An analysis of the Norwegian Shipping Association in shaping Norwegian foreign policy towards South Africa 1984-1987

Abstract

This master’s thesis examines the influence of the Norwegian Shipping Association in the context of the boycott law sanctioned on the 20th of March 1987. The law was a result of decades of heated debate and in the process prelude to the law several actors tried to influence foreign policy decisions, amongst them the NSA. The influence of the NSA before the boycott law have been assumed but the boycott law of 1987 and the debate prelude to this political decision provide an opportunity to analyse this and gain further insights. The sanctioning of the boycott law was influenced by several actors and the analysis of the influence on Norwegian foreign policy decisions needed to be based on material from a lot of different sources to get an understanding of conceding and contradiction interest to be found in the actual proposal for the law.