UNDP, Norway to strengthen cooperation for peaceful Bangladesh

The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed an agreement today (22 August) at the embassy, extending the ongoing collaboration for a peaceful and inclusive Bangladesh.

Espen Rikter-Svendsen, Norway’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, and Stefan Liller, UNDP Bangladesh’s Resident Representative, signed the agreement, which will remain effective until 2025, on behalf of their respective organizations, a UNDP press release said.

Since 2021, with support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy, UNDP has been implementing the “Partnerships for a More Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh” (PTIB) project.

This initiative focuses on preventing hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation to build a more inclusive society in Bangladesh.

During the signing, Espen Rikter-Svendsen said, “The Partnerships for a Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh (PTIB) project seeks to better understand the sources of violence, involve citizens in spreading positive messages of tolerance and inclusivity, and develop a coherent, context-specific strategy to promote tolerance, diversity and inclusivity.

Stefan Liller, in his remarks, stated, “Through our partnership with Norway, we have mobilised youth and civil society to foster greater tolerance, inclusivity, and diversity. With Norway’s further support, we will continue to promote digital literacy nationwide as well as other issues that can contribute to Bangladesh achieving SDG Goal 16.”

He thanked the Norwegian government for their continued support in promoting peace and tolerance in Bangladesh.

Among others, Marianne Rabe Kn’velsrud, Deputy Head of Mission; Morshed Ahmed, Senior Adviser, Royal Norwegian Embassy; and Sheela Tasneem Haq, Senior Governance Specialist; were present at the signing ceremony.