FAO and Norway strengthen long-lasting partnership

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FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and Norway’s Ambassador to FAO, Inge Nordang, at the signature event today.
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and Norway’s Ambassador to FAO, Inge Nordang, at the signature event today.

FAO and Norway have agreed to continue an already fruitful cooperation in the strategic areas of fisheries, the right to food, climate-smart agriculture, deforestation, gender equity and food loss and waste.

An agreement signed today by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and Norway’s Ambassador to FAO, Inge Nordang, paves the way for the continuation of a longstanding successful collaboration. It also covers funding and joint work on emergencies and response to natural disasters.

Norway is among FAO’s top 20 resource partners and has been the third largest donor country of voluntary contributions to the organization in the last biennium (2013-2015), contributing to FAO’s work in a various range of areas, including emergencies development projects.

In 2013, Norway’s voluntary funding reached its peak to respond to emergency interventions in the Philippines, Somalia, and other regional and global development projects. Combined with regular budget contributions, Norway – with a population of just over five million people – is FAO’s 12th largest donor.

“FAO and Norway share many common areas of interest, and this partnership reflects our common priorities,” said Graziano da Silva, highlighting two current Norwegian projects in the pipeline amounting to around USD 4.8 million.

Forestry and climate change, among top priorities for the country

Forestry and climate change are among the top priorities for Norway. The country is among the leading resource partners for joint FAO/UNDP/UNEP activities under UN REDD Program for reducing emissions, deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries.

Norway’s concern for gender mainstreaming was recently evidenced through its funding of a successful FAO project providing legal education and support to rural women to help them secure and exercise land and resource rights.

Norway has also promoted an “ecosystem approach” implemented by a high impact five-year project to work with the fisheries administrations and institutions of 32 coastal African countries. The project aims to promote sustainable utilization of protection of marine living resources.

Continuous support to fisheries and aquaculture also include the close collaboration with FAO to promote the FAO Port State Measures agreement, which is potentially one of the most effective measures against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

This ground-breaking accord went into effect on 5 June 2016 and is now legally binding for the parties and regional organizations that have adhered to it.

With over 30 countries and the European Union having adhered to it, its entry into force will be launched at the FAO Committee of Fisheries (11 July).

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