Cooperation with immigrant community on development aid

“There is a strong commitment among the immigrant community to the fight against poverty,” said Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim. Under Pilot Project Pakistan, the funds raised by immigrant organisations will be matched by the Norwegian Government.

The pilot project has been developed in collaboration with Norwegian-Pakistani organisations, various NGOs and Norad (the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation). The immigrant organisations have been invited to apply for government support for development projects in Pakistan via Norad. The Government has allocated NOK 1 million for the project in 2008 and NOK 5 million for 2009.

“Fist and second generation immigrants have valuable knowledge, for example with regard to culture and language, that is highly relevant for Norwegian development cooperation,” pointed out Bjarne Håkon Hanssen, Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion. “We therefore want to strengthen cooperation with immigrant groups in Norway. Pilot Project Pakistan will give us useful experience of how this can best be done.”

Members of the immigrant community already send large sums of money to families in their own or their parents’ country of origin. Worldwide, the transfers made by immigrants equal three times the amount the world spends on international development assistance.

“Another reason for working more closely with immigrant groups is to encourage the transfer of funds not just to individual families but to whole communities, and to promote development,” added Mr Solheim.

The project is also intended to strengthen international development expertise in the organisations concerned. This will put them in a stronger position when competing for funding under Norad’s normal schemes.

Today, the two ministers will be hosting a seminar on how people from immigrant groups and their organisations can be encouraged to take more active part in Norwegian development efforts and policy.

Press contacts:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Information Adviser Wera Helstrøm, tel. +47 99 40 93 23
The Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion: Senior Adviser Ingrid Dåsnes, tel. +47 45 24 18 74.