International development cooperation

At a summit on the climate transition of energy-intensive industries, Minister for Environment and Climate Isabella Lövin announced that Sweden intends to contribute a total of SEK 300 million to a new and innovative industry transition programme within the World Bank’s climate finance mechanism, the Climate Investment Funds (CIF).

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, men’s violence against women and violence in close relationships is increasing. Sweden therefore intends to contribute SEK 122 million to efforts to eliminate men’s violence against women and violence in close relationships, combat violence against children and strengthen sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had major negative impacts on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) worldwide, and at the same time many donors have reduced their aid. Sweden is therefore providing SEK 40 million to Sida’s Strategy for SRHR in sub-Saharan Africa and SEK 100 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

This month we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Within the global response to the covid-19 pandemic, Sweden has decided to contribute an additional 75 million Swedish kronor to sustaining peace efforts, within which women’s meaningful participation is a key component.

The humanitarian and health situation around the world has worsened considerably as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic is expected to lead to a doubling of the number of people suffering from acute hunger to 265 million this year. Sweden and the World Food Programme (WFP) are now deepening their cooperation to tackle the global hunger crisis.

The Swedish Government, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the Swedish Red Cross, will co-host a high-level meeting on 21 October 2020 in Stockholm, convened by Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson, the Head of UNDRR Mami Mizutori and the Head of WFP David Beasley.

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

The writer is foreign minister of Sweden. Foreign minister Heiko Maas of Germany and foreign secretary Dominic Raab of the UK co-wrote this article, which was published in Financial Times on 1 July 2020.

23 June 2020

Heads of State, Government, and leaders from United Nations agencies, International Financial Institutions, civil society, private sector and research and learning are mobilizing around a call for the prioritization of water, sanitation and hygiene in the response to COVID-19. Their joint statement:

Stockholm, 12 May 2020. Check against delivery.

Joint press statement by H.E. Ms. Lindiwe Zulu, Minister of Social Development of South Africa H.E. Mr. Peter Eriksson, Minister for International Development Cooperation of Sweden H.E Mr. Gent Cakaj, Acting Minister for Europe & Foreign Affairs of Albania H.E. Mr. Felipe Carlos Solá, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade & Worship of Argentina H.E. Hon. Marise Payne, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Minister of Women of Australia H.E. Mr. Alexander De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Development Cooperation of Belgium H.E. Mrs Karen Longaric Rodríguez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia H.E. Ms. Bisera Turkovic, Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Ministers & Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina H.E. Ms. Maritza Rosabal Peña Minister of Education, Family & Social Inclusion of Cabo Verde H.E. Ms. Karina Gould, Minister for International Development of Canada H.E. Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus H.E. Mr. Tomáš Petříček, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic H.E Mr. Rasmus Prehn, Minister for Development Cooperation of Denmark H.E. Hon. Mereseini Vuniwaqa, Minister for Women, Children & Poverty Alleviation of Fiji H.E. Mr. Ville Skinnari, Minister for Development Cooperation & Foreign Trade of Finland H.E. Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe & Foreign Affairs of France H.E. Dr. Maria Flachsbarth, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany H.E Mr. Nikos Dendias, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece H.E. Ms. Diene Keita, Minister for International Cooperation & Regional Integration of Guinea H.E. Ms. Emanuela Del Re Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of Italy H.E. Ms. Ilze Vinkele, Minister of Health of Latvia H. E. Ms. Claudine Aoun, President of the National Commission for Lebanese Women of Lebanon H.E. Mr. Gbehzohngar Milton Findley Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liberia, H.E. Ms. Katrin Eggenberger, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Principality of Liechtenstein H.E. Mr. Franz Fayot, Minister for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action of Luxembourg H.E. Mr. Tehindrazanarivelo Djacoba A. S. Oliva, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Madagascar H.E. Mr. Srđan Darmanović, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro H.E. Ms. Doreen Sioka, Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare of Namibia H.E. Ms Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade & Development Co-operation of the Netherlands H.E. Rt. Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand H.E. Mr. Nikola Dimitrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia H.E. Mr. Dag-Inge Ulstein, Minister of International Development of Norway H.E. Ms. Teresa Ribeiro, Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal H.E. Mr. Cornel Feruță, State Secretary for Global Affairs and Diplomatic Strategies within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania H.E. Ms. Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, Minister without Portfolio responsible for Demography and Population Policy of Serbia H.E. Ms. Arancha González Laya, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union & Cooperation of Spain H.E. Dr. Ignazio Cassis, Foreign Minister of Switzerland . H.E. Hon. Simon Kofe, Minister of Justice, Communications, and Foreign Affairs of Tuvalu H.E. Ms. Liz Sugg, Minister for International Development & the Foreign & Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom and the governments of Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, Estonia, Georgia, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Peru, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Tunisia, Ukraine and Uruguay. Protecting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Promoting Gender-responsiveness in the COVID-19 crisis

Opinion piece by Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde, Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson and Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs Anna Hallberg. Published in Svenska Dagbladet on 20 April 2020.

What is good support to civil society was the theme of a seminar hosted by the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU in Brussels on 4 March. Experiences, opportunities and new plans to support civil society were in focus. The seminar was the first in a series of three that the Permanent Representation is launching within the framework of the Government’s Drive for Democracy.

On 30 January 2020, the Government adopted a new five-year strategy for Sweden’s support for democracy, human rights and the environment in Russia. The strategy will contribute to strengthened conditions for democratic development in Russia, and greater freedom of expression and respect for human rights and the rule of law. Activities within the framework of the strategy will also contribute to improving the environment and enhancing climate action in the Baltic Sea region. A key objective is broader relations between Sweden and Russia, focusing in particular on people-to-people cooperation.

The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) appointed Minister for International Development Cooperation, Peter Eriksson, as a board member following an invitation from 8th Secretary General of the United Nations and GCA Chair, Ban Ki-moon.

Today, Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde is presenting the Government’s Statement of Foreign Policy to the Riksdag. The Statement, which summarises the Government’s foreign policy priorities for 2020, includes a new announcement on strengthened efforts to combat organised crime. Also notable in the Statement is a stronger focus on security in Europe ahead of Sweden assuming the role of Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in 2021.

On 12 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde presented the 2020 Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. Check against delivery.

This strategy will underpin Sweden’s cooperation with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) for 2020–2023. The strategy establishes the priorities and forms of collaboration for Sweden’s membership of, and partnership with, the WFP at global, regional and national level.

This strategy will underpin Sweden’s cooperation with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) during the period 2020–2023. The strategy establishes the priorities and forms of collaboration for Sweden’s partnership with UNRWA at global, regional and national level.