Switzerland and the EU are committed to fighting poverty in the world and promoting stability and prosperity in fragile contexts. They cooperate at the political, technical and operational levels to enhance the impact of their respective development and humanitarian policies.
The cooperation between Switzerland and the EU
Since 2012, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA) and the Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid and Operations (ECHO) have held regular political and thematical dialogues. These discussions embrace fundamental issues, such as the link between migration, safety and development, as well as the promotion of democracy and governance. At the same time, they also cover transversal issues such as gender and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda’s sustainable development goals. The last consultations with DG INTPA and DG ECHO took place in January 2022 and Switzerland participated in March 2022 in the first European Humanitarian Forum co-organized by DG ECHO and the French Presidency of the Council.
At operational level, Switzerland and the EU cooperate in the field of joint programing, especially in Africa and Asia, for example in Cambodia. Switzerland also participates every year in the INTPA’s European Development Days. In 2017, Switzerland and the EU signed an administrative agreement in the field of humanitarian aid and the protection of civil society aimed at reinforcing their cooperation in Switzerland as well as abroad. With the current increase in humanitarian crises and the growth in the number of vulnerable people in need of protection, cooperation in the humanitarian field between States, multilateral organizations and civil society, is bound to become even more important.
The Official Development Assistance in numbers
Further information can be found on the website Statistics – facts and figures of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
