Core Contribution to HEKS 2027-2028

In recent years, the international environment has undergone rapid normative and geopolitical shifts, while funding for international cooperation (IC) has increasingly been deprioritised. At the same time, IC is confronted with a growing number of overlapping crises, including wars in Ukraine and Sudan, protracted conflicts in the Middle East, the Sahel, the DRC, Myanmar and Afghanistan, as well as rising food insecurity and the accelerating impacts of climate change. These crises disproportionately affect the most vulnerable and result in increasing humanitarian needs. Particular challenges include shrinking civic space, restricted humanitarian access, erosion of the rule of law, forced displacement and persistent gender inequalities.

As a result of these changes and challenges, Swiss NGO receiving core contributions must continuously adapt while diversifying their funding sources and demonstrating their added value for Swiss IC.

HEKS/EPER has observed a trend of deteriorating governance and civic space in many of its focus countries. Therefore, empowering civil actors, locally led programming, a human rights-based approach, and policy dialogue have become key. Additionally, fragility, protracted crises, and forced displacement present challenges to HEKS/EPER’s activities within its humanitarian portfolio in countries such as Syria, Gaza, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, South Sudan, DRO, Myanmar, Haïti or Ukraine.

Being present in 22 countries and working in 16 contexts listed in the OECD’s 2025 State of Fragility Report, HEKS/EPER in 2025 reached 1 1.88 million people in economic, social, and emergency needs with 207 projects (5.57 million individuals directly; 6.31 million individuals indirectly) and achieved significant results contributing to all four outcomes, such as:

Outcome 1: in Ethiopia, a HEKS/EPER project introduced a voucher system to strengthen community-based veterinary services through private-sector providers. This is being done in collaboration with private veterinary pharmacies, community animal health workers, government agricultural agencies, and local communities. In 2025, 2,000 households received vouchers, giving them flexible access to essential medication for their animals. The project has already been replicated in other humanitarian operations.

Outcome 3: in Niger, a HEKS/EPER project is securing mobility and access to resources for pastoralists since 2011. In 2025 alone, 934.75 hectares of communal grazing areas were rehabilitated and regenerated, 41 new pastoral weIls were constructed and 31 upgraded, and 40 rural youth (50% girls) received vocational training in order to limit youth out-migration with its potential exposure to non-state armed groups.
In Cambodia, HEKS/EPER is working to build climate-resilient food systems for smallholder farming communities, in coordination with the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology: By improving access to water and strengthening local water governance, over 3’100 households gained improved access to irrigation systems, while over 136’000 people are newly covered by early warning mechanisms.

Outcome 4: in the field of advocacy for climate justice, HEKS/EPER continued its active role in promoting UNDROP globally (UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas) through advocacy and awareness-raising activities in contexts where HEKS/EPER is present. HEKS/EPER aIso managed to maintain the website 'defending peasant rights’, which has become instrumental in raising awareness, serving as a platformf or discussion and learning, and sharing information with the interested international public.

HEKS/EPER actively supports the implementation of OECD DAC’s Recommendations on Enabling Civil Society and SDC’s Locally-Led Cooperation approach by prioritising localisation through meaningful collaboration, rebalancing power dynamics between international and national actors. Updated tools and processes, nexus and safeguarding policies foster participation, ownership, mutual accountability and locally-led solutions.

HEKS/EPER maintains adequate management and funding structures enabling locally-led programming. 

While innovation is key to adapting to constantly changing contexts that HEKS/EPER is working in, the organisation aims to further adjust and consolidate its programme portfolio, financial volume, and staff at the country and global levels to respond to global funding challenges and adapt to the volatility of IC needs in many contexts.

HEKS actively contributes to joint SDC-NGO initiatives and exchanges and plays an active role in thematic networks in Switzerland and beyond.

1. Basic needs in crises are covered :

HEKS/EPER, with local actors, intervenes, embracing cash assistance and nexus, where duty-bearers don't meet people’s needs in emergencies and protracted crises with needs-based and conflict-sensitive programming.

2. Social, political, economic inclusion is achieved and discrimination overcome:

Ensuring equal rights, opportunities and participation in society and economy for all; improving access to markets and services, and countering discrimination.

3. Rights and access to land and food are secured :

People and communities have secured rights to land and natural resources. They can control, manage and use them ecosystem-based in the long term, ensuring food security and sustainable food systems.

4. Climate justice and adaptation is enhanced:

Advocacy for the right to a safe, clean, healthy environment, sustainable livelihood and wellbeing; enhancing adaptability and resilience of the most affected and the marginalised .

The visibility of the value added by the Swiss NGO to the implementation of the Swiss IC Strategy 2025-28 shall be strengthened and highlighted through:

a. sharpening the narrative for the rationale of the core contribution;

b. an inclusive policy dialogue between SDC and the NGO; 

c. implementation of locally-led cooperation;

d. relevant adaptations of programmes and approaches; and

e. evidence-based programming of quality funding.

Phase 17 01.01.2027 - 31.12.2028   (Active)