The 2030 Agenda and international cooperation

'Mainstreaming the 2030 Agenda in Swiss International Cooperation – Implementation Concept' is a concept paper targeted at all Swiss development cooperation actors, both state and non-state. It aims to further a better understanding of the 2030 Agenda, its implementation principles and its implications for Swiss international cooperation.

Young women standing in two circles holding hands.
Participants in a 16-day train the trainer course on empowering girls in July 2017 © UNFPA

Switzerland is determined to implement the 2030 Agenda at national and international levels and to work to achieve the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Switzerland also intends to meet new challenges and opportunities at the international level, particularly in international development cooperation.

The SDGs' ambitious, universal and integrative nature, coupled with their broad scope, and the need to work with new instruments and partners and new approaches, call for a paradigm shift in international cooperation. 'Mainstreaming the 2030 Agenda in Swiss International Cooperation – Implementation Concept' aims to improve understanding of the 2030 Agenda and its implications for Swiss international cooperation, and to serve as a practical guidance tool for achieving the Agenda and the SDGs.

The first part of this concept paper contains key principles and practical examples illustrating how to use international cooperation tools to help put the 2030 Agenda into practice. The second part explains the global implications and institutional set-up of the 2030 Agenda and Switzerland's implementation efforts.