Aid
Switzerland provides expertise and funding for quality projects in developing nations.
Switzerland’s development aid budget is small and therefore must consider the quality of projects rather than quantity. Like many other countries, Switzerland does not attempt to replace local know-how, but rather to encourage it. This type of aid focuses on providing expertise and ensures funding is spent in the countries where the projects are carried out.
0.44% of Switzerland’s Gross Domestic Product was spent on development aid in 2005. This is still far below the stated target of 0.7% set out by the UN in 1970.
63 countries have benefited so far from Swiss public aid.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.