OECD Development Co-operation Peer Reviews: Switzerland 2025

Annex A. Progress since the 2019 DAC peer review recommendations

Towards a comprehensive development effort

 

2019 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
To pursue its efforts towards coherent policies for sustainable development, Switzerland should further analyse the impact of its domestic policies on developing countries and identify possible inconsistencies. It should seek to disseminate and debate such analyses, both in the government and broader Swiss society.	Partially implemented Switzerland’s 2030 Agenda Steering Committee ensures improved co-ordination of the 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) and is complemented by thematic interdepartmental co-ordination platforms. Improved consultation and co-ordination do not always result in improved policy coherence.
The FDFA should develop, resource and implement communications and global awareness-raising strategies for its development programme. It should enable SDC to communicate proactively to strengthen political and public support	Not implemented SDC and PHRD have a communication strategy in place, and initiatives have been taken (website renewal, some social media presence), but resources were reduced and in the current context it was found that this critical area is under-prioritised.

Vision and policies for development co-operation

 

2019 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
To support transformative change in gender equality and governance, Switzerland should increase the number of programmes explicitly targeting structural changes in these areas.	Partially implemented There was good progress on the number of projects with governance as a ‘principal’ or ‘significant’ objective, nearly achieving the targets set. The number of projects with a main focus on gender and transversal gender has stagnated. Nevertheless, Switzerland ranks among the top six DAC members, with 72% of screened bilateral allocable aid to gender equality and women’s empowerment, significantly exceeding the DAC average of 42%.
Switzerland should determine its comparative advantage in the next Dispatch to support further concentration of the programme, thereby increasing its efficiency and impact.	Partially implemented The number of priority countries narrowed from 52 to 41 as part of the 2021-24 strategy. However, the overall number of countries receiving CPA, excluding ODA from canton and municipalities and from multilaterals was 77 in 2023. In 2023, 27% of CPA excluding multilateral channels was not allocated to priority countries. At country-level, the number and variety of projects managed by embassies or co-operation offices can sometimes make it hard to manage.
As Switzerland further develops its regional approach, it should spell out the rationale for engaging regionally and explain how it will operationalise such an approach so that it is more than a sum of country level engagements.	Not relevant As set out in the IC Strategy 2021–24, there are no regional programmes anymore, only priority countries for both SDC and SECO. In specific cases, regional approaches are developed such as conflict-affected priority countries (e.g., Syria, Somalia), or for cross-border challenges.
Switzerland should establish safeguards to ensure the development programme remains focused on long-term investments towards poverty reduction and sustainable development in partner countries.	Partially implemented The IC Strategy 2021–24 indicates that poverty reduction and sustainable development are the goals of international co-operation. However, the upcoming Ukraine programme linked to Swiss companies jeopardises Switzerland’s impact and standing. SECO does not systematically include LNOB as a criterion in programming.

Aid volume and allocation

 

2019 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
Switzerland should live up to its commitment to providing 0.5% of its gross national income as ODA. It should progressively seek to increase ODA further, in line with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the 2030 Agenda.	Partially implemented Switzerland’s ODA budget has been on an upward trend since 2020, reaching 0.6% of GNI in 2023, above its domestic objective of a 0.5% ODA/GNI ratio. However, the increase has been mainly driven by IDRC. In addition, it is projected that over 2025-28, the ODA to GNI ratio excluding IRDC will decrease to 0.36%, below international commitments to achieve 0.7%.

Organisation and management

 

2019 Peer Review Recommendations

Progress

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) should assess the profiles and competencies it will need to deliver an effective aid programme in the medium term according to its core competencies; it should adjust human-resource policies accordingly, including for staff posted in fragile contexts.

Partially implemented The F4P has enabled an increase in thematic expertise on topics on increasing importance for SDC, such as the private sector. Since 2022, the Directorate for Resources has opened the concours 2, which has helped recruit staff over 30 years old with specific skills. However, recruiting, retaining and providing career paths for development experts remains challenging. A Working Group including SDC and the FDFA Directorate for resources was formed in 2023 to propose HR solutions for fragile contexts, but no formal decisions were taken.

Development co-operation delivery and partnerships

 

2019 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
In its upcoming strategy for CSOs, Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC) should clarify the rationale behind its partnerships with local, Swiss and international CSOs, and adjust funding instruments to reflect its strategic objectives.	Fully implemented Learning journeys with Swiss NGOs and on locally led development (LLD) were completed and influenced policy documents (LLD core objective of the IC Strategy 2025-28). Core contributions from Swiss NGOs to local actors are now possible. Increased work with CSOs is linked to democratic backsliding.
The upcoming SDC strategy for engaging with the private sector should spell out its rationale for such partnerships, building on its own experience and learning from State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The strategy should clarify the complementarity and collaboration between SDC and SECO.	Partially implemented SDC has adopted a General Guidance on the Private Sector as well as a handbook on private sector engagement, both of which provide a clear approach to engaging with the private sector. Coordination with SECO has increased notably in common priority countries. However, there are opportunities to increase knowledge sharing, to use joint evaluations and common approaches to investment funds.
Switzerland should use country systems more as appropriate and increase the share of ODA on budget.	Partially implemented Switzerland phased out general budget support in 2021, but it maintains a broad approach to the use of country systems, going beyond channelling money through the treasury of partner countries. There is continued commitment to enhance the performance of public administration at different levels of government, acknowledging that the increased focus on fragile contexts makes this more challenging.

Results and accountability

 

2019 Peer Review Recommendations	Progress
SDC should continue to streamline its processes to rebalance results-based management towards supporting decision making.	Partially implemented The Revised Guidelines for Co-operation Programmes make a clear distinction between the use of results for decision making and accountability, but the current context prioritises the latter. Project approval is decentralised to bring results and decisions closer to each other.
Switzerland should further strengthen its efforts to collect disaggregated data to assess whether its programme effectively reaches the furthest behind.	Partially implemented The RDM has greatly improved the disaggregation of gender data. LNOB groups are identified in the new LNOB guidance and were integrated into the RDM, but aggregation is challenging because of the target groups vary from programme to programme.

Humanitarian assistance

 

2019 Peer Review Recommendations

Progress

Switzerland should review its continued use of in-kind humanitarian aid and assess whether this tool: a) represents the most effective use of the humanitarian budget, b) supports Switzerland’s moves to fulfil its international commitments, including those contained in the Grand Bargain, c) respects the strong Swiss focus on humanitarian principles.

Fully implemented Through the F4P, Switzerland has reviewed its humanitarian assistance modalities, allowing for flexible programming that is adapted to its partners’ need assessment of the best delivery modality. Switzerland has remained committed to the Grand Bargain, and was actively engaged in a Caucus on the role of intermediaries in 2022. Swiss humanitarian action remains driven by the humanitarian principles, and PHRD’s humanitarian diplomacy is an active voice in multilaterals to advocate for the respect of humanitarian law.