Norway: Major international effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic

‘The pandemic has been harming individuals, economies and societies all over the world. International cooperation and solidarity are more important than ever,’ said Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

As many as 500 million people could be pushed into poverty by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a United Nations study. Efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals will likely be set back. That heightens the importance of continuing international cooperation to fight poverty and climate change as countries work simultaneously to subdue the coronavirus and associated Covid-19 disease.

‘Norway was quick to respond with initiatives and measures to fight the pandemic. We are doing all we can to prevent today’s health crisis from becoming tomorrow’s famine and societal crisis,’ said Minister of International Development Dag-Inge Ulstein.

Norway’s response to the coronavirus pandemic extends across core funding, thematic funding, new funding and a reordering of priorities within established projects and programmes. Norway is cooperating with a variety of partners – UN organisations, the development banks, Norwegian and international non-governmental organisations and research institutions.