Switzerland's International Cooperation Strategy 2021–24 focuses on four equally important objectives and three future-oriented priorities that aim to make significant contributions to sustainable development and poverty reduction in line with the UN's 2030 Agenda.
Sustainable development and poverty reduction
With the aim of achieving sustainable development and reducing poverty in partner countries, the Federal Council has set out four objectives for Switzerland's International Cooperation Strategy 2021–24 in line with the UN's 2030 Agenda:
- Contributing to sustainable economic growth, market development and the creation of decent jobs (economic development)
- Addressing climate change and its adverse effects and managing natural resources sustainably (climate change and the environment)
- Saving lives, ensuring basic services (especially in relation to education and healthcare) and reducing the causes of forced and irregular migration (human development)
- Promoting peace, the rule of law and gender equality (peace and governance)
Additional priorities point the way forward
The strategy also concentrates on three additional priorities that point the way forward when it comes to achieving the four aforementioned strategic objectives. According to Switzerland's 2028 Foreign Policy Vision (AVIS28), which was developed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, cooperation with the private sector and digitalisation are issues that will become increasingly important over the next few years and that are essential for effective development cooperation. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation externally commissions over 100 independent evaluations every year in order to measure and improve the impact and success of its projects and programmes. Working with cutting-edge instruments and subjecting programmes and projects to ongoing monitoring and improvement will help ensure that Switzerland's International Cooperation Strategy 2021–24 can be carried out efficiently and effectively.
