Minister of International Development to visit New York and Washington DC

Minister of International Development Hilde F. Johnson will visit New York and Washington DC from 15 to 19 April for meetings in the UN and the World Bank.

In New York the Minister’s schedule includes a meeting on 15 April with the UN panel that is to advise the UN Secretary-General on the appointment of a new Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In Washington DC Ms Johnson will head the Norwegian delegation to the Spring Meeting of the World Bank Development Committee on 16 and 17 April. In connection with the meeting, Ms Johnson and World Bank President James Wolfensohn will hold a press conference on 17 April at 0800 on the international donor community’s efforts to promote education through the Education for All/Fast Track Initiative.

In addition Ms Johnson will head the Norwegian delegations to the meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and the high-level meeting between the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Bretton Woods Institutions and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in New York on 18 and 19 April.

The Minister of International Development is, together with Uganda’s Minister for Water Maria Mutagamba, heading the initiative “Women Leaders for WASH”, which will be launched at the meeting of the CSD. On 19 April Ms Johnson will chair a panel debate on ways of intensifying efforts to provide access to water, sanitation and hygiene.

Press contact: Head of Information Espen Gullikstad, mobile phone: + 47 91 70 81 22.