Two children on a cotton transport truck
Cotton production is an important sector of Kyrgyzstan’s economy and one of its key value chains. © SDC

Conflict, violence and human rights violations: these are among the main challenges to combating poverty and fragility in the wider sense. The fragility of a state is characterised by the government’s inability to ensure the security of the population and provide basic public services, alongside its failure to establish mutually constructive relations with the country’s citizens.

More than 40 countries around the globe, home to some 1.5 billion people, are affected by fragile situations or exposed to violence or conflict. By 2030, more than 80% of the world’s poorest could be living in fragile contexts unless more concerted action is taken now.

Fragility poses a major threat to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Addressing fragility will require greater acceptance of all its nuances by tailoring differentiated approaches to specific contexts and working across the full spectrum of issues, some of which are inherently difficult and sensitive.

Engagement in fragile contexts

Switzerland is stepping up its efforts to prevent and manage the consequences of crises, disasters and fragility. It intends to allocate 50% of its bilateral aid to conflict-affected or fragile contexts.

The SDC’s action in fragile contexts

Switzerland is committed to promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies. It works directly to ensure that no one is left behind.

Characteristics of fragile contexts

Fragile states and regions are characterised by weak institutions, high rates of poverty, violence, corruption and general arbitrariness. Fragility manifests itself in both development and transition contexts as well as humanitarian crises.

Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies

Focus on SDG 16+ to promote peaceful, equitable and inclusive societies for a sustainable development and to combat conflict.

Preventing conflict and all forms of violence

In preventing violent conflict, the aim is to stop previous conflicts from flaring up again and new conflicts from forming. The task is not simply to prevent crises but also to address the root causes.

Documents

Current projects

Object 169 – 180 of 302

Project completed

Governance Facility (GF)

01.10.2014 - 31.12.2020

People in Nepal still suffer from weak public accountability, lack of rule of law and prevailing impunity. Switzerland, Denmark and DFID have established a sector-wide multi-donor basket facility to support public and private institutions in the governance sector, aiming at improving the rule of law, access to justice for marginalized men and women, the protection of human rights and at strengthening public accountability mechanisms for the most vulnerable people in Nepal.


Project completed

High Impact micro-infrastructure Projects (HIMII)

01.10.2014 - 31.10.2016

The project will support the Palestinian national and local authorities in responding to the needs of the vulnerable and war-affected communities in the Area C of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip through improved access to basic infrastructures, with the aim of strengthening their resilience. SDC partners, the Palestinian Ministry of Local Governance (MoLG), and its implementing body, the Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF), will enable selected municipalities to provide quality services to vulnerable communities. MDLF, a national fund created and monitored by the World Bank, is well known for its effective, transparent and efficient implementation of projects through municipalities, especially for infrastructures.


Project completed

Cross-border Cooperation for Sustainable Peace and Development in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

01.10.2014 - 31.10.2018

The relations between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are characterized by an increasing number ot cross-border tensions caused by unfinished border demarcation and disputes on access to natural resources. The authorities recognize the risk of escalation into an open "inter-ethnic conflict", but lack resources and capacities to conduct peace-building activities at community level. The project is designed to foster cooperation and linkages in the cross-border village clusters situated in Kyrgyzstan and in Tajikistan.


Project completed

Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal (SPCBN)

01.09.2014 - 31.08.2015

The Constituent Assembly (CA) elected in 2013 is less inclusive than the first one and around 85% are new members. Thus, the CA Secretariat asked for capacity development to enable CA members to address the contentious issues of the first CA (2008-2012). A special attention will be given to empower representatives of excluded groups. UNDP SPCBN is a unique platform to strengthen inclusive and participatory processes in constitution-drafting and to foster consensus building.


Project completed

Mali, ACTED/DRC: Renforcement de la cohésion sociale et de la résilience des populations dans les régions de Mopti et de Gao

20.08.2014 - 19.10.2015

Le retour des populations vulnérables dans un contexte post-conflit et de pressions sur les ressources naturelles tend à accroître les risques de conflits inter et intra-communautaires. Ce projet cherche, à travers une approche communautaire, à renforcer à la fois la cohésion sociale et la résilience des populations des  régions de Mopti et Gao. Un soutien marqué à la coordination permettra la mutualisation des résultats des activités de sécurité alimentaire et de prévention des conflits qui porteront essentiellement le projet.


Project completed

MEDAC: Strengthening Mediterranean Diplomacy

01.08.2014 - 30.09.2017

The Mediterranean region is marked by serious democratic deficits, environmental and demographic challenges, multiple conflicts and difficult political transformation processes. It is of eminent importance for Europe’s security. Switzerland’s longstanding support of the Mediterranean Academy for Diplomatic Studies (MEDAC) in Malta aims to strengthen Mediterranean diplomacy in areas such as human rights and good governance and to build trust among young aspiring diplomats from various countries of the region.


Project completed

Immediate Assistance to Anbar IDPs in Kirkuk and Salah al-Din Governorates

01.07.2014 - 15.10.2015

Save the Children Switzerland and its partners are assisting the civilian population, who fled from the armed conflict in Anbar, in Kirkuk and Salah al-Din provinces by providing food, non-food items, child protection and non-formal education. The focus of the intervention is on protection and assistance of the most vulnerable children and families who are temporarily sheltered in public buildings, schools and mosques and in urgent need of assistance.


Project completed

Protection and basic provisions in Baghdad for internally displaced Iraqis

Aid recipients in Iraq queuing outside a supermarket at a point of distribution for food and other goods.

01.07.2014 - 30.09.2015

In December 2013, another armed conflict started in Iraq’s Anbar province, before rapidly spreading to central and northern Iraq. Large segments of the civilian population were forced to abandon their homes. Many of these refugees have fled to Baghdad, where they are not properly protected and have insufficient basic supplies. The SDC is supporting the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), an international non-governmental organisation working on behalf of internally displaced persons in Baghdad.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Iraq

Capital Baghdad

Humanitarian Assistance & DRR
Human rights
Conflict & fragility
Conflict prevention and transformation
Material relief assistance
Human rights (incl. Women's rights)
Conflict prevention

01.07.2014 - 30.09.2015


CHF 1'425'000



Project completed

Integration of the Do No Harm Approach within the land restitution process

15.05.2014 - 31.10.2016

In Colombia, as an effect of the armed conflict, since 1985, 2-3 million people have been forced to abandon the equivalent of about 3 million hectares of land. In 2011, in order to solve the problem and prevent further land dis-possessions, the Colombian government ratified the Victims and Land Restitution Law 1448. Being aware of the deli-cate task to work on land restitution in an ongoing armed conflict, SDC with its experience in promoting the DNH approach continues to support the Ministry of Agriculture’s Land Restitution Unit to integrate the approach into the land restitution process in order to maximize its positive impacts while reducing its potential negative effects.


Project completed

Sudan – OCHA / UNDP, Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), 2014

17.04.2014 - 31.12.2014

The CHF is a multi-donor pooled fund, managed under the direction of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC). The fund finances projects of UN agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations. The CHF is used for timely allocation and disbursement of donor resources to the most urgent humanitarian needs and critical gaps in Sudan. The CHF meaningfully strengthens the response capacity and fosters at the same time greater sectoral responsibility and accountability – it has an important role in the current situation.


Project completed

Réhabilitation du patrimoine culturel endommagé par le conflit au Nord du Mali

01.04.2014 - 31.05.2017

Suite à l’occupation des régions du Nord (Tombouctou, Gao et Kidal et une partie de la région de Mopti) par des groupes armés, le patrimoine culturel est gravement endommagé. Des mausolées sont détruits et une partie des manuscrits pillée, l’identité de ces régions touchée. La Suisse, à la suite de la visite du secrétaire d’Etat à Tombouctou, contribue sur deux ans à la remise en état du patrimoine culturel à travers le projet de l’UNESCO. Cette dynamique fédératrice participe à la revitalisation du tissu social et culturel du pays.


Project completed

Contribution to Darfur Community Peace and Stability Fund (DCPSF)

01.04.2014 - 31.12.2015

The DCPSF is a UNDP administered Multi Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) for Darfur and it has been established at the end of 2007 with focus on the root causes of the protracted humanitarian crisis which is mainly due to the multi-facetted conflict situation. The DCPSF funded projects provide humanitarian assistance combined with activities for community stabilisation and peace promotion. The DCPSF projects are part of the overall Humanitarian Work Plan and of the Darfur Development Strategy. The SCO Khartoum since 2007 is member of the DCPSF steering committee and can meaningfully influence the strategic approach of the fund.

Object 169 – 180 of 302