UNICEF’s Executive Director Tony Lake with Jon Fredrik Baksaas, CEO of Telenor. Photo: UNICEF

[Via Satellite 02-19-2014] Telenor Group and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have signed a five-year global agreement to promote children’s development through financial support and providing access to mobile technology solutions that will help to advance children’s rights.

Telenor and UNICEF will focus on UNICEF programs to advance child survival, development and protection using mobile technology. This agreement includes an annual contribution of $580,000 from both organizations for the next five years. The partnership will support UNICEF’s work for children, with a focus on countries in Asia where Telenor is prominent.

“Telenor has a large presence in Asia and we are looking forward to be working together with UNICEF in support of children’s rights and development in the region,” said Jon Fredrik Baksaas, president and CEO of Telenor Group. “The mobile industry has proven to have positive effects on economic and social welfare; it is our ambition to extend the benefits of telecommunications into all markets where we operate.”