Frequently asked questions on the Aid Budget 2012
The development cooperation budget corresponds to one per cent of estimated gross national income for 2012. This means SEK 35,8 billion. This includes for example costs from other parts of the central government budget that are classified as development assistance, such as the reception of asylum seekers, costs for Sweden´s contributions to the portion of EU development aid that is financed from the regular EU budget as well as the regular budget of certain UN bodies to the sum of SEK 5,5 billion. The development cooperation part of the international development cooperation and reform cooperation in Eastern Europe totals SEK 30,3 billion.
- What is the Government doing to strengthen efforts for democracy and respect for human rights within development cooperation?
- What is the Government doing within development cooperation to strengthen gender equality and womens role in development?
- What initiatives is the Government pursuing in the area of environment and climate?
- What is the significance of the initiative on private sector development and growth in development assistance?
- What is the Government doing to contribute to the Millennium Development Goals?
- What is the Government doing to contribute to increased food security in the world?
- What is the Government doing to tackle global humanitarian needs?
- How is the Government strengthening development cooperations focus on Africa?
- How is the Government supporting development in the Middle East and North Africa?
- By how much will development assistance via Swedish civil society organisations increase?
- In what ways will grant opportunities for foreign students be expanded?
- What can be deducted from development assistance?
What is the Government doing to strengthen efforts for democracy and respect for human rights within development cooperation?
Democracy and increased respect for human rights are one of the Governments priority areas and the largest sector within Swedish bilateral development cooperation. Part of our extensive democracy assistance is composed of special initiatives for democratisation and freedom of expression, targeting individuals and groups fighting for freedom and democracy.
The Government is allocating around SEK 90 million for an enhanced level of ambition in this area, meaning increased support to actors for change working for democratisation and freedom of expression. Particular importance is attached to the use of information and communication technologies as tools in the service of freedom. Moreover, increased support is being given to vulnerable civil society organisations in developing countries. The Government has also created scope for increased initiatives for the transition to democracy in the Middle East and North Africa.
What is the Government doing within development cooperation to strengthen gender equality and womens role in development?
Gender equality and womens role in development are a priority area for the Government, as well as a specific Millennium Development Goal (MDG 3). In addition, Sweden supports the UN Secretary-Generals special strategy for efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 (reduced infant mortality) and 5 (improved maternal health), which also contribute to increased gender equality. Swedens starting point is that maternity care is also part of the Governments overall work on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
UpWhat initiatives is the Government pursuing in the area of environment and climate?
The Government is continuing its efforts to climate-proof development cooperation (ensuring that development cooperation is shaped in such a way that the consequences of climate change that can already be seen do not have a negative impact on development cooperation initiatives). The Government is also raising its level of ambition in the area of water and sanitation to contribute to achieving Millennium Development Goal 7 (ensuring environmentally sustainable development). The Government will also launch the Water Aid Innovation Challenge, an initiative aiming to get innovators, entrepreneurs and civil society organisations involved in finding smart solutions to known development challenges in this area.
UpWhat is the significance of the initiative on private sector development and growth in development assistance?
This initiative means that a total of some SEK 650 million will be allocated in the 2012 development assistance budget to specifically support entrepreneurship for poverty reduction. The aim of this initiative is to help enable a large number of enterprises to be created so that more people in developing countries will obtain work.
To encourage the growth of robust small and medium-sized enterprises in countries where an adequate supply of private capital cannot be mobilised, a long-term capital contribution to Swedfund is proposed, amounting to at least SEK 1.2 billion over the next three-year period, SEK 400 million of which will be available in 2012.
Around SEK 250 million is being allocated to innovative methods and capacity development in the areas of business for development and information and communication technology for development, in order to increase collaboration with innovative actors and entrepreneurs in development assistance and make increased use of the opportunities offered by ICT development.
What is the Government doing to contribute to the Millennium Development Goals?
The Government is making concerted efforts up to 2015 to strengthen Swedens contribution to the Millennium Development Goals. Initiatives for Africa are being stepped up, with particular focus on Millennium Development Goals 4 (reduced infant mortality), 5 (improved maternal health) and 7 (which includes improved access to water and sanitation).
Children and young people will be the focus of the Millennium Development Goal initiative, through measures to prevent and fight diarrhoea and diseases caused by polluted water and a lack of sanitation.
Continued support for research on poverty-related diseases, which primarily affect children, is expected to help reduce ill health in children in the longer term. The initiative also includes efforts to ensure that access to primary education, particularly for girls, is improved in some of Swedens partner countries.
What is the Government doing to contribute to increased food security in the world?
The Governments food initiative as part of development assistance will continue, and will be allocated SEK 225 million in 2012. These funds, which particularly target Africa, are primarily intended to contribute to increased productivity in agriculture, better functioning markets and better conditions for women, who make up a large proportion of those working in this sector. The special food initiative, which was started in connection with the food crisis and totalled SEK 100 million in 2009, was followed up and extended in 2010 and 2011.
UpWhat is the Government doing to tackle global humanitarian needs?
The Government will deepen its humanitarian commitments in 2012 in order to offer assistance to the weakest and most vulnerable people around the world. A total of over SEK 5 billion is allocated in this years budget for humanitarian operations. Around SEK 3 billion is channelled via Sida, primarily to appeals for help in various countries. Over SEK 2 billion is managed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and comprises core budget support to prominent humanitarian organisations, providing them with essential preparedness and flexibility. This makes Sweden one of the largest donors in the world to UNICEF, the UNHCR, OCHA, the WFP and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) organisations that work wholly or partly in the area of humanitarian aid. Sweden is therefore in a good position to respond to the increasing humanitarian needs in the world, not least in the Horn of Africa.
UpHow is the Government strengthening development cooperations focus on Africa?
The Government wants to step up efforts to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals on a transforming continent. When Sweden shapes development cooperation we must take account of the African emerging economies, a growing African middle class and a new generation of leaders demanding more equal relations than those offered by traditional development cooperation. At the same time, poverty still dominates in the majority of African countries and the lives of African people. Large parts of Africa will not be able to achieve the UNs Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The Government is therefore increasing development assistance to Africa with a particular focus on reducing infant mortality and improving maternal health and environmental sustainability in the area of water and sanitation.
UpHow is the Government supporting development in the Middle East and North Africa?
The Government stresses the importance of supporting democratic reforms initiated in connection with, or immediately after, the transition to a more democratic regime. In these countries it is important to pave the way at an early stage for a long-term democratisation process and to strengthen the actors for change in society. The Government is increasing the regional initiatives in the areas of democracy, human rights and regional economic integration, as well as initiatives to ensure that cross-border water resources in the Middle East and North Africa are used sustainably.
UpBy how much will development assistance via Swedish civil society organisations increase?
Development assistance via Swedish civil society organisations will increase by SEK 35 million in 2012 compared with 2011.
In what ways will grant opportunities for foreign students be expanded?
The Government believes that grant opportunities should be increased by a further SEK 20 million to make it possible for students from countries classed as development assistance countries by the OECD/DAC to come to study in Sweden. A total of SEK 50 million is allocated for this purpose in this years budget. The funds are administrated by the Swedish Institute.
UpWhat can be deducted from development assistance?
The Swedish development assistance framework includes costs from other parts of the central government budget that are classed as development assistance by the OECD/DAC. These costs total SEK 5.5 billion for 2012. This is an increase of SEK 0.2 billion compared with the previous year. They account for 15 per cent of the development assistance framework, which is unchanged compared with 2011. The areas that are currently part of development assistance include debt cancellations, the cost of receiving asylum seekers, EU development assistance and some parts of the administrative costs of the Swedish Foreign Service.
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