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Switzerland to give millions to three UN organisations

Children in Syrian refugee camp against sign for UNICEF.
CHF13 million will go to the UN children's charity Unicef, the ministry said on Thursday. Keystone-SDA

Switzerland is supporting three United Nations programmes this year with a total of CHF39 million ($47 million). The contributions set an example for International Geneva, said the foreign ministry.

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In all, CHF13 million will go to the UN children’s charity Unicef, the ministry said on Thursday. UN Women will receive CHF11.5 million: the programme is committed to promoting equality and improving the position of women. To this end, it focuses in particular on legal reforms and access to gainful employment.

The ministry has also earmarked CHF14.5 million for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), which works on effective family planning, better healthcare for mothers and combating gender-based violence. The funds were approved by Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

The contributions are in addition to the CHF282 million recently approved by the government for other UN organisations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The funds will be charged to the commitment credit for financing international cooperation from 2025 to 2028.

Switzerland wants to use the contributions to achieve its international development goals and ensure that the funds are used efficiently in crisis regions. International Geneva plays a central role in foreign policy: most of the supported UN organisations are active there.

Translated from German with DeepL/gw

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