, not to be related with Ministry of Foreign Affairs that controls all intelligence-related agencies in the country.
Core tasks
- Strategic analysis, research and development (R&D)
- The development of long-term policy including future strategic concepts and doctrines
- Perspective and structural planning
- Planning, budgeting and implementation in the medium and short term
- Overall management of agencies’ activities during the budget year
- Operational policy, planning and management at a strategic level
- Exercise policy, planning and management at a strategic level
- Emergency planning, policy and management at a strategic level
- Crisis management
- Development and implementation of security policy, both nationally and internationally
- Development of defence cooperation with allied- and partner countries
- Strategic personnel management
- Information, communication and press relations
- Strategic leadership and management in the field of ICT
- Organisational development
- Preventive security at a strategic level
- Legal questions
- Controller / Internal audit
- Internal administration
Departments
- Executive Secretariat
On behalf of the Secretary General, the secretariat prepares, quality-assures, coordinates and priorities all issues that are submitted to the Minister. Accordingly, the secretariat maintains overall responsibility for the Minister's activities.
- The Ministry of Defence Communications Unit
The unit provides support both to the Minister and senior staff, both political and administrative, and to the Chief of Defence. The spokesman function is performed by separate spokesmen for the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence.
- Internal Auditor Unit
The Internal Auditor will contribute to the overall achievement of defence objectives by providing support to the Ministry’s senior management in controlling and managing subordinate departments and agencies.
- The Department of Personnel and General Services
The Department of Personnel and General Services spans over a range of different professional areas, some administrative and some more related to aspects of development. Some of the department’s tasks are purely internal while others, for example personnel policy and common legal services, entail responsibilities across the sector as a whole.
- The Department of Security Policy
The Department of Security Policy is responsible for the handling of questions of security policy as well as for the Ministry’s international activities and external relations in the field of security policy.
- The Department of Management and Financial Governance
The Department of Management and Financial Governance has the overall responsibility for the planning and development of activities, the organisation and the structure of the Armed Forces within the particular long-term planning period. The department also exercises overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies.
- The Department of Defence Policy and Long-Term Planning
The Department of Defence Policy and Long-Term Planning is responsible for strategic analysis, the development of long-term defence policy and overall planning for the defence sector.
Lawsuits
The ministry has been a defendant, in a number of lawsuitLawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
s. Individuals who have won a lawsuit, include former UNIFIL-soldier Knut Braa
Knut Braa
Knut Arnljot Braa is a Norwegian author and veteran of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon who won a lawsuit against Ministry of Defence in 2006.-Trial:The Ministry of Defence admitted that Braa acquired...
in 2006.