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The Jacobs Foundation works to improve education systems worldwide. The Swiss philanthropic organisation will share its experience at the IC Forum 2023, which will focus on international cooperation in this field. In an interview, Donika Dimovska, Chief Knowledge Officer, presents some of the initiatives carried out from the Ivory Coast to Colombia to provide the most appropriate learning solutions for each child.

Economist Anja Hochberg will participate in the International Cooperation Forum (IC Forum) in Geneva on 15 February. In an interview, she explains why she is committed to education and what it takes to finance education projects.

Ursula Renold, Professor of Education Systems at ETH Zurich, is participating in the International Cooperation Forum in Geneva on 15 February. In this interview, she explains why she is committed to education and what it takes to reform education systems effectively in different cultural contexts.

Diplomat and former Swiss State Secretary Peter Maurer is set to step down as President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). His 10 years in office have had a global impact on humanitarian aid. As his presidency draws to a close, we take a look at the organisation which has its roots in Switzerland and provides independent and neutral humanitarian relief in times of war and other disasters.

Members of the international community, which is continuing to provide financial support for the humanitarian response to the crisis in Yemen, joined the pledging event co-hosted by the governments of Sweden and Switzerland and organised in conjunction with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Targeted attacks on energy infrastructure and basic supply systems have aggravated the situation for civilians in Ukraine. Since September, the SDC has prepared an action plan to help the population to cope this winter. This plan, in the amount of CHF 100 million, includes the reprogramming of SDC-supported activities, the delivery of winter equipment and the rehabilitation of housing and energy infrastructure.

One of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world is taking place in and around Syria. Switzerland's international cooperation has been active on the ground since the outbreak of the conflict in 2011 to alleviate suffering and save lives. In this interview, Caroline Tissot, the SDC's regional head of international cooperation for the Middle East, explains how Switzerland is working to protect the Syrian civilian population and their livelihoods, and to provide education.

Nigeria and Chad are caught up in the throes of deadly floods. Switzerland is very concerned about the situation, which raises fears of increased food insecurity. It has decided to allocate CHF 750,000 as an emergency response to the crisis in Nigeria, and an additional CHF 300,000 for Chad.

Sandro Didebashvili is one of seven students from the Swiss Agricultural School Caucasus in Georgia who visited Switzerland for two weeks, learning about animal husbandry, fodder and cheesemaking. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) supports Georgia in agricultural education and training.

Switzerland is adapting its international cooperation activities to the situation brought about by the Russian attack. Existing contacts and resources are being used to meet the increased need for humanitarian aid. Projects already under way on 24 February 2022 will be adapted and expanded in cooperation with local partner organisations or the authorities. Actors of international cooperation in Ukraine report on their experiences.

Back from the Near East, SDC Director General Patricia Danzi and Ambassador Simon Geissbühler, head of the Peace and Human Rights Division, share their experiences. Their visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory gave them an insight into what the Swiss Cooperation Programme for the Near East 2021–24 is doing in the region.

Switzerland and Sweden co-hosted a hybrid high-level pledging event on 16 March for those hit by the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. UN Secretary General António Guterres launched the event. On behalf of Switzerland, President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis has pledged CHF 14.5 million to further humanitarian aid efforts.

Nepal has seen profound changes in recent decades, from a monarchy to the adoption of a federalist constitution in 2015. Swiss development cooperation, which has been present in the country for over 60 years, has been continuously adapting its approach to ensure its continued effectiveness. Ahead of the visit to Kathmandu of SDC Director General Patrizia Danzi and Barbara Böni, head of the Asia Section, we examine the past and future of Switzerland's work in this Himalayan country.

We interviewed Phonepaseuth Phouliphanh, secretary general of the Lao National Mekong Committee, in Martigny, a town located at a large bend in the River Rhône, during a study trip to the heartland of Swiss water management expertise. He spoke with us about his impressions and the best practices he observed during this visit, which was organised by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperatio. Read on to find out more about the common challenges we face and our cooperation for a sustainable future.

Switzerland shares six rivers and four lakes with its neighbouring countries. The use of these water bodies is regulated by cross-border cooperation treaties dating back several decades. Based on this extensive experience in sustainable TWM, Switzerland shares it technical and policy expertise with delegations from Asia via the SDC – this time during a field visit focusing on practical cases in Geneva, Martigny and Bern.

Landlocked, mountainous and democratic: a description of Switzerland? Yes, and of Mongolia too. But those are not the only links connecting these two countries. From 14 to 22 August, a Mongolian government delegation paid an official visit to Switzerland as part of the cooperation between the two countries. How does Zolzaya Lkhagvasuren, a Mongolian citizen working as a good governance expert at the SDC, view this?

Millions of people are affected by the consequences of the drought in East Africa. Parched soils and dying livestock are destroying livelihoods and leading to a food crisis on a vast scale – the situation is dire. The SDC is also active in the region, supporting development projects and humanitarian relief efforts to mitigate the crisis.

828 million – this is the staggering number of people currently suffering from hunger worldwide. That's 10% of the world's population. Climate change, conflicts, COVID-19, and economic crises: the ongoing global food crisis has multiple causes and triggers, all of which are placing enormous stress on communities. The food crises that result from these triggers can also reduce people's lives to a struggle for survival.

The effects of climate change are exacerbating political, social, economic and ecological stress factors and increasing the risk of conflicts. The Berlin Climate and Security Conference aims to find answers to these problems. SDC Director General Patricia Danzi explains why climate and security cannot be considered in isolation and how Switzerland intends to raise the issue in the UN Security Council.

Today two billion people throughout the world are still without access to clean drinking water. The start-up enterprise Openversum, winner of the Community Award of the Youth and Future Prize 'Together we’re better', wants to change this: a locally produced drinking water filter would grant affected populations access to clean drinking water. Olivier Gröninger and Julián Salazar's team have now presented their project in New York at the Hult Prize finals – the 'Nobel prize for students'.

The Zürcher Theater Spektakel will welcome international artists from the Global South and East from 18 August to 4 September 2022. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has a long-standing partnership with the festival aimed at supporting artists from the Global South and East. The stage lights come on and we are instantly transported to Kenya with theatre maker Wanjikũ Mwawuganga.

A solid school education is crucial to development. The Swiss school system is highly regarded and has considerable as yet underused potential to serve as an inspiration for development cooperation work. That is about to change. Switzerland creates added value in developing countries and can help shape educational agendas, says Sabina Handschin, education expert at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), in this interview.

Health challenges cannot be viewed in isolation. One example of this is malaria, a disease linked not only to environmental but also to socio-economic factors. Accordingly, we have to take joint action on multiple fronts. The SDC promotes cross-sectoral interventions in line with the goals of the 2030 Agenda, as shown by the teamwork within the Swiss Malaria Group.

In 2022, the SDC marks another year in its partnership with Visions du Réel, a documentary film festival that is celebrating its 53rd edition from 7 to 17 April. Through this cultural partnership, the SDC enables a wide range of artists from the Global South and East to share their message with an international network of film professionals. Seydou Cissé, a filmmaker from Mali, is one of them.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), supports a public services digital transformation project in Ukraine. Today, Patricia Danzi, the SDC Director General, and Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, sign a memorandum of understanding in Kyiv to extend the E-Governance for Accountability and Participation Program (EGAP). This project forms part of Switzerland's International Cooperation Strategy and Digital Foreign Policy Strategy.

Rising temperatures and increasingly frequent extreme heat waves are driving up demand for cooling and air-conditioning systems, especially in urban areas in emerging countries. Air conditioning saves lives. But air conditioning is also one of the main causes of global warming. To break this vicious circle, tackle climate change and alleviate poverty, Switzerland promotes energy-efficient cooling solutions.

SDC Director General Patricia Danzi talks about the role of the private sector in international cooperation, explains how the new guidance regulates cooperation, and highlights how the involvement of businesses in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is ultimately a win-win situation for all. A conversation about poverty reduction, equal opportunities and human dignity.