Norway allocated a total of NOK 60 billion to the EEA and Norway Grants from 2004 to 2021. The grants seek to reduce economic and social disparities in the EEA and to strengthen bilateral relations between donor and recipient countries. In addition to good results in the beneficiary countries – such as support for civil society and as a counter-move against authoritarian forces – the grants show positive effects for Norway, according to the review. The report was commissioned by Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This article provides new perspectives on the relationship between state and citizen and the role of trade unions in African petro-states. Nigerian trade unions have been crucial in recurring protests against the dismantling of petrol subsidies, and Camilla Houeland suggests that the protests are arenas for the exercise of and demands for deeper citizenship related to civil, economic and political rights. In this, the trade unions act as a mediator between the state and citizens, and thereby confirm their relevance.

Focusing on collective bargaining coverage and the varieties of labour market regulation in the Nordic countries, this paper about ways to strengthen the Nordic working life models is written by Jon Erik Dølvik to serve as the basis for discussion on a Nordic labour minister meeting in Oslo, November 2022. Building on an earlier seminar with Nordic scholars, the project was initiated by the Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Inclusion, with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers.