(New York/Fornebu, 24 September 2018) Plan International and Telenor Group will enter into a partnership to collaborate on enhancing children and young people's skills for a digital future. The three-year partnership agreement was officially announced today at a United Nations General Assembly event in New York.
The new partnership will include both financial support and access to a range of digital and mobile technology solutions that will help advance the rights of children and young people, with a special focus on equality for girls. All joint projects will focus on building skills for a digital future for children and young people globally in order to reduce inequalities.
Norwegian Minister of International Development Nikolai Astrup, Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO of Plan International, and Sigve Brekke, Telenor Group President & CEO met in New York today during the United Nations General Assembly, to discuss the importance of partnerships and digitalising development to reach the SDGs and create shared value. They were joined by Norwegian Minister of International Development Nikolai Astrup.
"We are proud to announce that Telenor Group, one of the world's largest telecom companies, is partnering up with Plan International. Together we can use technology to break down the barriers that stand in the way of the poorest children and help close the digital gender gap for girls", says Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO of Plan International.
"Governments, businesses and organisations need to collaborate to stimulate growth and create shared value. Telenor collaborates with a handful global partners whose strategic vision, ability to deliver, and local knowledge benefit from the opportunities brought by digital and mobile technology - and vice versa. Plan International works tirelessly to advance children's rights and equality for girls globally. Through our joint projects, innovative digital solutions can enhance this work further and contribute to reducing inequalities in the societies in which we operate," says Sigve Brekke, President & CEO of Telenor Group.
The goal of the partnership is to reduce inequalities by the use of digital technology, mobile communication and internet. Telenor's core competence on mobile communication and technology will be paired with Plan's local knowledge and innovative program solutions. The aim is to develop optimal solutions to create skills for a digital future and empower societies.
Joint initiatives will focus on reducing inequalities through building skills for a digital future, such as digital literacy, education for out-of-school children, youth educational skills training, closing the digital divide, and educating children and youth on child online safety. The countries covered by the partnership are Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
The new agreement draws on previous successful partnership experiences in Pakistan between Plan International Pakistan and Telenor Pakistan. The two organisations have jointly set up Information and communications technology (ICT) labs in remote schools, where thousands of girls and boys as well as their teachers learn digital fundamentals as well as online safety. Norkring, a Telenor subsidiary, also has a partnership with Plan International in Malawi to use radios to spread awareness of children and girls' rights.
Telenor Group has long-term partnership agreement with 2-3 global organisations. In 2014, a five-year global partnership agreement was signed with UNICEF to include both financial support and access to a range of mobile technology solutions that contribute to the advancement of children's rights globally.
For more information, please contact:
Silje Budeng | Senior Communications Manager | Plan International Norge
+47 48158313 | Silje.Budeng@plan-norge.no (mailto:Silje.Budeng@plan-norge.no)
Hanne Knudsen | Director, Media Relations | Telenor Group
+47 90804015 | Hanne.Knudsen@telenor.com (mailto:Hanne.Knudsen@telenor.com)
About Plan International
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children's rights and equality for girls. It strives for a just world, working together with children, young people, supporters and partners. Plan International works with children, young people and communities to tackle the root causes of discrimination against girls, exclusion and vulnerability. It supports children's rights from birth until they reach adulthood. Its work enables children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. Using it reach, experience and knowledge, Plan International drives changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels. It is independent of governments, religions and political parties. For over 80 years, it has been building powerful partnerships for children and is active in more than 70 countries.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Telenor via Globenewswire
