How is international cooperation organised at the global level?

International cooperation between donor countries is coordinated by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) that was set up by the OECD in 1961. The DAC comprises the 29 member states of the OECD and the European Union. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations Development Programme have observer status.

The DAC defines and monitors development policy standards and explains how official development assistance should be provided to achieve optimal effectiveness. Its mandate is to contribute to sustainable development: this includes, for example, pro-poor economic growth, poverty reduction, and improvement of living standards in developing countries.

The DAC also opens its doors to non-member countries that contribute to development cooperation. For example, countries like Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa have attended DAC meetings.

Coordination with other donor countries plays a key role in development cooperation. In order to ensure maximum project effectiveness, Switzerland coordinates its activities at the global level and on the ground with other donor countries, international organisations and partner countries. 

As an international cooperation actor, the SDC takes account of the work carried out by other donor countries. To this end, it meets on a regular basis with a number of donors, including the EU, about development cooperation. 

Switzerland's membership in key international organisations (the UN, the OECD, the World Bank, etc.) allows it to actively help shape their policies and programmes of action. Switzerland endeavours to play an active role in addressing global challenges where exerting influence does not simply depend on the allocation of funds.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all UN member states in September 2015. It is the international community's new frame of reference for the development of common solutions and encompasses, in addition to economic and social development, environmental sustainability. The agenda also takes into account the fact that sustainable development requires peace, security and respect for human rights. 

Whereas the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were principally aimed at poor countries and population groups in the Global South, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their 169 targets balance the economic, ecological and social dimensions of sustainable development and are applicable to all countries in the world. All nations are called upon to integrate the SDGs in their national strategies and to help achieve them according to their capacities and priorities. This new reference framework is designed to ensure development that is more sustainable by 2030. It also aims to ensure good governance, human rights and development in an environment of peace and security. 

The SDGs were defined through a participatory process involving states and international experts, as well as representatives of civil society, the private sector, the scientific community and the world of politics. Switzerland helped draw up the 2030 Agenda and had a significant influence on its content. The Agenda sets specific goals in the following areas: water, health, gender equality, peace and open societies.

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Thanks to their long years of experience and considerable resources, multilateral organisations such as international financial institutions, the UN agencies and development banks make an important contribution to solving problems affecting developing countries worldwide. In its work within multilateral organisations, Switzerland provides expertise, technical support and funding. This boosts Switzerland's image abroad and creates favourable conditions for strengthening cooperation with other countries and international networks.

Some 22% of overall Swiss development cooperation funding goes to such organisations in the form of general financial assistance (known as core contributions). Bilateral cooperation accounts for 78%. One fifth of these bilateral funds are used for projects that are directly implemented by multilateral organisations on the ground.

Swiss development cooperation has an excellent international reputation because of its exemplary approaches in areas such as health, education and decentralisation, because it is geared towards real-world needs, and because of Switzerland's long-standing experience as a neutral country that does not pursue hidden commercial or geopolitical objectives. 

Switzerland is therefore a much sought-after partner for its ability to coordinate development activities with other donors and to align them with the policies of the countries that receive aid. Although Switzerland's financial contribution is smaller than that made by a number of other donor countries, it plays a leading role in areas such as health, decentralisation, water and education in most of the countries where it is engaged in development cooperation. 

Through its membership in key international organisations (the UN, the OECD, the World Bank, etc.) Switzerland is able to actively help shape their policies and programmes of action. Switzerland strives to play an active role in addressing global challenges where exerting influence does not simply depend on the allocation of funds.

Climate change, food and water crises, and migration are having a growing influence on the developmental prospects of poor countries. Switzerland therefore also brings to the international political dialogue table proposals to solve global challenges based on thematic global programmes on climate change, food security, water, health and migration. The objective of shaping globalisation in a way that is sustainable and that promotes development cannot be achieved through bilateral cooperation between individual countries. In order to find solutions to global challenges, Switzerland is therefore working on these issues together with multilateral organisations.

Global challenges

Today development cooperation involves more than projects and must be adapted to a constantly changing world. Development cooperation must also contribute to a more equitable redistribution of the global wealth created by worldwide market liberalisation. Furthermore, global challenges that cannot be addressed at a national level are becoming increasingly significant. Multilateral efforts that complement bilateral cooperation are therefore becoming ever more important. That is why Switzerland works to ensure that its development cooperation instruments, i.e. bilateral projects and the support it provides to 13 multilateral organisations, complement one another. 

These organisations have the necessary critical mass, recognised expertise and proven advantages in coordinating and implementing international measures. Switzerland is represented in the most important multilateral development banks and organisations. It is a member of their governing bodies and participates in the development of global standards. 

Switzerland selects the organisations with which it collaborates based on four criteria:

1. Switzerland's economic and foreign policy interests

2. The organisations' relevance to Switzerland's development policy

3. The results achieved by the organisations

4. The organisations' ability to influence policies and strategies