OECD slams Swiss development cuts

OECD criticises Swiss cuts in development cooperation Keystone-SDA

Switzerland's cuts to development cooperation have been criticised by the OECD.

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Although its Development Committee praised Switzerland’s commitment to long-term projects and expertise, it called for the funding cuts to be abandoned.

Support for Ukraine must be provided in addition to the regular development budget, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stated in its review report on Switzerland published on Monday. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs published the report.

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According to the report, Switzerland runs the risk of undermining its “valued and effective long-term commitment to the poorest countries”.

The OECD explicitly criticises tied aid, a practice that is frowned upon internationally. This ties development funds to conditions for the procurement of services and goods from the donor country. In the Ukraine aid package until 2028, half a billion of the total CHF 1.5 billion has been reserved for Swiss companies.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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