Prime Minister Erna Solberg shared the stage with superstars like Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys and Queen in New York on Saturday. She promised that Norway will increase its contribution to education in crisis areas to half a billion NOK.
Talking to NRK, Solberg said that Norway will increase its support for Education Cannot Wait fund by NOK 500 million by 2022.
Norway has initiated the fund and provided 188 million NOK since 2016. The fund helps children and young people in conflict and crisis areas get education.
-It is an important focus area for Norway to invest in ensuring that children have access to education, says Solberg.
She says this is especially important in areas of conflict and crisis.
-Education is the most important weapon for development. This is because, when they are educated, children are more able to take greater control of their own lives and destiny. When girls receive education, we know that they get better reproductive health, that they do better, have fewer children and get married later. All of them matter, says Solberg.
The prime minister also says that investing in education is both peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
-It is a good investment because the country becomes more stable if we succeed in making sure that the citizens get education, says Solberg.
Good health for all is important for achieving the sustainability goals. We are on the right track to stop the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, but in order to reach our goal we must significantly strengthen our efforts, ”says Solberg in a press release.