‘Norway will play an active and constructive role in the UN Peacebuilding Commission. We will use our experience in the areas of conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding to strengthen the UN’s work to promote peace and development,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

Norway will be a member of the UN Peacebuilding Commission again for the period 2017-2018. The purpose of the Commission is to promote sustainable peace in countries emerging from violent conflict.

‘Political solutions are essential for ensuring lasting peace. It is vital that that the work to achieve sustainable peace through national reconciliation and build a common vision for the future is led by actors at the national level. Having said this, Norway will support the peacebuilding processes in its capacity as member of the UN Peacebuilding Commission and in cooperation with others,’ said Mr Brende.

The UN Peacebuilding Commission is an intergovernmental advisory body that supports peace efforts in various ways in countries emerging from conflict, particularly during the transitional phase. The Commission brings together a range of actors to discuss possible solutions for a country, generates support and resources for peacebuilding processes, gives advice, and proposes integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery. It also seeks to ensure continued focus on countries in a post-conflict reconstruction phase, with a view to preventing the recurrence of conflicts.

‘Peace and security are essential for sustainable development. In order to build lasting peace, we need to take a broad and long-term approach, and focus on conflict prevention, peacekeeping operations, mediation and reconciliation processes, and post-conflict reconstruction. This will be Norway’s approach now that we are becoming a member of the Peacebuilding Commission again,’ said Mr Brende.

Background:

Norway was last a member of the UN Peacebuilding Commission in 2013. The Commission was established in 2005 by then Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The UN Peacebuilding Fund was established at the same time, to ensure rapid support for conflict-affected areas, particularly countries outside the media spotlight. The new peacebuilding architecture was established to bridge the gap between UN peacekeeping operations and long-term efforts to promote peace and development. From the outset, Norway has been a strong supporter of the fund, and we played a key role in the work of the Commission. For a number of years Norway led the Commission’s peacebuilding efforts in Burundi, together with the Burundian authorities, civil society groups and a number of other actors.

(MFA – Norway)

The World Bank is stepping up its fight against poverty. From July 2017 to June 2020, Norway will provide NOK 2.7 billion to the World Bank’s Fund for the Poorest, the International Development Association (IDA).

More than 50 countries contribute to IDA and have pledged to provide USD 27.2 billion during the three-year replenishment period from July 2017 to June 2020. The purpose of the fund is to promote poverty reduction and sustainable development in the world’s poorest countries, most of which are in Africa. For the first time, IDA will combine donor contributions and the World Bank’s own resources with financing from the capital market. This will maximise the support given to borrowing countries: for each dollar provided by contributor countries, three dollars will be lent out by IDA. The goal is for the fund to reach a total level of USD 75 billion during the three-year period.

‘Global cooperation and partnerships have stimulated growth and contributed to poverty reduction over the past 25 years. IDA is in a class of its own when it comes to providing aid to the world’s poorest countries,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

There are 1.3 billion people living in the world’s poorest countries. IDA is the World Bank’s most important instrument for promoting sustainable development and fighting extreme poverty. The new funds will be used to finance:

• essential health and nutrition services for up to 350 million people
• financial services for 4-6 million people
• safe childbirth for up to 11 million women through the provision of skilled health personnel
• access to improved water sources for up to 45 million people
• training for 9-10 million teachers to benefit over 300 million children
• immunisations for 130-180 million children
• better governance in 30 countries through improved statistical capacity
• the registration of an increased number of taxpayers in 8-12 countries
• an additional 5 GW of renewable energy generation capacity
• The additional financing will enable IDA to double the funding it provides to address fragility, conflict and violence. Support for refugees and their host communities, crisis preparedness and response, and pandemic preparedness will be increased. A new Private Sector Window will be established to help mobilise private capital and scale up private sector development.

‘I am pleased that the contributor countries agreed during the replenishment negotiations to double IDA’s support to fragile states, increase funding for conflict prevention and crisis response, and establish a separate regional sub-window for refugees and preparedness for refugee flows from Syria,’ said Mr Brende.

‘Norway has played an important leadership role over the course of the IDA18 negotiations by actively promoting key development issues, including efforts to fight climate change, address the drivers of conflict and fragility, and gender equality. Norway was also very supportive of developing the Private Sector Window — a new innovation being introduced in IDA18 to strengthen private sector development in the poorest countries,’ said Axel van Trotsenburg, Vice President of Development Finance in the World Bank.

(MFA)

Norway has donated $11.5 million approximately N3.6 billion to improve basic education, support girls and women who have been victims of sexual violence by Boko Haram in conflict-affected northeast states.

Ms Doune Porter, United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) Chief of Communication, said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

Porter said that the benefiting states are; Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe.

She said that the fund was part of the Safe Schools Initiative in the northern Nigeria.

She said that in 2013, Norway was a pioneer member of the Safe Schools Initiative Committee established in response to Boko Haram attacks on schools in the areas.

Porter said that UNICEF, however, noted that there was an urgent need to provide a safe learning environment for children in northeast.

She said that through the support of UNICEF about 100,000 children were currently accessing education through Temporary Learning Spaces and schools in northeast Nigeria.

“This fund would further boost access to education for an additional half a million boys and girls in internally displaced persons’ camps, host communities and areas of Borno that have become accessible to humanitarian assistance.’’

Porter quoted Jens-Petter Kjemprud, Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria in the statement as saying that: “We believe in the importance of doing what we can to break the cycle of violence in northeast Nigeria.

“This funding will provide more children complete basic education in a good learning environment and will provide much-needed counselling for girls who have suffered unimaginable trauma in the hands of Boko Haram,” Kjemprud said.

Also, Norwegian Foreign Minister, Mr Børge Brende said that the generous funding from Norway would provide children, especially girls affected by the conflict, with uniforms to wear to schools.

He said that the fund would also enable them to learn in secure, safe and protected environment.

He said that teachers would be trained to improve their skills, so they could deliver quality teaching and improve learning results for children.

According to him, school systems will be improved through training and mentoring of head-teachers on management knowledge and skills.

Brende stressed that School Based Management Committee (SBMCs) members would be trained in school planning; including disaster risk reduction to make schools a safer place for children.

“The funding will also support approximately 1,600 of the thousands of girls and women that UNICEF estimates have been raped, abducted and forcibly married as a result of the conflict.

“Not only have these victims of violence suffered the trauma of their experiences when they were held by Boko Haram,

“But when they have managed to escape or have been liberated, they often face rejection by their communities and families.

“Instead of the escaped victims of violence being welcomed back, they frequently face stigma, discrimination, and in some cases violence, especially when they return pregnant or with children born out of that sexual violence.

“In addition to traditional stigma associated with sexual violence, many communities are afraid that girls and women who have been held by Boko Haram may have been indoctrinated by their captors.

“Part of the Norwegian funds will be used in Borno to help these women and girls to reintegrate with their families and communities and rebuild their lives.

“The funding will also help to empower these women and girls to engage in the community peace building process, ‘’Porter quoted the Norwegian Foreign Minister as saying in the statement.

Similarly, Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Nigeria Representative explained that tackling the crisis in northeast Nigeria required a broad coalition of support from all.

“The Government of Norway was with us at the beginning of this crisis, providing support, and they are still here.

“ This latest funding will go a long way to get thousands of children back in school and will help to reintegrate girls and women who are victims of Boko Haram back into their communities.”

(businessdayonline)

‘The many large-scale, protracted humanitarian crises in the world today have created a tremendous need for emergency aid. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund ensures that aid can quickly reach those who need it when acute crises arise, and provides sorely needed funding for underfunded emergencies. Norway is therefore providing NOK 380 million for this Fund in 2017,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) provides immediate funding for life-saving assistance when humanitarian crises arise. Norway has been one of the largest contributors to the Fund since it was launched ten years ago. Norway’s contribution for 2017 will be announced at a donor conference at the UN in New York today.

‘Never before has the UN asked for such a large amount for humanitarian aid. At present 130 million people are in need of humanitarian aid and protection due to conflicts and natural disasters. Norway contributes substantial amounts to alleviate suffering throughout the world, not least to those affected by the Syrian crisis,’ Mr Brende said.

On average, 20 million people receive urgent medical assistance through CERF each year, and 10 million people receive food aid. In addition, funding channelled through CERF provides clean water and access to sanitary facilities for eight million people, improved living conditions for five million people, and shelter for another one million people.

More than 65 million people – many of them children – have been forced to flee from their homes. More than half of CERF’s funds are allocated to provide humanitarian protection and assistance to people who are fleeing from conflicts and natural disasters. In 2016, CERF funds have been used in South Sudan, Uganda, Sudan, Iraq, Yemen, Ethiopia, north-eastern Nigeria, the Lake Chad region and Haiti. CERF also provides support for cooperation and coordination at country level.

(Norway)