As the Swiss government's competence centre for international cooperation, the SDC is responsible for the overall coordination of the substance of development cooperation with the South and the East, multilateral cooperation, and Switzerland's humanitarian aid. The SDC coordinates with other federal agencies engaged in the field of international cooperation.
Partnerships within the federal administration
Federal agency |
Cooperation with the SDC on the topic |
|---|---|
FDFA |
|
Human Security Division (HSD) / Directorate of Political Affairs (DP) |
The Directorate of Political Affairs coordinates the Swiss government's foreign policy. The Human Security Division (HSD) is the biggest division of the FDFA's Directorate of Political Affairs (DP). It is responsible for policy on peace, human rights and humanitarian policy as well as migration policy. The promotion of peace and human rights is anchored in the Federal Constitution as an objective of Swiss foreign policy. The HSD and the SDC have a lot in common, so they work together closely. |
Directorate of International Law (DIL) |
International law facilitates international cooperation though binding rules. One of the central purposes of international law is to lay the foundations for peace and stability. The promotion of peace and stability is also anchored in the SDC's strategies and projects and is implemented in accordance with the activities of the DIL. |
Federal agencies of other departments |
|
Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) |
Development projects in the fields of climate, disaster prevention and natural resources. |
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) |
Projects on economic development and multilateral partnerships |
Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) |
|
Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) |
|
Federal Office for Migration (FOM) |
Migration partnerships and return assistance: help for asylum seekers in Switzerland is classed as development cooperation in line with OECD guidelines |
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) |
Activities in fragile contexts and in the field of security. The DDPS provides Swiss Rescue, part of Swiss Humanitarian Aid, with rescue experts and military air transport. In addition, there are various areas where military peacekeeping and the SDC work together in the field (e.g. humanitarian mine clearance operations, securing and destroying munitions, reform of the security sector, etc.). |
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) |
Basic research and vocational training, applied research and academic education |
Federal Office of Culture (FOC) |
Culture |
Development activities and cooperation with Eastern Europe, as well as humanitarian aid, are part of foreign policy and reflect Switzerland's interests. Switzerland's external relations, which are as coherent as possible in terms of global ecological, social and economic development, increase the effectiveness of international cooperation for the reduction of poverty and international risks. This reflects the recommendations of the OECD's Development Cooperation Directorate. All federal departments contribute to sustainable national and international development.
