Main beneficiaries, but also actors: young people play a key role in education. This will be the focus of the International Cooperation Forum Switzerland (IC Forum), which will be held in Geneva on 15 February. Samuel Espinosa Gómez and Mohammed Habib Fuseini will travel from Mexico and Ghana to participate as young ambassadors.

The Jacobs Foundation works to improve education systems worldwide. The Swiss philanthropic organisation will share its experience at the IC Forum 2023, which will focus on international cooperation in this field. In an interview, Donika Dimovska, Chief Knowledge Officer, presents some of the initiatives carried out from the Ivory Coast to Colombia to provide the most appropriate learning solutions for each child.

Economist Anja Hochberg will participate in the International Cooperation Forum (IC Forum) in Geneva on 15 February. In an interview, she explains why she is committed to education and what it takes to finance education projects.

Ursula Renold, Professor of Education Systems at ETH Zurich, is participating in the International Cooperation Forum in Geneva on 15 February. In this interview, she explains why she is committed to education and what it takes to reform education systems effectively in different cultural contexts.

Following the search for survivors by Swiss Rescue in Turkey, the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit of the FDFA has entered a second phase of support. Experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, including doctors and engineers, are now on the spot to continue helping the Turkish and Syrian population. Relief supplies have also been transported to the affected areas.

Mosaic Hospital in the centre of the Turkish city of Antakya was short of staff after the earthquakes in February 2023. Four specialists from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) stepped in and provided counselling for children and parents. Doctor Céline Ritter Schenk was a member of the team.

Members of the international community, which is continuing to provide financial support for the humanitarian response to the crisis in Yemen, joined the pledging event co-hosted by the governments of Sweden and Switzerland and organised in conjunction with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Targeted attacks on energy infrastructure and basic supply systems have aggravated the situation for civilians in Ukraine. Since September, the SDC has prepared an action plan to help the population to cope this winter. This plan, in the amount of CHF 100 million, includes the reprogramming of SDC-supported activities, the delivery of winter equipment and the rehabilitation of housing and energy infrastructure.

The SDC has been working in Egypt since 2017 to improve drinking water management and make water distribution more equitable in disadvantaged neighbourhoods of the Aswan Governorate. Egypt, where COP27 is being held in early November, is among the African countries with the highest water stress.

Sandro Didebashvili is one of seven students from the Swiss Agricultural School Caucasus in Georgia who visited Switzerland for two weeks, learning about animal husbandry, fodder and cheesemaking. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) supports Georgia in agricultural education and training.

Switzerland is adapting its international cooperation activities to the situation brought about by the Russian attack. Existing contacts and resources are being used to meet the increased need for humanitarian aid. Projects already under way on 24 February 2022 will be adapted and expanded in cooperation with local partner organisations or the authorities. Actors of international cooperation in Ukraine report on their experiences.

Back from the Near East, SDC Director General Patricia Danzi and Ambassador Simon Geissbühler, head of the Peace and Human Rights Division, share their experiences. Their visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory gave them an insight into what the Swiss Cooperation Programme for the Near East 2021–24 is doing in the region.

Mozambique and Zimbabwe are two of the priority countries for Switzerland's international cooperation work. In November, Nicolas Randin, SDC Assistant Director General and head of the Sub-Saharan Africa Division, paid working visits to Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Nepal has seen profound changes in recent decades, from a monarchy to the adoption of a federalist constitution in 2015. Swiss development cooperation, which has been present in the country for over 60 years, has been continuously adapting its approach to ensure its continued effectiveness. Ahead of the visit to Kathmandu of SDC Director General Patrizia Danzi and Barbara Böni, head of the Asia Section, we examine the past and future of Switzerland's work in this Himalayan country.

We interviewed Phonepaseuth Phouliphanh, secretary general of the Lao National Mekong Committee, in Martigny, a town located at a large bend in the River Rhône, during a study trip to the heartland of Swiss water management expertise. He spoke with us about his impressions and the best practices he observed during this visit, which was organised by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperatio. Read on to find out more about the common challenges we face and our cooperation for a sustainable future.

Switzerland shares six rivers and four lakes with its neighbouring countries. The use of these water bodies is regulated by cross-border cooperation treaties dating back several decades. Based on this extensive experience in sustainable TWM, Switzerland shares it technical and policy expertise with delegations from Asia via the SDC – this time during a field visit focusing on practical cases in Geneva, Martigny and Bern.

The global food crisis is one of the main challenges the world faces today. As is often the case, it is the most vulnerable people who are affected first and suffer disproportionately from its impact. In response, SDC acts in a collaborative and crosscutting manner to mitigate it.

Millions of people are affected by the consequences of the drought in East Africa. Parched soils and dying livestock are destroying livelihoods and leading to a food crisis on a vast scale – the situation is dire. The SDC is also active in the region, supporting development projects and humanitarian relief efforts to mitigate the crisis.

828 million – this is the staggering number of people currently suffering from hunger worldwide. That's 10% of the world's population. Climate change, conflicts, COVID-19, and economic crises: the ongoing global food crisis has multiple causes and triggers, all of which are placing enormous stress on communities. The food crises that result from these triggers can also reduce people's lives to a struggle for survival.

The effects of climate change are exacerbating political, social, economic and ecological stress factors and increasing the risk of conflicts. The Berlin Climate and Security Conference aims to find answers to these problems. SDC Director General Patricia Danzi explains why climate and security cannot be considered in isolation and how Switzerland intends to raise the issue in the UN Security Council.

In this interview, SDC Director General Patricia Danzi talks about the International Cooperation Forum Switzerland and explains why it's so important to include young people in the discussion. Education is one of the most important sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda – and it's also one of the goals that suffers from acute financing problems. What does that mean for those who are impacted? And most importantly, how can we stop this harmful trend? This year's edition of the IC Forum will shine a spotlight on education.

The Zürcher Theater Spektakel will welcome international artists from the Global South and East from 18 August to 4 September 2022. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has a long-standing partnership with the festival aimed at supporting artists from the Global South and East. The stage lights come on and we are instantly transported to Kenya with theatre maker Wanjikũ Mwawuganga.

A solid school education is crucial to development. The Swiss school system is highly regarded and has considerable as yet underused potential to serve as an inspiration for development cooperation work. That is about to change. Switzerland creates added value in developing countries and can help shape educational agendas, says Sabina Handschin, education expert at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), in this interview.

Health challenges cannot be viewed in isolation. One example of this is malaria, a disease linked not only to environmental but also to socio-economic factors. Accordingly, we have to take joint action on multiple fronts. The SDC promotes cross-sectoral interventions in line with the goals of the 2030 Agenda, as shown by the teamwork within the Swiss Malaria Group.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), supports a public services digital transformation project in Ukraine. Today, Patricia Danzi, the SDC Director General, and Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, sign a memorandum of understanding in Kyiv to extend the E-Governance for Accountability and Participation Program (EGAP). This project forms part of Switzerland's International Cooperation Strategy and Digital Foreign Policy Strategy.

Rising temperatures and increasingly frequent extreme heat waves are driving up demand for cooling and air-conditioning systems, especially in urban areas in emerging countries. Air conditioning saves lives. But air conditioning is also one of the main causes of global warming. To break this vicious circle, tackle climate change and alleviate poverty, Switzerland promotes energy-efficient cooling solutions.

SDC Director General Patricia Danzi talks about the role of the private sector in international cooperation, explains how the new guidance regulates cooperation, and highlights how the involvement of businesses in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is ultimately a win-win situation for all. A conversation about poverty reduction, equal opportunities and human dignity.