Switzerland steps up development efforts amid global humanitarian crisis

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) published a joint report on Thursday revealing that the confederation succeeded in making a number of important contributions last year to global development efforts.

According to SECO, this included the promotion of democracy and sustainable economic growth in the context of increasing disparities, untenable economic conditions, and set against the backdrop of challenging weather events and greater scarcity of resources.

The report comes as the world is experiencing a protracted humanitarian crisis given that "since the end of World War II, there have never been as many people fleeing wars and disasters."

While promoting vocational education and training and supporting smallholder farmers, Switzerland furthermore provided critical aid to refugees and migrants.

In addition to humanitarian emergency aid, Switzerland and its partners also worked on projects aiming to strengthen affected states and communities.

Sixty-three percent of Swiss official development assistance (ODA) in 2014 was accounted for by SDC, with 37 percent of aid directed to Sub-Saharan Africa and 24 percent to Asia.

"Our overriding objective is to help our partner countries achieve not only prosperity, but also well-being. That can only happen if economic growth benefits everyone and does not come at the cost of our natural environment," highlighted SDC Director-General Manuel Sager and SECO Director Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch.

Figures indicated that SDC's actions provided drinking water, irrigation systems and sanitation to some 1.5 million people in 16 priority countries and regions across the world.

Switzerland's efforts also improved access to financial services which, combined with private sector contributions, significantly increased income and labour market opportunities.

The report revealed that since 2014, 300,000 individuals living in SDC partner countries, mostly small farmers and artisans, have been able to invest in agricultural and life insurance coverage, while 13,500 smallholder farmer households have benefited from nutritional training.

Switzerland also supported political and legal reforms and provided vocational training opportunities to some 50,000 young people in 18 SDC priority countries.

According to figures, 95 percent of the 8,000 young Nepalese who completed vocational training in 2014 have already found employment.

Switzerland also played a critical role in contributing to the formulation of the new global goals for sustainable development as the United Nations' 2002 Millennium Development Goals come to an end later this year.

Swiss ODA amounted to 3.25 million Swiss francs (about 3.47 U.S. dollars) in 2014, up 280 million francs compared to 2013. Endit