Mandate for development cooperation with the South

The picture shows two men from Nepal who are squatting and screwing on a machine.
Switzerland supports Nepal's economy in its recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic. © SDC

The development cooperation in the South promotes sustainable access to resources, basic services and decision-making processes for poor and marginalised people. It also seeks to strengthen the rule of law and democratic governance. Development cooperation is an integral part of Switzerland's foreign policy and is underpinned by the Federal Act on International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid.

The SDC is tasked with implementing Switzerland's constitutional obligation to "assist in the alleviation of need and poverty in the world and promote respect for human rights and democracy, the peaceful coexistence of peoples and the conservation of natural resources." Such international cooperation serves Switzerland’s interests by contributing to global stability.

Switzerland's international development cooperation activities are underpinned by the Swiss Federal Constitution and the Federal Act of 19 March 1976 on International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid and guided by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. The SDC applies the 'leave no one behind' principle – a core tenet of the 2030 Agenda – in all of its activities by promoting the inclusion of women and marginalised groups in political, social and economic processes. 

The Federal Council's International Cooperation Strategy 2021–24 includes five framework credits for the operational activities of the SDC and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and those of the FDFA Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD).

Development cooperation with the South aims to reduce poverty by supporting partners from civil society and from both the private and public sectors. Activities are planned and implemented in liaison with local public and private sector partners in four-year programmes tailored to specific countries. Focusing on sustainability and democratic governance, they seek to encourage local people and development actors from the public and private sectors to take their development into their own hands.