Norway Backs UNESCO With $56.9 M for Education, Heritage and Press Freedom

Education receives the largest allocation, with NOK 330 million, approximately USD 35.5 million, dedicated to improving access to inclusive, equitable and quality learning.

Norway has committed NOK 530 million, roughly USD 56.9 million, to UNESCO through a new agreement that places learning opportunities, cultural protection and freedom of expression at the centre of their cooperation. Covering 2026–2029, the funding will support work ranging from helping countries tackle teacher shortages and include learners with disabilities to protecting threatened heritage and improving safety for journalists, particularly women.

Signed by UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany and the Government of Norway, the Programme Cooperation Agreement will be administered by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, NORAD. UNESCO announced the partnership on 16 September 2026, highlighting the value of predictable, flexible funding that allows the organisation to plan sustained support and respond to needs as they emerge.

Expanding Education for Learners Who Face Barriers

Education receives the largest allocation, with NOK 330 million, approximately USD 35.5 million, dedicated to improving access to inclusive, equitable and quality learning. The agreement will help UNESCO support member countries in strengthening how education systems are managed, addressing shortages of teachers and expanding opportunities for vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, whose needs can be overlooked in education planning and delivery.

The commitment covers lifelong learning as well as formal education, reflecting the importance of opportunities to keep gaining knowledge and skills beyond the classroom. Its priorities support Sustainable Development Goal 4, the global commitment to inclusive and equitable quality education, with attention to both the systems that organise learning and the people those systems need to reach.

Protecting Heritage and Preparing for Emergencies

Culture will receive NOK 120 million, roughly USD 12.9 million, to help countries and communities protect and promote heritage in its different forms. The work includes tangible heritage such as cultural sites, intangible heritage such as living traditions, and natural heritage, recognising that safeguarding culture involves places, practices and knowledge that communities value and pass between generations.

Emergency preparedness and response form an important part of this support, including assistance related to conflicts affecting cultural sites. Building the capacity of national institutions and communities to prepare for threats and respond when damage occurs will be a central focus, connecting heritage protection with the people responsible for caring for these places and traditions.

Supporting Journalists and Access to Reliable Information

A further NOK 80 million, approximately USD 8.6 million, will support communication and information, with priorities including freedom of expression, access to information and journalist safety. Women journalists will receive particular attention, and the partnership will support information integrity through an approach to digital platform governance grounded in human rights, linking the management of online information spaces with respect for fundamental freedoms.

El-Enany described Norway's support as a contribution to a stronger, more responsive UNESCO, stressing that flexible and predictable financing would help the organisation address emerging challenges and advance shared priorities. The agreement was signed during his visit to Norway, where he met Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and the ministers responsible for education and research and international development. The four-year arrangement gives UNESCO greater room to adapt its work as circumstances change, backed by a clear financial commitment to education, culture and freedom of expression.