Today the Government decided to start work on producing a new strategy for Swedish development assistance to Afghanistan for the period 2015-2019.
Similar to the strategy for 2012-2014, the Government wants development assistance for the period 2015-2019 to focus on education, democracy, human rights and gender equality in Afghanistan. New priorities are increased employment, economic integration, and the development of the private sector and rural areas.
Swedens commitment to Afghanistan is long-term. At the Tokyo Conference in July 2012, Sweden announced its intention to support Afghanistan during the period 20152024 with an indicative volume range of SEK 8-8.5 billion. The results offers that the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has now been instructed to produce will be based on a country allocation to Afghanistan of SEK 4-4.25 billion during the period 2015-2019. This is a strong increase compared with the current development assistance levels of approximately SEK 600 million per year.
With todays decision, Sida has been instructed to come up with proposals, based on initial values for how to achieve the development assistance results that the Swedish Government wishes to achieve in Afghanistan. The results proposals will then form the basis of work to produce a results strategy for development assistance to Afghanistan for the period 2015-2019.
Background
Afghanistan is one of the worlds poorest countries, with a conflict that is still ongoing and a very limited capacity on the part of the state to provide its citizens with basic services. In the UN 2013 Human Development Report, Afghanistan is placed 175th of a total of 186 countries, and second to last with regard to gender equality. The initital values will prioritise poor people in rural areas, with a special focus on women and children.
Contact
Olof Kollinius +46 (0)8-405 2282
