The IDSN Executive Director and the Dalit Solidarity Network in Norway, met with Norway’s Minister of International Development, Dag-Inge Ulstein, who confirmed Norway’s long-standing support to IDSN and eliminating caste-based discrimination.

The Minister stressed the importance of specifically addressing key SDGs as highlighted in IDSN’s new strategy including Sustainable Development Goals 1 (Poverty); 5 (Gender); 8 (Decent Work); 10 (Inequality); and 16 (Access to justice). The Minister will soon visit Nepal and IDSN will provide a briefing in advance of the visit and encourage Mr. Ulstein to meet with our Dalit members in country, to learn first-hand of the issues faced.

The IDSN Director, Meena Varma, was in Oslo to meet the members of the Dalit Solidarity Network Norway, including the Norwegian Human Rights Fund, Church of Norway, Plan International and others, many of whom also took part in the meeting.

Ms. Varma also met with the Director of IEH – Norway’s Ethical Trading Initiative, who pledged her support for the soon-to-be launched ETI-UK Guidance on ‘Caste in Global Supply Chains’.

All the members of the Dalit Solidarity Network Norway are engaged with the work of IDSN and the meetings served as a good opportunity to share learnings and coordinate initiatives aimed at addressing caste discrimination in the member organisations’ relevant programmes in caste-affected countries.