NOREF is committed to mitigating and resolving armed conflicts through informal diplomacy and support to Norwegian and international mediation efforts.

NOREF is an independent foundation working for the peaceful resolution of armed conflicts. They build on a long Norwegian tradition of informal diplomacy, and work closely with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

NOREF’s workload is divided between nurturing informal peace initiatives among actors on the ground – both so-called track two and track one-and-a-half initiatives – and supporting more formalised peace negotiations. In the latter, such as in Colombia or the Philippines, NOREF contributes hands-on mediation support to processes that are led by facilitators like the Norwegian MFA or the United Nations. Their niche expertise includes process logistics and design, the facilitation of military-civilian dialogue, communication in peace processes, and expertise on gender and inclusivity (more under Mediation tools).