The background

NOREPS was established by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1991 in response to the great number of humanitarian emergencies of that time and the lack of adequate standby emergency response capacities among UN and other agencies.

NOREPS has been supported by the Norwegian Red Cross, major Norwegian NGOs active in the field, and leading Norwegian suppliers of relief operation goods since its inception. It is endorsed by the UN, which sees it as an important means of strengthening considerably its own and other field operators’ capacity to respond to complex emergencies and natural disasters.

NOREPS is under continuous development and adaptation in accordance with operational needs in the field and the practical experiences of NOREPS partners. The NOREPS partnership fosters product development and new ideas. The system adjusts to the demands of the operational environment, such as the new cluster approach to international emergency operations.