The government of Norway on Thursday signed a cooperation agreement giving UN-HABITAT USD 18 million for the period covering the biennium 2010/11.
UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka who was flanked by her deputy Ms. Inga Bjork-Klevby signed on behalf of the agency while Norwegian Junior Minister for Environment and International Development Mr. Arvinn gadgil signed for his government.
While thanking the Norwegians for their donation, Mrs. Tibaijuka said the Thursday function was a continuation of a positive trend by that country in lending support to UN-HABITAT.
“We really appreciate the support you have given us and to me it is a personal achievement because my successor will not find a broke organization the way I did when I first joined UN-HABITAT,” Mrs. Tibaijuka who retires from the agency later this year said.
Mr. Gadgil said UN-HABITAT had a formidable mandate and that the best donors culd do was to fund it and leave the experts in the agency run the show. “We have full confidence in the work of UN-HABITAT and the experts there,” he said. |
