I will focus my intervention on the issue of education.
We believe the programme of action should highlight the need to invest in education from the onset of crisis, AND to make multiyear commitments in order to avoid that a large numbers of refugee and host community children and youth stay out of school for a long time.
Many host countries are taking on a great responsibilty in this respect. I would like to commend Syrias neigboring countries, Uganda and many others for what they have committed to achieve and achieved in the field of education. The host countries deserve support from the international community in their efforts to include refugees in national education systems.
Girls education should be given particular attention. We need to provide the incentives that are required to ensure that girls attend school on equal footing as boys, and and that they dont drop out when reaching the secondary level as is too often the case. Safety from SGBV is very important in this respect, as well as support for families that keep children out of school in order to make ends meet.
The humaniatrian-development nexus is key in the education field. My country has been active in establishing the Education Cannot Wait Fund. The purpose of this fund is to push education in emergencies up the international agenda, to raise much needed additional funds and not least to bridge the humanitarian-development divide.
Norway believes education should be central in humanitarian responses. This includes not least refugee situations. We appreciate the excellent work done the UNHCR and Unicef and many other agencies and civil society organisations in this respect. Norway allocates at least 8 pst of our humanitarian budget for education. EiE will remain a top priority in the years to come.