International development cooperation

The Swedish Government has today decided to donate more than 500 000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Ukraine.

The Government has approved another SEK 500 million to support Ukraine in accordance with what the Prime Minister told Ukraine’s minister for foreign affairs when he visited Stockholm on 29 August. The funds will be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine, humanitarian procurements and transport of Ukrainian wheat.

The strategy will apply in 2022–2026 and provides a total of SEK 1 700 million for activities implemented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

On 13 July, the Government of Sweden announced its plan to increase its financial support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to SEK 3 billion over the next three-year period. Sweden’s support will contribute to the fund’s goal of saving 20 million lives and reducing mortality from HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by two-thirds.

At the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano, Sweden pledged SEK 70 million in additional special grants for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

The Government today decided to contribute SEK 9.2 billion in financial support to the World Bank Group’s International Development Association.

On 10 June, Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde will present a new Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. A Statement of Foreign Policy was presented on 16 February this year. In light of the new security environment, the Riksdag and the Government decided that a new Statement of Foreign Policy and debate are needed.

The strategy will apply in 2022–2026 and provide a total of SEK 3 500 million. The strategy governs the use of funds under appropriation item 1:1.9 ‘Africa’ in the appropriation directions for Sida for each budget year.

Opinion piece by Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde and Matilda Ernkrans, Minister for International Development Cooperationin Politico, June 5, 2022.

Convening ahead of the Stockhom+50 conference this week, Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation Matilda Ernkrans and members of the Champions Group on Adaptation Finance reiterated their commitments to raise the political ambition for adaptation finance and address the barriers to increasing flows, quality, effectiveness and accessibility of adaptation finance.

On 1 June, Minister for International Development Cooperation Matilda Ernkrans will host a high-level meeting on increased support to the countries hardest hit by climate change and the loss of biodiversity. The ministerial meeting will bring together some 30 donor and developing countries, the UN and leading representatives of central organisations and funds, including the World Bank, the Green Climate Fund and UNDP.

The strategy applies for the period 2022–2026 and comprises a total volume of SEK 2.75 billion, of which a maximum of SEK 600 million is intended for bilateral initiatives in Cambodia.

The objective of Sweden’s international development cooperation is to create conditions to improve the lives of people living in poverty and oppression. Swedish development cooperation is based on the principles of aid and development effectiveness, the 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement.

As Sweden assumes responsibility for the many people – primarily women and children – fleeing Ukraine, the increased associated costs can be counted as Official Development Assistance (ODA) in line with OECD DAC guidelines. This is due to Ukraine’s classification as an ODA recipient. Like most other countries that provide development assistance, Sweden deducts asylum costs from development assistance. The Government has prioritised fully safeguarding humanitarian assistance and particularly ODA to the poorest countries. Even after deductions for refugee costs, Sweden remains one of the world’s largest donor countries.

The strategy applies during the period 2022–2026, and provides SEK 4 625 million for activities implemented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and SEK 45 million for activities implemented by the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA).

The humanitarian situation in the world is acute and the situation of the most vulnerable continues to worsen at an alarming rate. To enable the UN to rapidly deliver support and meet the increasing humanitarian needs, Sweden is now making additional payments of SEK 69 million to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and SEK 35 million to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The strategy applies in 2022–2026 and provides the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) with a total of SEK 1.2 billion and the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) with SEK 45 million.

Sweden, together with Switzerland and the UN, is hosting an international pledging conference for Yemen on 16 March. The aim is to mobilise continued support to the UN-led humanitarian response in Yemen, which faces growing challenges due the war in Ukraine. UN Secretary-General António Guterres will open the conference and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde will represent Sweden. UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will also take part.

1 March 2022. As delivered.

On Sunday 27 February, Minister for International Development Cooperation Matilda Ernkrans held a press briefing on Sweden’s support to Ukraine together with Göran Holmqvist, Director of Humanitarian Support at Sida.