Norway

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Cumulative

Project-Specific Cofinancing $307 million
Contributions Committed to Trust Funds $76.2 million

Two offices manage Norway’s official development assistance. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) administers the country’s support for economic development, democratization, implementation of human rights, good governance, and poverty reduction in developing member countries. The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, a directorate under the MFA, ensures and reports on the effectiveness of the country’s development aid.

Norway primarily provides grants to initiatives prioritizing themes such as climate change and the environment, democracy and good governance, education, energy, global health, higher education and research, macroeconomics and public administration, and oil for development. Countries eligible for the country’s support are Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam.

Highlights of ADB–Norway Engagement in 2023:

Nonsovereign Cofinancing. The Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program (TSCFP) supported over 30 transactions valued at $25.3 million with a bank domiciled in Norway from inception to December 2023. During the same period, the TSCFP supported over 60 Norwegian exports and/or imports valued at $79.6 million. In 2023 alone, the TSCFP supported two Norwegian exports and/or imports valued at $3.1 million. Exports and/or imports were mainly to or from Bangladesh, Viet Nam, and Pakistan. Underlying goods involved mostly food and agriculture-related goods, industrial machinery and capital goods, as well as raw and non-energy commodities.

Special Funds. Norway is a founding member of ADB and has, since 1966, committed $371.5 million to ADB special funds. Of this commitment, $327.1 million has gone to the Asian Development Fund (ADF). The ADF provides grants to ADB’s low-income, developing member countries to help reduce poverty and improve quality of life.

Active Trust Funds

Active trust funds are those a) with ongoing projects; or b) with no active projects but have remaining funds.

News

24 Feb 2022

Model Schools Improve Quality of Public Education, Benefit Female, Disadvantaged Students in Nepal

The model school program is part of Nepal’s School Sector Development Plan (SSDP), which was launched in 2016 and continued until 2022. The SSDP aims to increase access for all children to quality school education through strategic assistance and reform initiatives that improve the quality, efficiency, governance, management and resilience of the education system. Eight development partners support this program.

6 Dec 2022

ADB Approves $200 Million Loan to Strengthen Education System in Nepal

ADB and the Government of Norway are helping Nepal to strengthen the equity, quality, and resilience of its school education. Through the Supporting the School Education Sector Plan, they are supporting capacity-building activities, strengthening program management and coordination, and improving the monitoring and reporting capability of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology.

Stories

Keeping the Kids in Primary School

Bangladesh’s Primary Education Development Program introduced innovative approaches that changed the face of basic education in the country. These approaches included the adoption of multimedia, reward schemes to encourage kids to stay in school, and teacher training, among others. Various partner organizations supported the program, including Australia, Canada, the European Union, the Global Partnership for Education, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom, UNICEF, and the World Bank.

Reliable Electricity Supply Gives New Lease on Life to Nepal’s Villages

Up to a dozen hydropower projects totaling nearly 2,000 megawatts are being constructed or planned in the medium term. A stronger power transmission and distribution network in Nepal could remove the present bottleneck in meeting domestic power demand and trading power with neighboring countries. Two projects—the SASEC Power System Expansion Project and the Electricity Transmission Expansion and Supply Improvement Project—financed by ADB and the Government of Norway are helping this effort.