Promoting economic growth and sustainable prosperity
SECO’s mandate is to contribute to economic growth and sustainable prosperity in its partner countries. This creates new opportunities and prospects for people and reduces global risks.
SECO is the Swiss Confederation’s centre of expertise for all core economic policy issues, including economic cooperation and development. Its mandate is to facilitate economic growth and sustainable prosperity in its partner countries. Thereby it ensures that all segments of the population benefit from such growth, and that it does not compromise the well-being of future generations. This reduces poverty and fragility. It also mitigates global risks such as economic and financial crises and climate change. Moreover, in giving people better prospects at home, SECO addresses one of the root causes of migration.
Training programme for sustainable tourism (STED) in Indonesia: if an economy grows sustainably, this creates jobs in environmentally friendly businesses that are open to all.
Priority countries, complementary measures and global themes
Middle-income countries (MICs) are home to 70 percent of the world’s poorest people. This is why SECO concentrates on MICs, with eight such partner countries in the South and five in the East. In addition, SECO carries out complementary measures in selected SDC priority countries and under Switzerland’s free trade policy. SECO is also active on global themes such as finance and trade, climate change, water, and migration.
Cooperation with developing countries
SECO supports its partner countries in creating decent jobs. It enables governments to set up effective institutions and provide efficient public services. It strengthens their ability to compete internationally, helps them develop sustainable trade, and encourages climate-friendly business practices. SECO works to make partner countries more resilient, placing them in a stronger position to withstand economic and financial shocks and the impact of climate change.
SECO encourages climate-friendly economic growth that benefits all segments of the population without compromising the well-being of future generations.
Cooperation with countries in Eastern Europe
Despite the considerable progress made, people in a number of Eastern European countries still experience poverty and inequality. SECO assists selected states in Eastern Europe in the development of democracy and a market economy, for instance by improving public services and promoting private sector activities.
Swiss contribution to EU states: Solidarity and self-interest
Since 2007, Switzerland has been involved in various projects aimed at reducing economic and social inequalities in the EU. With this commitment, Switzerland expresses its solidarity and invests in Europe’s security, stability and prosperity. At the same time, Switzerland is establishing an important basis for solid economic and political relations with the EU and its partner states. Switzerland decides autonomously on its engagement and agrees directly with the partner countries which projects it will support.
