UN satisfied with Swiss development aid
The head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Helen Clark, has welcomed Switzerland’s decision to raise its development aid budget.
On Wednesday Clark met Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey in Bern, where they discussed the role of the UNDP, Switzerland’s most important partner institution within the UN, in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“It’s very important to receive such strong support from Switzerland,” said Clark, the former prime minister of New Zealand who has headed the UNDP since April 2009 and as such is the third-highest UN official.
“If all countries raised their development aid budget as much as the Swiss cabinet has suggested, I would be happy.”
Earlier in the month the cabinet proposed to parliament raising the level of development aid from 0.47 per cent of GDP to 0.5 per cent. The OECD average is 0.48 per cent.
In 2009, Switzerland allocated SFr72 million ($73.7 million) to the UNDP – SFr54 million in general contributions plus SFr18 million in ring-fenced contributions.
As a result, Switzerland ranks as the ninth-biggest donor country. Contributions in 2010 will be of a similar order. About 20 Swiss nationals currently work for the UNDP.
Other topics discussed on Wednesday included the importance of obtaining widespread support and sufficient funding for multilateral cooperation, the challenges of implementing the vision of an even more strategically oriented UNDP and the options open to Switzerland for supporting Clark in achieving her objectives.
The visit concluded with a courtesy visit to President Doris Leuthard.
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