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

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

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 and 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 said through their partnership with Norway, they 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 Knævelsrud, Deputy Head of Mission, Morshed Ahmed, Senior Adviser, Royal Norwegian Embassy, and Sheela Tasneem Haq, Senior Governance Specialist, were also present at the signing ceremony.