Strategy for democracy support through Swedish party-affiliated organisations 2024–2027 Reference No.: UD2023/18067

Human rights, democracy, and the rule of law are priority areas within Swedish global development assistance and areas where Swedish development assistance provides clear added value. Sweden has extensive experience contributing to strengthening the development of democratic forms of government, including well-functioning multiparty systems and free and fair elections.

Swedish parties and party-affiliated organisations (PAO) have been part of this work for more than two decades. Through PAOs, Swedish parties share experience, cooperate with, and contribute support to political parties and other actors in partner countries to achieve strategic objectives. Swedish parties provide important added value, particularly in contexts where there is a need to establish or strengthen political resilience to the influence of authoritarian states.

Well-functioning democracy and mature party systems in developing countries are pertinent to enable implementation of Swedish development assistance within a large number of other strategies. There are also obvious synergies with Swedish interests within broader foreign policy.