Norway to provide UNESCO with a voluntary contribution of some $9 million for 2018

On 19 July, UNESCO and Norway signed a funding Agreement through which Norway committed to contribute NOK 72 million, approximately USD 9 million, to support a wide range of UNESCO programmes in education, freedom of expression, heritage preservation and cultural diversity.

The annual contribution is destined to support Member States in their efforts to implement sector-wide policies to scale up lifelong learning opportunities for youth and adults, Vocational education programmes and education for populations affected by crisis have also been identified as a priority alongside UNESCO’s other areas of work to meet the internationally agreed 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in education.

Other areas to benefit from Norway’s support to UNESCO are: sustainable management of coasts and oceans, natural World Heritage sites in Africa, actions to protect culture and promote cultural pluralism in situations of conflict or natural disasters, and the promotion of artistic freedom and creativity. Special attention will also be paid to UNESCO’s programme fostering freedom of expression online and offline and promoting all aspects of the safety of journalists, as well as advancing media independence and diversity.