Cooperation through the United Nations (UN)

Alongside its General Assembly and its councils, the UN consists of various bodies that work in a wide variety of areas from health, the rights of the child, gender equality and combating HIV/AIDS to science and culture. Sweden is among the larger donors to the UN system and influences its organisations by working actively with reform and efficiency in the governing bodies. Sida directs much of its efforts towards practical operations in individual countries.

The UN bodies that work with international development cooperation are presented below. The Swedish policy for global development is the basis of Sweden's commitments. Sweden's assessments of the organisations, which were carried out in spring 2008, are also presented here. The assessments concern a selection of the organisations that receive the greatest support from Sweden.

Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)

The FAO is the UN specialised agency for agriculture, fisheries and forestry. Through its standard-setting activities and field programmes, the FAO works for effective monitoring of global natural resources and to promote rural and agricultural development to ensure food security. Swedish support is coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture.

International Labour Organisation (ILO)

The ILO is a joint body with government, employee and employer representatives. The major function of the ILO is to establish a system of standards for legislation and practice with the aim of ensuring peace in civil society, social justice and better living conditions. Its basic premise is that standards set in consultation with governments, employers and employees are to be realistic, well-founded and applicable. Conventions and recommendations provide models for legislation and practice in the member countries. Swedish support is coordinated by the Ministry of Employment.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

OCHAs function is to coordinate international humanitarian aid. It is formally governed by the UN General Assembly and has a strictly humanitarian focus. Its remit includes mobilising and coordinating humanitarian action in partnership with international and national actors.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has the overall responsibility for UN human rights activities. It draws the attention of the international community to the development of human rights and conducts dialogue with individual states.

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

The function of UNAIDS is to promote research on HIV/AIDS, disseminate knowledge of the epidemic and methods for preventing and combating it, and increase understanding of its causes and consequences. The programme is a joint venture between the major UN bodies that work with HIV/AIDS-related issues. It is a unique structure and an example of a reform of the UN system in practice.

United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

The UN Capital Development Fund is an independent organisation that, for administrative purposes, is nonetheless affiliated to the UNDP. The purpose of the Fund is to create improved conditions for poor people in the least developed countries, and its two main approaches are microfinance and local capacity-building.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The overall aim of the UNDP is to contribute to sustainable development with a focus on the individual. It gives priority to poverty reduction, promoting good governance and sustainable development, environmental concerns and gender equality, using the Millennium Development Goals as a basis. The UNDP also works in the field with preventing and managing conflicts and assists in the reconstruction of countries following conflicts.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)

UNESCOs function is to contribute to peace and security by promoting cooperation between countries via culture, media, education, research and communication. In its activities, UNESCO gives priority to basic education, maintaining cultural diversity, increasing access to information technology, improving human security through better management of environmental and social change, and ethical standards in research and technology. Sweden emphasises UNESCOs global standard-setting function and efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and other aims from the global Education for All conference held in Dakar in 2000. Swedish support is coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Research.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

In 1997, UNEP was appointed as the major UN body in the area of the environment and set the global environmental agenda. Its work includes climate change and disasters and conflicts. Swedish commitments in UNEP are coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

The UNFPA works to ensure that families and individuals have access to services in the areas of sexuality and health in conjunction with pregnancy and childbirth. Alongside the individual's right to decide, the UNFPA also emphasises gender equality, men's responsibility for family planning and womens independence. Other important areas include young people's opportunities to make their own decisions concerning their sexuality and men's role in relationships. These are the kinds of issues that were decided at the UN conference on population and development held in Cairo in 1994. The UNFPAs resources were reduced dramatically in 2002 when the US withdrew its support following pressure from conservative elements in society. Since that time, Sweden has increased its contributions in an attempt to counter negative consequences for the organisation, which in turn has led to other countries increasing their contributions.

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)

UN-HABITAT's function is to work for socially, economically and environmentally sustainable cities and towns and for access for all to decent housing. As a UN programme, UN-HABITAT has a leading role in global efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, in particular the goal of significantly improving the lives of 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. The programmes core areas include local community infrastructure for sanitation and water supply, the financing of housing, tenancy rights (particularly for groups that are weak in this respect, such as poor people, women and young people), as well as good governance.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

In accordance with international law on refugees, the remit of the UNHCR is to protect and support refugees, internally displaced persons and others in need of similar protection, and attempt to find lasting solutions for them. An important aspect of the UNHCRs protection efforts involves developing international law on refugees.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF works to strengthen the rights of children, based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Millennium Development Goals. UNICEF works with other UN bodies, governments and non-governmental organisations to improve access to health care, a good education and clean water and to counter malnutrition among children. UNICEF also plays an important role in disaster situations.

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)

UNIDO helps developing countries and economies in transition to combat marginalisation in the modern, globalised world. It mobilises knowledge, information and technology to promote productive employment, a competitive economy and a healthy environment. UNIDO focuses its efforts on reducing poverty by promoting growth.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

The UNODC works to combat illicit drugs and crime such as terrorism, corruption and human trafficking. In the area of drugs, the UNODC assists Member States in complying with the three international drugs conventions that are the basis of efforts in this area. The conventions strongly repudiate the liberalisation of drugs and together form a framework for how legal drugs can be manufactured, distributed and used.

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

The UNRWA was founded in 1949 to assist the refugees who fled their homes in connection with the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948. The organisations function is to safeguard the humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees. The number of refugees registered by the UNRWA has increased from under one million at the end of the 1940s to 4.5 million today. The UNRWAs programme includes basic schooling, health care, support for the least well-off, decent housing and sanitary conditions.

United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

The function of the WFP is to provide food assistance to people in disaster situations and in the reconstruction phase following disasters, and to participate in development projects. Almost 90 per cent of the WFPs resources are used for humanitarian operations. The rest is used for long-term development efforts. The WFP accounted for half of total global food aid in 2004. Swedens contribution is made in cash and is not tied to the purchase of Swedish foodstuffs.

World Health Organisation (WHO)

The WHO is the specialised UN agency for health issues and is tasked with directing and coordinating international health work. It defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and as a prerequisite and aim for development. The WHO attaches particular importance to tackling the biggest factors behind ill health, highlighting the importance of health for development and poverty reduction, and developing norms and standards for health and medical care systems.
Sweden has extensive cooperation with the WHO. The basis for Sweden's development cooperation with the WHO is to pursue effective public health initiatives and fight disease among the most vulnerable groups (in particular poor women and children). Cooperation in all areas should have a clear gender equality and rights perspective. Sweden's support for the WHO is coordinated by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.