The Public Expenditure Management Peer Assisted Learning network (PEM PAL) is a powerful regional peer-learning initiative that enables countries to learn from each other on public finance issues across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has recently announced an increase in its support for PEM PAL.

Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) have a long tradition of peer-peer support and cooperation under the auspices of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI). This peer partnership has recently been complemented by a partnership between INTOSAI and the donor community, including SECO, with the goal of strengthening support for SAIs in developing countries.

Pathways to lessen the impacts of disaster, speed up recovery and reduce the financial burden on governments

Earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand, floods in Australia and Thailand, droughts in Northern Africa and Mexico: Governments in many parts of the world are facing challenges to rebuild the impacted areas and get people and the economy back on track as quickly as possible. Improved sovereign risk management and risk financing can make a difference to a country's ability to avoid the worst impacts of a disaster and speed up the recovery process.