Norway
The Government of Pakistan and Norway has long standing relations. Norway established diplomatic relations with Pakistan when Pakistan gained its independence in 1947, and there’s been a Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad since the 1970s. A cornerstone in the bilateral relations is the development cooperation, with an emphasis on education, health, good governance and culture. Norway is also a major humanitarian donor to Pakistan.
Thematic Focus: The overall objective of Norway’s development policy is to fight poverty and bring about social justice. Norway’s development priorities for Pakistan in 2014 will include good governance, education, rural development, women and gender equality and human rights. In addition, the embassy supports projects related to culture, peace and reconciliation, and building local capacities for disaster prevention, preparedness and response.
Geographical Focus: Norway’s development programme and project has a county wide coverage with a focused approached towards neglected areas of the country.
Country Programme Strategy: Norwegian development policy is strongly aligned with the country’s foreign policy and national interest in international stability and in “safeguarding global public good”. The human-rights-approach and the focus on poverty reduction lost some importance in Norwegian cooperation in the last years, while the orientation to growth became more important. Norway’s focus on global poverty reduction is driven by a combination of moral responsibility and national interests. Its development policy is based on a commitment to solidarity and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the belief in a strong United Nations and a human-Rights-based-approach. Development policy aims at challenging structural sources of inequality, injustice, oppression and discrimination. The government is a strong supporter of multilateral development system, aid effectiveness, policy coherence and innovative financing mechanisms.
Programmes and Projects: Norway has a number of new and on-going development initiatives in Pakistan. UNODC and Norway signed a project agreement on 6 June 2013 with a grant of NOK 1.75 million. The project will support improved institutional capacities for police training and crime scene investigation skills and processes, as well as improved training in prosecutor career development and police-prosecutor cooperation. NOK 15 million is also being provided to a 3-year programme (2012-2014) for home based workers managed by UN Women. A total of NOK 20 million is expected to be spent in 2014 on the phasing out of the Norwegian-Pakistan Partnership Initiative managed by UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO.
On the humanitarian front, Norway contributed NOK 10 million (approx. US$ 1.6 million) to the Emergency Response Fund Pakistan, while providing a combined total of NOK 50 million to organizations such as Save the Children, UNHCR, NRC and the Norwegian Red Cross/IFRC/ICRC.
Province / Region
|
Project Name
|
Project Budget USD
|
Project Start Date
|
Project End date
|
National
|
Realization of human rights in Pakistan
|
1,373,917.88
|
2012
|
2014
|
National
|
Responsive Education and Awareness for Child Protection (REAP)
|
837,754.80
|
2012
|
2014
|
National
|
Institutional Cooperation Programme, Phase II
|
4,188,774.02
|
2009
|
2014
|
National
|
OCHA Capacity Building Project
|
931,750.89
|
2013
|
2014
|
National
|
Coalition for the rights of minorities
|
50,265.29
|
2014
|
2014
|
National, Punjab
|
Access Justice for Marginalized
|
1,591,734.13
|
2012
|
2014
|
National, Punjab
|
Women's Economic Empowerment: Home Based Workers
|
2,513,264.41
|
2013
|
2015
|
GB
|
Chitral Integrated Development Programme
|
7,204,691.32
|
2009
|
2014
|
GB
|
Garamchashma Hospital
|
393,744.76
|
2013
|
2014
|
GB
|
Harnessing capacities in DRR in hazardous areas of Pakistan
|
1,340,407.69
|
2011
|
2014
|
GB
|
Women Economic Empowerment: Phase-II
|
1,022,060.86
|
2013
|
2014
|
KP, GB
|
Culture Cooperation with Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan
|
1,725,774.90
|
2012
|
2014
|
KP
|
Sport & Play for Development and Peace, Mardan
|
820,999.71
|
2012
|
2015
|
KP
|
Reducing vulnerability through DRM in KPK
|
2,871,497.08
|
2011
|
2014
|
KP, FATA
|
Communities waging peace through youth and mother's peace groups
|
113,594.86
|
2013
|
2015
|
Punjab
|
Cultural Diversification Programme (CDP)
|
753,979.32
|
2012
|
2014
|
Punjab
|
House of Peace - Dar ul Aman
|
1,233,175.07
|
2012
|
2014
|
Sindh
|
Norway Pakistan Partnership Initiative
|
24,361,909.70
|
2008
|
2014
|
Implementing Partners: Norway works in collaboration with national and local level development partners throughout the country besides the UN system. Some of these partners include UNODC, OCHA, NDMA, and non Government Organizations.
Funding Allocation: The annual development budget managed by the Norwegian Embassy in Pakistan is targeted at NOK 100 million. Norway is the third largest contributor to the ERF having contributed NOK 45 million in total (approx. US$ 7.5 million) since 2010. Norway is also the fund’s most consistent contributor having allocated funding every year since its establishment. In 2013 Norway also allocated NOK 5.5 million to support a capacity building project with the NDMA, coordinated by UN OCHA, which is still ongoing.
Funding Mechanism: The Embassy of Norway does not issue calls for applications though accepts and evaluates project applications throughout the year. While the embassy mainly grants project and programme support, funding for small scale grants may also be allocated. As most grants are offered for multi-year projects, every year only a limited portion of the total development budget may be allocated for new projects. All grants are made public online at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Grants Portal, available at URL: http://udtilskudd.regjeringen.no
All grant applicants are expected to be aware of and demonstrate measures in the fight against corruption, a clear gender perspective, and considerations of project impacts on the environment and the vulnerability to climate change. Grant recipients are expected to be familiar with UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.
All disbursements committed by the Norwegian Embassy, beyond the budget year of the grant letter, are subject to parliamentary appropriations.
Share with your friends: |