Introduction
Swiss International Cooperation – Annual Report 2020
«Covid-19 posed enormous challenges for international cooperation as well in 2020. Switzerland responded swiftly and flexibly to the crisis to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and its serious social, economic and humanitarian consequences. We adapted many existing programmes and committed additional funds to new global partnerships. Because we can only cope with a pandemic of this magnitude if we work together.»
Patricia Danzi
Ambassador, Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
«The Coronavirus crisis is a stress test for all of us – especially for poorer countries. Now we need to focus on overcoming the crisis, supporting economic growth in the aftermath and staying on the path towards long-term goals such as sustainability. We have responded but are still facing numerous challenges: Securing jobs, supporting SMEs and strengthening the resilience of people and the economy is now more important than ever. With Switzerland’s international cooperation strategy, we are in a great position to make a contribution.»
Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch
SECO Director
Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch
SECO Director
Global
Overcoming global challenges
Global challenges such as climate change, malnutrition, water scarcity, irregular migration and health crises increasingly affect the sustainable development of the middle and low income countries. As a neutral mediator with recognised expertise, Switzerland is committed to developing effective solutions at the multilateral level.
Crises
Managing crises, disasters and fragility
Protecting and assisting the victims of humanitarian crises and disasters is a priority for Switzerland's international cooperation. These humanitarian efforts focus on fragile contexts in particular.
Resources
Resources and services for all
Switzerland’s international cooperation aims to improve the living conditions of poor and vulnerable people. Life in dignity depends on permanent access to necessary resources and services.
Economy
Promoting sustainable economic growth
Switzerland focuses its efforts on helping its partner countries achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth. It believes that all sections of the population should benefit from this growth, and that the well-being of future generations should not be compromised. The key to this is more and better jobs, as well as a favourable business environment. Sustainable growth gives people new opportunities and prospects, and reduces global risks.
Democracy
Strengthening the rule of law, democracy and institutions
Switzerland has a long democratic tradition and uses its experience to support other countries in developing the rule of law, building democratic structures and strengthening institutions. This takes place at both the national and local level. The goal is to establish peaceful and stable societies in Switzerland's partner countries.
Freedom
Promoting human rights and basic freedoms
Through its international cooperation, Switzerland actively works to ensure respect for, as well as to protect, promote and dynamically develop human rights. It conducts political dialogue in several partner countries and is active within various multilateral institutions.
Gender
Achieving gender equality
Gender inequality is one of the greatest obstacles to sustainable development, economic growth, and poverty reduction. Switzerland is helping to ensure that women and men have the same right to develop their potential and can use their resources in a meaningful way.
Migration
Migration in focus
Poverty and migration are among the greatest global challenges. People migrate for a variety of reasons. Some leave their homelands on account of violence and conflict. Others are looking for better work prospects. Decent work is the most effective means of eradicating poverty. More and better jobs are key to generating economic development that includes as many people as possible and reduces the pressure to migrate.
Effectiveness
Effectiveness in focus
Work
in 2020 on effectiveness was also affected by the constraints imposed by the
Covid-19 pandemic. With many of the scheduled project visits of independent
evaluators cancelled due to travel restrictions, the ongoing evaluations had to
be adapted to the changed conditions. Together with other donor countries,
Switzerland is participating in an initiative of the OECD's Network on
Development Evaluation. This initiative aims to incorporate experience from
past, comparable situations when adapting development projects and programmes.
Statistics
Statistics 2020
International cooperation activities by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Economic Cooperation and Development Division of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) constitute the major part of Swiss Official Development Assistance (ODA), which also includes contributions from other federal offices as well as activities supported by cantons and municipalities.
A global response to Covid-19 built on solidarity
Global problems require global solutions. And global solutions must involve everyone. The Federal Council was aware of this when it approved a special credit for the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic in May 2020. But who should coordinate the international response?
Some global health actors joined forces to fight the virus together. Ultimately, in May 2020, the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) was launched. Health experts all agreed on the strategy needed: rapid diagnostic testing, effective vaccines, new therapies and health system strengthening. Switzerland supports this four-pillar approach and is itself presiding over the diagnostics pillar. Switzerland was one of the first countries to respond to the call, pledging CHF 70 million for ACT-A.
International and Swiss research centres and pharmaceutical companies are working hand in hand with charitable foundations and public and private donors to develop new technologies. Specialised global funds have started leveraging resources. They are financing the procurement and distribution of medical products. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines norms and standards for use by national health ministries.
At the end of September 2020, the diagnostics pillar announced the approval of two new rapid tests that will be provided exclusively to low-income countries at a lower price. The vaccine pillar secured 500 million doses from various pharmaceutical companies at the end of 2020. This is expected to allow 92 low-income countries to receive Covid-19 vaccines.
Switzerland has an important role to play as the host state of large health organisations and the location of key pharmaceutical companies. Switzerland recognises the 'right to health' as a human right. It is therefore committed to ensuring through ACT-A that all countries have equitable access to medical technologies and Covid-19 vaccines. Special attention is given to low-income countries.
Tanzania: encouraging youth participation through the media
Listen here to a programme by Niambie in Swahili about the difficulties girls face when going to school.
Niambie, which is Swahili for 'talk to me', is multimedia project is designed to connect young people through a weekly radio show and social media.
Funded by Switzerland and realised by BBC Media Action, it aims to provide relevant information to help young people learn more about their rights and responsibilities. The project aims to build their confidence so that they get involved in their communities and in decision-making processes.
Funded by Switzerland and realised by BBC Media Action, it aims to provide relevant information to help young people learn more about their rights and responsibilities. The project aims to build their confidence so that they get involved in their communities and in decision-making processes.
The show has experts and influential people, such as popular musicians, come on the air and share their views on different topics such as health, governance and personal finance. Listeners can call in or participate through social media. Some listeners and guests may improvise to express their opinions.
Since its inception in 2013, Niambie has reached 3.8 million listeners. Young people tuning in are more informed and confident regarding their participation in democratic processes. The programme gives them a better understanding of political decision-making and the need for leaders to be held accountable.
Equal opportunities and rights for women and men are a major concern of Niambie's radio show. Its young female listeners say that they have expanded their knowledge on topics such as discrimination and gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and the difficulties they face on their way to school.
«I have learned a lot from Niambie. I now know that I can be politically active and express my opinions as a young woman. On the Niambie Facebook page, I can also discuss everyday issues with other young people in Tanzania.»
Zainab Juma Kabelengwa
Dar es Salaam
«I have learned a lot from Niambie. I now know that I can be politically active and express my opinions as a young woman. On the Niambie Facebook page, I can also discuss everyday issues with other young people in Tanzania.»
Zainab Juma Kabelengwa
Dar es Salaam
Inclusive democratic and electoral processes are a key factor in social development. Niambie focuses mainly on encouraging young people to participate in their own development process.
Further information
Website of the SDC: Tanzania
Website of the SDC: good governance
Listen to the latest Niambie broadcast (in Swahili)
Follow Niambie on Facebook
Further information
Website of the SDC: Tanzania
Website of the SDC: good governance
Listen to the latest Niambie broadcast (in Swahili)
Follow Niambie on Facebook
Multilateral action to combat poverty
In May 2020, the Federal Council decided that Switzerland would contribute a total of CHF 879 million to the replenishments of the International Development Association (IDA) – part of the World Bank Group – and the African Development Fund.
Both funds provide the poorest developing countries with low-interest loans, grants and technical assistance. These fight poverty, promote sustainable development and help address the health-related, social and economic consequences of the Covid-19 crisis.
Switzerland has been a member of the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank for many years. It helps determine these banks' strategic orientation and shape their programmes. It also participates in negotiations and promotes its priorities. These include implementing high environmental and social standards, combating climate change and creating good jobs in developing countries.
The development banks are also important partners of developing countries for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Bank and the African Development Bank quickly approved emergency relief packages of USD 14 billion and USD 10 billion, respectively, in 2020. These bolstered healthcare systems and provided emergency loans to companies to protect jobs.
The World Bank's Covid-19 programme in Madagascar, for instance, aims to mitigate the immediate impact of the pandemic and help rebuild a stronger and more resilient economy. This includes, for example, simplified procedures for opening electronic accounts. These facilitate payments to vulnerable communities.
The African Development Bank's Covid-19 assistance programme for the Sahel region is strengthening the healthcare systems of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger and cushioning the social and economic impact of the crisis. Thanks to the emergency relief, Niger was able to quickly expand its social support programmes to help around two million people in need.
Art and culture creating space for dialogue
In the rural areas of Algeria, it is difficult for women to earn their own money and decide for themselves how to live their lives. Among other problems, they do not receive enough education and have to spend long hours on household chores. Nevertheless, they have managed to create a network of solidarity. How?
Through collective projects, music and poetry – in short, through art! In workshops, for example, young women have been learning how to tell their own stories about their homeland in short films. The workshops are an opportunity to reflect on the identity of their home country, which helps to create meaning as well as address taboo topics. Like here in North Africa, Switzerland often supports cultural projects that promote development, peacebuilding and diversity of values.
Art and culture are suppressed in many regions of the world and even run the risk of being instrumentalised. But these regions are the very places where they have great potential for creating dialogue. That is why exchange and mutual learning across borders and disciplines are so crucial. And this is where the international conference Art at Risk, organised by the Artas Foundation in cooperation with Switzerland and Zurich University of the Arts, came into play in February 2020.
In order to further international cooperation and artistic creation, the conference brought together, in Zurich, some 180 artists and organisations from all over the world. Among other issues, they discussed how to deal with the risks that artists face in fragile contexts. Another topic was how art can help to promote democracy and peace in conflict-ridden regions.
«[Arts and culture] create a diversity of expression, alternatives for young people, and space to express grievances in a positive way. This is the exact opposite of fund.»
Karima Bennoune
UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights
Karima Bennoune
UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights
Switzerland published a collection of ten reflection papers in 2020. They show the potential of cultural creation and explain how Switzerland's commitment to culture can promote peaceful coexistence and economic development.
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Switzerland in international comparison ODA 2020
Official development assistance (ODA) from member countries of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) totalled USD 161.1 billion in 2020. Switzerland takes the 9th position in the international ranking comparing the ODA/GNI ratio of all DAC member countries.
In terms of financial volume, the largest donors are the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and France. Switzerland take the 11th place in absolute numbers.
In terms of financial volume, the largest donors are the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and France. Switzerland take the 11th place in absolute numbers.
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Composition and evolution of Swiss ODA from 2004 to 2020
The share of SDC/SECO in international cooperation accounts for almost 80% of total ODA. Certain costs linked to the assistance to asylum seekers in Switzerland are recorded as ODA: their share fluctuates between 8% and 21% depending on the year. The rest includes other contributions from the Confederation, including bilateral debt relief operations, as well as of cantons and municipalities.
The target set by the Parliament of an ODA/GNI rate of 0.5% has been reached by 2015 thanks to the growth of the means granted to international cooperation. ODA decreased after 2016 due to falling asylum costs and savings measures in international cooperation credits. In connection with the Covid-19 supplementary credit, ODA shows an increase in 2020. Its share of GNI is 0.48%.
The target set by the Parliament of an ODA/GNI rate of 0.5% has been reached by 2015 thanks to the growth of the means granted to international cooperation. ODA decreased after 2016 due to falling asylum costs and savings measures in international cooperation credits. In connection with the Covid-19 supplementary credit, ODA shows an increase in 2020. Its share of GNI is 0.48%.
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Composition and evolution of multilateral ODA of Switzerland from 2004 to 2019
Multilateral ODA includes core contributions from SDC and other federal agencies to international development institutions. International financial institutions (IFIs), of which the International Development Association (IDA), were the main beneficiaries of Switzerland's multilateral ODA, followed by United Nations agencies and finally other international organisations.
During the last fitfeen years, Switzerland's share of multilateral ODA remained relatively stable, between 20% and 25% of total ODA.
Contributions to international non-governmental organisations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), are considered bilateral ODA and therefore do not appear in this table.
During the last fitfeen years, Switzerland's share of multilateral ODA remained relatively stable, between 20% and 25% of total ODA.
Contributions to international non-governmental organisations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), are considered bilateral ODA and therefore do not appear in this table.
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Europe, North Africa and the Middle East
Subsaharian Africa
Asia
Latin America
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Europe, North Africa and the Middle East
Swiss cooperation with Eastern Europe supports the Western Balkans and countries of the former Soviet Union in their transition to a social market economy and democracy. As a result, Switzerland helps to restore stability in these states and improves the opportunities available to the people living there.
In North Africa, projects focus on democratic transition and human rights, sustainable and inclusive economic development and employment, and migration and protection.
In the Middle East, SDC is working to provide protection and basic services for refugees and others in need, and to ensure sustainable water management.
In North Africa, projects focus on democratic transition and human rights, sustainable and inclusive economic development and employment, and migration and protection.
In the Middle East, SDC is working to provide protection and basic services for refugees and others in need, and to ensure sustainable water management.
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Subsaharian Africa
Switzerland's international cooperation concentrates more than a third of its resources on sub-Saharan Africa.
The focus of development cooperation is on the access of poor people to basic social services (health, education), infrastructure (water), employment and income, and sustainable growth.
The Humanitarian Aid department implements programmes in the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, Central Africa and Southern Africa. It is active in various areas such as strengthening resilience to the effects of drought, protecting civilians in armed conflicts, food security, access to water and sanitation.
The focus of development cooperation is on the access of poor people to basic social services (health, education), infrastructure (water), employment and income, and sustainable growth.
The Humanitarian Aid department implements programmes in the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, Central Africa and Southern Africa. It is active in various areas such as strengthening resilience to the effects of drought, protecting civilians in armed conflicts, food security, access to water and sanitation.
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Asia
Through its transition aid to countries in Central Asia, Switzerland supports regional and national water ressources managment, private sector development, as well as reforms in the public sector and the health sector.
Switzerland's international cooperation in East and South Asia focuses on countries and regions with persistently high multidimensional poverty rates, for example in terms of income, lack of security, limited access to services, chronic malnutrition, vulnerability to ecological and economic shocks, and social and ethnic discrimination of large population groups.
Switzerland's international cooperation in East and South Asia focuses on countries and regions with persistently high multidimensional poverty rates, for example in terms of income, lack of security, limited access to services, chronic malnutrition, vulnerability to ecological and economic shocks, and social and ethnic discrimination of large population groups.
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Latin America
SDC's program in Latin America cover local governance and decentralisation, job and income creation, climate change and water. In fragile contexts (Honduras, Haiti), the focus is on preventing violence, promoting human rights and strengthening the state.
In Peru, SECO’s main areas of support are the development of economic institutions, private sector competitiveness and access to basic public services. In Columbia, where certain areas continue to be heavily impacted by the presence of organized armed groups and organized crime, SECO is working to create better economic prospects, thereby also contributing to lasting peace.
In Peru, SECO’s main areas of support are the development of economic institutions, private sector competitiveness and access to basic public services. In Columbia, where certain areas continue to be heavily impacted by the presence of organized armed groups and organized crime, SECO is working to create better economic prospects, thereby also contributing to lasting peace.
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SDC Cooperation with Eastern Europe
Swiss cooperation with Eastern Europe assists countries of the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia in building social market economies and in strengthening democracy and the rule of law.
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Humanitarian Aid
The humanitarian aid operations of the SDC are an expression of Switzerland's solidarity towards population groups in distress. The Humanitarian Aid of SDC focuses on emergency aid, the reconstruction and rehabilitation of disaster-stricken areas, and disaster risk reduction.
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SECO Development and economic cooperation by objective
SECO's economic and trade policy measures have four objectives. These include: more efficient institutions and services, more and better jobs, stronger trade and competitiveness, and a low emissions and climate resilient economy. They all contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth.
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SDC South and Global Cooperation
Through more than 500 programmes and projects, SDC's South and Global Cooperation focus on 10 thematic areas. The SDC adapts its priorities according to the needs of the 21 cooperation partner countries and regions.
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Bilateral expenditures by region
The SDC concentrates most of its activities in the lowest income countries. In 2020, more than half of the bilateral spending went to Africa and the Middle East.
SECO is more active in middle-income countries. Transition assistance in Eastern countries accounts for almost one-third of 2020 expenditure. The share for Africa and the Middle East has increased to one third of total expenditure.
SECO is more active in middle-income countries. Transition assistance in Eastern countries accounts for almost one-third of 2020 expenditure. The share for Africa and the Middle East has increased to one third of total expenditure.
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Distribution and evolution of SDC expenditures
To reach the Parliament's target of 0.5% of ODA in proportion of Gross national income (GNI), the financial means awarded to international cooperation steadily grew till 2015.
Between 2016 and 2018, the international cooperation credits have been impacted by budgets cuts decided by the Federal Council and approved by the Parliament.
The 2020 increase is related to the additional credit approved by Parliament to support international efforts to mitigate the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic. This includes the loan to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of CHF 200 million.
Between 2016 and 2018, the international cooperation credits have been impacted by budgets cuts decided by the Federal Council and approved by the Parliament.
The 2020 increase is related to the additional credit approved by Parliament to support international efforts to mitigate the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic. This includes the loan to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of CHF 200 million.
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Distribution and evolution of SECO expenditures
SECO's resources have gradually increased with the aim of achieving the target of an ODA/GNI rate of 0.5% by 2015.
Between 2016 and 2018, the resources have gradually decreased as a result of the Confederation's economic measures which particularly affected the credits of international cooperation.
Between 2016 and 2018, the resources have gradually decreased as a result of the Confederation's economic measures which particularly affected the credits of international cooperation.
Covid-19: Switzerland strengthens international cooperation
The Covid-19 pandemic is having a dramatic impact on people's health and on economic and social life worldwide. Developing countries have been particularly affected: healthcare systems there are often deficient, people have neither savings nor regular wages and they cannot rely on a stable social security system to protect their livelihoods.
On 29 April 2020, the Federal Council decided that Switzerland would contribute CHF 400 million to international efforts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, particularly in developing countries.
Switzerland reacted quickly, efficiently and flexibly. To strengthen the effectiveness of its action, international cooperation relies on the close link between emergency humanitarian aid and medium- and long-term development cooperation.
In order to combat the spread of Covid-19, Switzerland has supplied equipment to several countries, including protective medical equipment and devices for disinfecting surfaces and masks. To ensure that there would be enough of
this material in Switzerland, all supplies were checked accordingly in advance in Switzerland before being shipped abroad.
Switzerland's work has also included its support for the Geneva-based Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND). This foundation promotes research efforts towards developing new rapid tests to detect the Covid-19 pathogen. It also contributes to their distribution in the Global South.
Switzerland has adapted its currently ongoing projects and programmes within the existing budgets. It has taken effective measures to combat the consequences of the pandemic on the health and economic and social life of people in developing countries.
Ukraine: More transparency and less corruption thanks to e-governance
A lack of transparency in decision-making processes, corruption and insufficient access to important information for citizens characterise relations between the authorities and the population in Ukraine. There is a widespread atmosphere of mutual distrust and the authorities are seldom held fully accountable.
To tackle these problems, Switzerland has been supporting a project in the field of e-governance since 2015.
The goals of e-governance include increasing the population's participation in local decision-making processes. For example, citizens should be able to fill in forms directly on the government's website and to exercise their voting rights electronically. In future, this should restrict possibilities for corruption.
Another goal of the project is to help improve the quality of public services and to facilitate people's access to them, with a focus here on disadvantaged groups in rural areas. This particularly concerns the elderly and internally displaced persons from the east of the country.
The project also included the launch of a platform for local e-democracy. Over 250 communities across Ukraine now use this platform. The goal of such process automation is to reduce corruption and increase transparency in the longer term.
Hygiene as disease prevention
In spring 2020, Mali's chronically overburdened healthcare system was in danger of collapse because of Covid-19. Even basic hygiene facilities such as toilets and washbasins were lacking in many places. In this context, a request from Mali's healthcare authorities reached the Swiss Water and Sanitation Consortium, which receives financial support from Switzerland.
Terre des hommes, as a member of the Consortium, proposed a Covid-19 and WASH (water and sanitation for health) crisis intervention: to curb the spread of infections, experts should be asked to improve water, sanitation and hygiene services in eight districts in the Ségou region. These projects were implemented with the involvement of the population.
Within a few weeks, water and hand-washing stations were opened in healthcare facilities. Sanitary facilities were made accessible to people with reduced mobility and measures were taken to provide hygienic care for women during menstruation. Healthcare workers and authorities attended training courses in water quality, hygiene and infectious diseases.
To raise awareness of Covid-19 and counteract rumours, Terre des Hommes launched a campaign with mobile teams and the National Centre for Information, Education and Communication for Health. They produced and distributed posters spreading the campaign's official messages. Local media and traditional town criers joined this work, helping to demonstrate to the population the link between hygiene and the spread of disease.
As a result, more than 100,000 people, including 25,000 people in IDP regions, were told about Covid-19 and hygiene measures. All healthcare centres in the Ségou region now have a system for the initial assessment and treatment of Covid-19 cases. The ten healthcare centres with the most limited financial means in the region now provide basic WASH services to about 24,000 people.
Honduras: peacebuilding
In Honduras, poverty is widespread and violence is pervasive, weakening the entire social fabric. Compounding this is the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, which is particularly severe on people's mental health.
Faced with the challenge of the pandemic, Switzerland adapted its programme. Taking a psychosocial approach, it aims to empower vulnerable groups, human rights organisations and its partners to cope better with the crisis psychologically and socially.
«During the pandemic, when we were all already very distraught, a fellow activist and friend of mine was murdered. Psychosocial support helped us – me and other activists – to recognise our fears, to share the pain, to grieve and to learn how to overcome it in order to continue our work in defence of human rights and land.»
German Chirinos
Coordinator of the Movimiento Ambientalista Social del Sur por la Vida
German Chirinos
Coordinator of the Movimiento Ambientalista Social del Sur por la Vida
Thanks to the methods used (personal development workshops, spaces for dialogue, therapeutic games), people and communities feel empowered and regain their ability to take action.
Launched in 2017 and implemented by the Organismo Cristiano de Desarrollo Integral de Honduras (OCDIH), a Christian organisation for holistic development, the programme relies on a psychosocial approach to reduce levels of violence and social conflict. It provides individualised help, encourages social recognition of trauma and addresses the need to share severe suffering to make it more bearable. The psychosocial approach does not perform solely therapeutic functions – it is also a cornerstone of the peacebuilding process.
It provides individualised help, encourages social recognition of trauma and addresses the need to share severe suffering to make it more bearable. The psychosocial approach does not perform solely therapeutic functions – it is also a cornerstone of the peacebuilding process.
With Switzerland's support, Honduras's National Police, the National Autonomous University of Honduras and 12 organisations active in areas such as human rights and support for indigenous peoples and Hondurans of African descent have integrated this approach into their training processes.
Thanks to a curriculum based on psychosocial approaches and development set up by a group of experts, psychosocial skills are being integrated in a lasting way into the training courses and activities of Honduran organisations.
Further information
Website of the SDC: Central America (Honduras and Nicaragua)
Website OCDIH (es): Organismo Cristiano de Desarrollo Integral de Honduras
Further information
Website of the SDC: Central America (Honduras and Nicaragua)
Website OCDIH (es): Organismo Cristiano de Desarrollo Integral de Honduras
94 tonnes of relief supplies for needy people in Venezuela
For several years, Venezuela has been in the throes of a serious political, economic and social crisis. The consequences – already severe – have been aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Humanitarian organisations face many difficulties, particularly in the delivery of medical equipment.
At the request of the UN, several NGOs and the ICRC, Switzerland chartered a cargo plane and organised the transport of relief supplies to Venezuela. On 19 June, 94 tonnes of humanitarian supplies from the requesting organisations arrived in Caracas.
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Most of the cargo consisted of medical goods, such as personal protective equipment for Covid-19, medicines, emergency aid equipment and hygiene products. It also included equipment for the purification of drinking water. More than one million people benefited from this campaign.
The delivery took place under the supervision of members of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, representatives of the Swiss embassy in Caracas and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
This operation received broad support from various national and international actors. It demonstrates Switzerland's strong commitment to humanitarian principles, even in a highly polarised environment.
Leave No One Behind
Albania has made major efforts in recent years to strengthen respect for human rights. Nevertheless, disadvantaged groups – Roma and people with disabilities – remain excluded from opportunities and services, and in some cases cannot benefit from economic growth.
The poverty level of Roma is twice as high as that of the non-Roma majority. This situation is linked, among other factors, to poor access to education, social and health services.
The situation is similar for people with disabilities. For example, in this group, eight out of ten adults of working age are excluded from the labour market.
The situation is similar for people with disabilities. For example, in this group, eight out of ten adults of working age are excluded from the labour market.
With the Leave No One Behind programme, Switzerland, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is working to ensure that disadvantaged people have the same opportunities as everyone else in Albania.
The programme supports the Albanian authorities in implementing strategies for the social inclusion of disadvantaged people. Here, Switzerland works with four different UN partner agencies.
The Leave No One Behind programme helps empower disadvantaged people by improving their access to public services. To date, around 7,000 of them have engaged with local authorities on key issues and around 2,750 people have received quality social services as a direct result.
Beirut explosion: 80 buildings inspected, numerous schools and hospitals repaired
On 4 August, 2020, 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in the port of Beirut exploded around 6pm local time. The explosion claimed some 180 lives and injured over 6,500 people. The shock wave triggered by the detonation destroyed entire streets around the port. In addition, 178 schools and several hospitals were damaged or destroyed.
Less than 40 hours after the explosion, Swiss Humanitarian Aid dispatched experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) to Beirut. The civil engineers, psychologists, architects and healthcare professionals assisted the Swiss embassy in assessing the humanitarian situation.
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In close cooperation with the city administration and the UN, Swiss experts inspected over 80 public buildings and checked their level of structural integrity.
Following this first step, Switzerland sent medical staff and about 1,500kg of materials to Beirut to support maternal and child care in the St. George and Quarantine hospitals. Under the supervision of a Swiss construction engineer, the necessary repairs were made to both hospitals so that healthcare for the affected population could be resumed quickly.
Switzerland supported repair work at 19 public schools by providing SHA experts and making financial contributions. The schools were selected in cooperation with Lebanon's Ministry of Education, with particular emphasis on schools for the poorer sections of the Lebanese population and for Syrian and Palestinian refugees.
In total, Switzerland provided up to CHF 6 million to support the population in Beirut. Of this, CHF 4 million was deployed to provide direct support (CHF 2 million for health and CHF 2 million for education) and CHF 1 million to support NGO work related to education. The remaining CHF 1 million was paid in equal parts to the Lebanese Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Gender-based violence, a pandemic to be curbed
Globally, gender-based violence (GBV) is widespread. During emergencies and crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the problem is exacerbated. In Mongolia, a 47% increase in domestic violence cases was reported by the police in early 2020. In addition, restrictions related to the pandemic limit victims' ability to escape violence and find help.
In partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Mongolian government, Switzerland is taking measures in the field to strengthen the national capacity to combat gender-based violence. It is supporting the creation of a reliable database to raise awareness of the phenomenon and the implementation of measures to curb such violence.
Thanks to the awareness-raising and advocacy work supported by Switzerland, significant progress has been made. There is now a law that criminalises domestic violence, more shelters for victims have been opened and the first mandatory training centre for perpetrators has been established.
«I often feel that GBV survivors are living in a situation much like the frontline of a war. Our work as service providers is to escape the warzone and to help them find peace in their lives.»
Nyambayar
Social worker in the shelter operated by the National Center Against Violence
Nyambayar
Social worker in the shelter operated by the National Center Against Violence
Gender-based violence has disastrous physical and psychological consequences for women and their children, and is a major obstacle to sustainable development.
«They helped rebuild my life and marriage. Without all the services and therapy, it would have never been possible to have my family all together again. I smile a lot more now than before. I now have faith in my future. With the support of the OSSC team, I found a new me and I feel like I have been reborn.»
Dulam
Survivor hosted in a One Stop Service Center (OSSC)
Hurricanes in Central America: Switzerland provides emergency aid
Last November, Hurricane Iota (Category 4 on a scale of 5) hit the countries of Central America. The torrential rains that followed caused considerable damage in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. These countries were just recovering from the destruction caused by Hurricane Eta, which had swept through the same region a few weeks earlier.
Switzerland responded, providing aid to the populations of these three countries. As a first step, it sent four disaster management specialists to Guatemala as part of the Grupo de Intervención y Apoyo Rápido (GIAR), a team of experts formed from Swiss representations in Latin America.
GIAR was sent to the isolated villages of the department of Alta Verapaz, where the damage was significant. They provided aid to over 1,700 families, delivering food, clean water, hygiene products and Covid-19 protection kits.
Switzerland also sent four tonnes of relief goods to Nicaragua. The shipment was prepared in the Wabern warehouse near Bern and included well-cleaning equipment, water distribution systems and
multipurpose tents. The equipment was handed over to Nicaraguan civil protection workers and two Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit specialists trained local teams on how to use it.
Switzerland allocated CHF 1 million for those affected in Honduras and supported two projects on the country's Caribbean coast, where Swiss international cooperation projects were already under way. The first is an emergency food aid project of the UN World Food Programme. The second is run by the NGO GOAL, which is active in the water sector.
In total, Switzerland donated CHF 2.7 million to meet the needs of people in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala in the wake of hurricanes Iota and Eta.
After the emergency phase, Switzerland initiated a monetary assistance programme in Guatemala, in the towns of San Pedro Carchá and Chisec. The aim is to allow some 2,000 inhabitants to rebuild their livelihoods.
Economic growth thanks to financing opportunities for women entrepreneurs
There are over one million small and medium-sized enterprises in the Middle East and North Africa region, and women own about one third of them. Yet these women entrepreneurs receive less than 10% of commercial loans. They face legal and cultural barriers. There is a lack of trust between banks and their female clients.
Switzerland and the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group are promoting access to financial services for Egyptian, Moroccan and Tunisian women entrepreneurs through the Women Banking Champions programme.
For example, the programme has a partnership with Banque Misr, an Egyptian bank. This bank is one of Egypt's largest, with over 700 branches and approximately seven million customers.
The Women Banking Champions program helps the bank to conduct needs assessments and to launch new and improve existing products and services designed to meet the needs of women. The programme also supports women entrepreneurs in capacity-building and business management.
«Our strategy is based on financial inclusion. We want the women among our customers to also be able to realise their full potential. With this programme, we are giving them the opportunity to participate in the country's economy. The results of this collaboration can transform the Egyptian banking sector and the economy of the entire country.»
Wassim Hosny El Metwally
Head of Strategy, Change & Sustainability Management at Banque Misr
Wassim Hosny El Metwally
Head of Strategy, Change & Sustainability Management at Banque Misr
The programme is based on a successful pilot project carried out jointly with BLC Bank in Lebanon. BLC has become a pioneer in women-focused banking in the region. It is recruiting more women for its workforce and has set up a department to develop new financial products for female customers. Loans to women-run businesses have increased from USD 11 million to USD 21 million in just a few years.
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Covid-19-related expenditure by SDC & SECO
SDC and SECO expenditure has increased in 2020 compared to 2019. The increase can largely be explained by support for projects and programmes related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Covid-19-related SDC & SECO expenditure by region
The SDC and SECO implement and support projects and programmes in partner countries and at regional and global level. They also support various multilateral organisations in their programmes. In all regions, the SDC and SECO have supported projects related to the coronavirus pandemic, most of the support taking place via global programmes or in a multilateral framework.
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Covid-19-related expenditure by SECO according to impact goals
SECO's four impact goals, which contribute to sustainable economic growth, were all addressed in 2020 as well. In the expenditure related to the coronavirus pandemic, SECO focused on strengthening effective institutions and services.
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Covid-19-related expenditure of SDC's South and Global Cooperation by theme
The SDC's South and Global Cooperation focus on ten themes. In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, the largest expenditure in 2020 was in the area of health, but in order to mitigate the economic and health impacts of the crisis, other thematic areas were also in focus. To address the crisis, the SDC both adapted ongoing bilateral projects and programmes and launched new efforts to respond to Covid-19 crisis worldwide.
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Covid-19-related expenditure of SDC cooperation with Eastern Europe by theme
The SDC's cooperation with Eastern Europe focuses on six themes. Just under half of the Covid-19 related expenditure was used for projects in the health sector. One third of the expenditure was allocated to activities outside the priority themes due to exceptional needs in the context of pandemic response.
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Covid-19-related SDC humanitarian aid expenditure by theme
SDC's humanitarian aid is mainly active in seven thematic areas. In the coping with the coronavirus pandemic, projects in the area of health were at the centre, but other activities were also focused on when addressing the Covid-19 crisis.
Regional Housing Programme
As a result of the war in the 1990s, over three million people were displaced in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro. And there are hundreds of thousands of displaced people still living in the Western Balkans today.
In order to improve the difficult situation that displaced persons have been in for so many years, the four states decided in 2011 to launch a programme to provide housing solutions in the region.
The target group includes vulnerable refugees, displaced persons and elderly people. Through the programme, they can choose to return to their original place of residence or remain where they are currently living.
Improved and sustainable housing solutions are to be found for everyone, either through the (re)construction or purchase of flats and houses, the provision of building materials or accommodation in social institutions.
The Regional Housing Programme is expected to be able to provide permanent and sustainable housing solutions for 36,000 people in 11,800 units by 2022.
Comprehensive labour market reforms in Qatar provide better protection for migrant workers
Bee works in an affluent neighbourhood in Doha, Qatar. Originally from India, she now lives with her employer as a domestic worker. She doesn't know anyone in town and speaks broken English.
One day she confides in a neighbourhood nanny that she has not been paid for months, works overtime regularly and is being mistreated. Upon arrival, her mobile phone, passport and residence permit were taken from her.
Like Bee, thousands of foreign domestic workers in the Middle East are suffering. They are subject to the Kafala system, which has been in place in the region for some time.
But what does this system entail? Foreign workers are bound to a citizen – usually their employer – in their host country. These citizens sponsor the workers' residence permits. However, insufficient government regulation and a lack of inspections lead to exploitation and undignified living conditions.
Switzerland has been working for years to improve the working and
living conditions of migrant workers in the Middle East. For example, it worked together with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to push for a standardised employment contract for domestic workers in Lebanon. This contract is intended to provide the legal protection they need, to regulate working hours, to protect them from the consequences of accidents and illnesses, and to ensure decent accommodation. The Lebanese government approved this contract at the end of 2020, but recruitment agencies have lodged a legal appeal that is currently blocking the contract's implementation.
Back to Qatar: Switzerland was in close dialogue with the labour ministry, providing it with expertise and advice. Switzerland also supported civil society organisations that publicly represented the concerns of migrant workers and became involved in the reform process.
The work of Switzerland and many other actors bore fruit in August 2020: Qatar initiated comprehensive reforms of its labour market to abolish the Kafala system – an important signal for the region and for migrant workers like Bee. New laws now guarantee a nationwide minimum wage and make it possible to change employers freely.
Mali: Education put to the test by the Covid-19 pandemic
On 18 March 2020, due to the health crisis, Mali decided to close its schools, depriving 3.8 million school-age children of the opportunity to continue their education. Community education centres, put in place for out-of-school children affected by the security crisis, were also closed. In all, 2 million more children are being denied an education.
The pandemic comes on top of the many challenges Mali is already facing because of the security crisis in the region. Young people and children are at greater risk of repeating a school year or dropping out. Switzerland supports the Malian government in its efforts to help children who drop out of school and to improve the quality of its education system by helping local actors to improve the administration of schools.
Schools also provide a protected and safe environment. During health and security crises, children are more vulnerable and more likely to be forcibly conscripted into armed groups. In these conflict zones, Switzerland supports measures to protect and educate children.
With support from Switzerland, educational centres and examination rooms were equipped with hand-washing kits and protective masks.
«The kits arrived at a time when Timbuktu was the epicentre of the disease. Their distribution reassured teachers and students. Today, despite the second wave, Timbuktu has very few cases.»
Mahamadou Moufliha, head of Timbuktu's teachers' resource centre
In addition to these measures, information and awareness-raising messages on precautions to be taken against Covid-19 were broadcast on radio programmes in local languages (Bambara, Fulfulde, Songhay).
Globally, school closures have affected 1.6 billion students in 190 countries. To mitigate the impact of the pandemic on education, in June 2020 Switzerland launched an international call for action. It donated CHF 6 million to the Global Partnership for Education and CHF 2.6 million to the Education Cannot Wait emergency education fund. It is also promoting the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies.
Sustainable energy for displaced people and their host communities
Most of the nearly 80 million displaced people worldwide do not have access to electricity. Ninety-four per cent of them live in remote areas that are not connected to the national power grid.
To improve their living conditions and complement humanitarian aid efforts on the ground, Switzerland supports development solutions that can focus on medium-term socio-economic aspects, including energy access. On the one hand, they support the public sector in its investments in energy infrastructure, and on the other, they promote innovative projects from the private sector.
Such solutions benefit both displaced people and their host communities. Displaced people can better integrate into their host communities, contribute to the economy and become more independent.
The World Bank's Energy Access Programme for Host Communities and Refugees, supported by Switzerland, assists 15 partner countries in ensuring that all population groups have access to electricity. Its main focus lies on countries in the Sahel, Lake Chad and Horn of Africa regions. The programme promotes cooperation and dialogue among humanitarian actors, development organisations and governments. It collects and analyses data, produces studies and develops scalable solutions that transpose electricity access from short-term humanitarian contexts to long-term development-focused solutions and can be extended to cover other vulnerable communities as well.
But good energy solutions at low cost and with fewer emissions can also be found in refugee camps. The Azraq camp in Jordan, for example, is the first refugee camp in the world to be fully powered by renewable energy. In 2020, its solar power installations produced five megawatts of electricity for more than 40,000 Syrian refugees. Moreover, the installations are connected to the national grid, thereby helping to cover the energy requirements of the host community.
Economic stimulus for municipalities in Tunisia
The Covid-19 crisis has pushed Tunisia into an economic recession with rising unemployment, public debt and poverty. Switzerland is assisting the country with investments that promote growth.
Since the Jasmine Revolution ten years ago, Tunisia has made great strides towards becoming a modern, decentralised democracy. Yet this progress is in danger because of the weak economy. The government is trying to compensate for the low economic growth rates by creating jobs in the public sector. However, this has seriously skewed the public budget.
The Covid-19 crisis has therefore hit the country hard. Gross domestic product shrank by 9% in 2020. In particular, the considerable revenues from tourism have collapsed. A relief package for the economy and people in need is causing public spending to continue to rise sharply while tax revenues are falling quickly.
The same pattern can be observed in Tunisia's municipalities. They are trying to maintain basic services such as social assistance, waste disposal
and public transport. This leaves hardly any financial resources to invest in local infrastructure, which is continuously deteriorating. Local companies, for which orders from the local government are an important source of income, are also suffering.
With a total of CHF 8.5 million, Switzerland is helping Tunisian municipalities to implement local investment projects. The cash injections are improving local infrastructure, bolstering the economy and helping to combat rising unemployment.
The amounts are distributed by the Tunisian state's Municipal Development Fund. This fund has criteria that function as financial incentives: the more a given municipality is run in a transparent, participatory and efficient manner, the more money it receives. This mechanism has resulted in measurable improvements in municipal governance over the past six years.
Final report on the implementation of the Dispatch 2017–20
At the beginning of 2020, the Federal Council submitted a report to Parliament and the public on the results of Switzerland's international cooperation from 2017 to 2020. Switzerland helped to save lives, give people living in poverty access to healthcare and education, and open up economic prospects. It also helped to sustain livelihoods by preserving natural resources. Lastly, Switzerland reinforced resilience in facing climate, economic and financial crises, and promoted democracy, peace and respect for human rights.
Switzerland supported 8.4 million people in developing countries in emergency situations and helped 1.2 million people to rebuild following natural disasters and armed conflicts. It supported 17 peace processes, including in Colombia and Mozambique. Nine million people, more than half of them women and girls, were given access to basic education and vocational skills development.
Swiss international cooperation helped to create 16,000 jobs for women in mountain regions. In North Africa, 59,000 loans were granted to small and medium-sized enterprises. And around
5.1 million inhabitants of 60 cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America benefited from a more sustainable approach to urban development.
Scientific studies, independent evaluations and impact reports confirm the positive contributions of Swiss international cooperation. As learning organisations, the SDC, SECO and PHRD address difficulties and unattained goals as part of continuous improvement efforts.
Drawing on the lessons learned, Switzerland will be working towards the following goals during the next four years:
- A stronger geographical and thematic focus to increase effectiveness.
- A stronger focus on more cross-sectoral projects to combat the globally felt effects of climate change.
- Targeted use of new technologies and digitalisation.
- Greater flexibility in the use of financial resources to also pursue migration-related cooperation with countries that are not priority countries for Swiss international cooperation.
- Stronger promotion of scientific studies and impact analyses in international cooperation.
Tunisia: improving young people's employment prospects
Young graduates, many of them unemployed, lacking prospects and discouraged, were one of the driving forces behind the 2011 revolution. Two years later, Switzerland launched a vocational training programme aimed at improving the employability of young graduates and the attractiveness of vocational training in Tunisia.
Carried out by Swisscontact, this programme has developed innovative training components, with a practical approach in line with the needs of the labour market. In addition, the programme emphasises the key role of the private sector. This programme is part of the Ministry of Vocational Training and Employment's plan to reform the vocational training system.
The programme's components include 'training companies' (TCs). TCs function like real practice enterprises, except that the flow of goods and money is solely virtual. Unemployed graduates work in a real environment for three months.
Seven TCs were set up and helped over 2,000 unemployed young graduates between 2013 and 2020. The rate of professional integration is 85%.
Ben Jemâa, CEO of the Ben Jemâa group, prefers recruiting through TCs:
«As we operate in the automotive sector, we are very demanding when recruiting. We have seen a difference between the young people recruited via TCs and other first-time job seekers. The former know straight away how to behave in a professional environment.»
«I came out of Elan more confident and more ambitious, which helped me get a good job.»
Amine Bouzidi
Former trainee, TC Elan by Connect
This programme also set up training modules certified by the state and the private sector.
Six platforms offering specialised training for jobs in the automotive and energy sectors are operational and train up to 300 young people per year. Thanks to these modules, the young people trained can apply for better paid positions.
Improving opportunities for young people is not only key to achieving social cohesion; it also plays a crucial role in preventing violent extremism.
Further information
Website Swisscontact: The Vocational Training Support Programme
Video (fr): Tunisia: vocational training
Video: Network of Training Companies of Tunisia
Disaster risk reduction
Switzerland commissioned over 800 disaster risk reduction (DRR) projects between 2010 and 2017. A new evaluation now shows where the SDC has been successful and where there is potential for improvement.
Switzerland carries out DRR activities worldwide, particularly in SDC priority countries. In total, Switzerland invested CHF 462 million in DRR activities between 2010 and 2017. It provided targeted support for DRR projects and led political dialogue in the international context.
The evaluation report shows that Switzerland is valued as an honest partner and facilitator. In particular, it has extensive expertise in the areas of water management, ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and risk management. Switzerland is pursuing a multilevel strategy of strengthening favourable conditions at local, national and global levels. This approach has proved successful.
The independent authors of the report make a number of recommendations to render Switzerland's efforts even more effective in the future. Swiss DRR requires greater, unified engagement from the SDC's senior management. For example, the SDC should launch innovative pilot projects more often and concentrate its efforts on niches in which Swiss DRR can provide targeted added value. In order to promote cooperation, the report recommends defining common objectives for humanitarian aid and development cooperation and anchoring them within a common strategy. It also recommends introducing geographical focal points according to risk levels and taking a broader view of disaster risks which looks beyond environmental hazards.
The SDC's senior management agrees with most of the recommendations and, in view of the Covid-19 crisis, stresses in particular the need to re-evaluate the scope of DRR and to improve its alignment with the UN's Sendai Framework, an agreement which defines pandemics as one of the greatest dangers for humanity in the 21st century.
Switzerland's contribution to the enlarged EU: reducing inequalities
Since 2007, Switzerland has contributed CHF 1.302 billion to projects aimed at reducing economic and social disparities within the enlarged EU. This also helps Switzerland establish an important basis for solid economic and political relations with the EU and its member states.
While 12 of the 13 countries Switzerland has partnered with for its enlargement contribution have now completed their projects, work is still under way in Croatia, the EU's newest member state.
Switzerland is supporting three municipalities in the mountain region of Gorski Kotar in north-western Croatia in the construction and renovation of water infrastructure. Dilapidated pipelines have led to high water losses and there is a lack of sewage treatment plants.
More about the projects
Switzerland also supports young Croatian researchers with a scholarship and international mentoring from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne. This allows for testing of what could be an alternative career model for universities. Here, the Evolution in the Dark team led by Dr Helena Bilandžija.
More about the project
The cooperation programme reached its first milestone in 2020 with the completion of its vocational education project. For three years, Switzerland had supported a reform process managed by the Croatian ministry of education.
Six courses of study were adapted as part of the vocational education project. These are now better aligned with real-world practices and the labour market.
All achievements of the enlargement contribution made for Croatia
Better infrastructure in Asian cities
Many Asian cities are growing very quickly and urgently need to expand or modernise their infrastructure. In this context, prioritising investments in public infrastructure, planning in detail and securing financing are major challenges. The Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA) of the Asian Development Bank, which is supported by Switzerland, helps cities tackle these tasks. Through its proven impact, the CDIA has become one of the most prominent initiatives in this domain.
The CDIA mainly produces feasibility studies, thereby serving as a bridge between cities and financing institutions. Between 2007 and 2020, the initiative assisted 88 cities in generating investments worth around USD 11.2 billion. This allowed them to implement 155 infrastructure projects.
Before/after view
In Georgia, for example, the CDIA helped the government mobilise USD 50 million to invest in a sustainable transport system in Tbilisi, whose 1.1 million inhabitants now stand to benefit from this project.
The capital's businesses and residents currently still need cars to get around the city efficiently. Thanks to more
and better-connected public transport infrastructure, this is set to change. For example, routes in the city bus network are being redrawn and new bus lanes are being added. These will ensure more efficient and more reliable transport.
Furthermore, the metro is being modernised. It is 50 years old, completely obsolete and in some cases in a dangerous state of disrepair. New stations are being built and measures taken to make using the metro safer and more reliable.
The initiative in Tbilisi was evaluated in 2020 as part of an independent mid-term review of the CDIA Strategy 2018–22. It paves the way for Tbilisi to achieve more sustainable urban mobility. The CDIA is also helping the city build capacity to operate and maintain the new infrastructure sustainably.
Fairtrade helping to cope with the crisis
Fairtrade International is supporting smallholder farming and women workers in developing countries during the Covid-19 crisis. Together with government authorities and market partners, and with Switzerland's participation, the organisation set up two funds in 2020.
The Relief Fund finances urgent emergency response efforts related to Covid-19. The Resilience Fund mitigates the medium and long-term effects of crises. The two funds' combined CHF 16 million has already benefited 330,000 people in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
In Africa, 245 cooperatives have supported over 208,000 people:
- In Ghana, a cocoa cooperative informed its members over the radio on how to protect themselves against the virus. Another supplied soap, disinfectant, masks and food.
- In Kenya, a coffee cooperative provided farmers with face masks and handwashing stations.
- In Uganda, a tea plantation held health-focused training courses for its workers. It also paid temporarily lost wages and helped promote food security.
The Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fair Trade Small Producers and Workers has helped over 77,000 people:
- In Guatemala, a vegetable cooperative provided the employees with medicines and first aid kits.
- In Ecuador, a cooperative obtained, from a more expensive supplier, work materials that had become scarce. This cooperative was thus able to continue supplying bananas.
- In Nicaragua, a coffee cooperative provided cleaning supplies and disinfectant, as well as posters for prevention work.
In Asia, nearly 48,000 people have received assistance:
- In Indonesia, a coffee cooperative paid out CHF 250 to each member to cover lost wages. Members of a coconut cooperative received packages of basic foodstuffs and vegetable seeds.
- In Pakistan, handwashing and disinfecting stations were set up in a company that manufactures sporting goods.
Promotion of sustainable economic development
The Jalal-Abad region in the south of Kyrgyzstan
is characterised by high poverty rates (32.6% in 2018), economic inequality and
fragile inter-ethnic relations. Agricultural production in particular is
extremely important for the region, accounting for 40% of its GDP.
The majority of farms and processing plants in the agri-food sector are not competitive and its income levels remain low.
To tackle the issue of low
income-generation for people working in the agri-food sector, Switzerland
supports a project that has contributed to the region's economic growth. The
project provides support for selected value chains, thereby improving the
competitiveness of local businesses and export sectors.
This economic support was implemented hand
in hand with the private sector, in particular with about 1,000 enterprises and
producers, especially vegetable and fruit growers.
As a result of the project's activities, 966 new jobs (10 permanent and 956 seasonal) were created in the early vegetables and plum value chains. In addition, 597 plum and early vegetables farmers increased their income substantially (60-100%) through the sales of plums, tomatoes and sweet peppers. Finally, 136 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises increased their revenue by at least 30%. This ultimately benefits the entire population (over one million people) of the Jalal-Abad region.
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Swiss International Cooperation – Annual Report 2020
