Norway has signed a four-year agreement with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to provide a total of NOK 660 million.
The money will go to strengthen the UN’s efforts to defend and promote human rights both in individual cases and internationally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a press release.
‘’Human rights are under pressure in the world today.The UN High Commission for Human Rights is a leader in the international community’s work on human rights and is in need of strong and clear support in its work.The fact that we now enter into a four-year agreement provides predictability for the UN in their work,” said Foreign Minister,Ine Eriksen Søreide of Høyre (H).
Through the new cooperation agreement, Norway will support the UN high commission with NOK 165 million annually in the period 2018-2021.
In addition to efforts in countries and regions such as Colombia and Sahel, Norway provides earmarked support,among other things, for efforts to protect freedom of expression, belief and freedom of life and human rights defenders at country level.
“There are clear links between human rights and other challenges that the international community has to solve.If we do not succeed in safeguarding human
rights, we will hardly succeed in our efforts for sustainable development and peace’’ said Søreide.
© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today
