An open letter calls on the Federal Council not to weaken long-term development cooperation. IAMANEH Switzerland also supports this appeal.
On 7 August 2026, over 140 public figures from politics, science, business, churches, and civil society addressed an open letter to Federal President Guy Parmelin and Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis. Several board members of IAMANEH Switzerland are among the signatories.
What is this about?
As part of the International Cooperation Strategy 2029–2032, the Federal Council plans to reduce bilateral and multilateral development cooperation and redirect the funds freed up toward short-term humanitarian emergency aid. The signatories of the open letter warn that this shift in focus is short-sighted. It risks diverting attention away from the structural causes of poverty, insecurity, and crises, rather than addressing them sustainably.
Long-term development cooperation, the letter argues, can tackle inequality at its root and create genuine local opportunities. In doing so, it also creates added value for Switzerland itself: sustainably reducing poverty and supporting the development of democratic structures makes the world safer and promotes peace.
The three central demands to the Federal Council:
IAMANEH Switzerland's position
As an organization that has worked for almost 50 years for the rights, health, and protection of women and girls in West Africa and Southeast Europe, we know from experience: lasting change takes time, trust, and long-term partnerships on the ground. Short-term emergency aid can ease acute crises, but it does not replace the long-term work of building structures that sustainably empower women and girls – for example, in reproductive health, combating gender-based violence, or access to education.
We therefore support the appeal made in this open letter and stand with its signatories in working to ensure that Switzerland does not weaken its role as a reliable partner in long-term international cooperation, but continues to strengthen it.
