The new development policy

"The basic questions guiding my work towards making Swedish development assistance more effective have been where Sweden's aid is most useful and where the arguments for long-term involvement on Sweden's part are strongest. The answer is the fight against poverty in Africa, where the need is greatest," says Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson.

"The country focus approach is one of several reforms with which I have now laid a foundation for Sweden's new development policy," says Ms Carlsson.

The overall outcome of the country focus process is:

• A stronger focus on Africa. This continent has the greatest need of support for poverty reduction. Africa is further from achieving the Millennium Development Goals than other regions. Africa is the continent most affected by conflicts, HIV/AIDS and the risk of starvation.
• A stronger focus on Europe. As former Soviet states and countries in south-eastern Europe continue to establish closer ties with the European Community, the conditions are created for reducing poverty in these countries, which is necessary for promoting a democratic and stable Europe.
• A stronger focus on peace and security. We will further develop our cooperation with the majority of states in a conflict or post-conflict situation.
• A stronger focus on democracy and human rights. Stable democracies characterised by good governance in which the individual's rights and freedoms are respected are a prerequisite for sustainable development in keeping with human dignity. We will retain our strong involvement for democratic social development in several states with a serious democratic deficit.

Bilateral development cooperation is to focus on just over 30 partner countries:

Countries with which Sweden will conduct long-term development cooperation. These are 12 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America that we have long been cooperating with and where Sweden provides clear added value: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Bolivia. We will deepen cooperation in these countries, play a role in their fight against poverty and support the development of democratic institutions.

Countries in conflict and post-conflict situations with which Sweden will conduct development cooperation. Twelve countries/regions in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America are involved here: Burundi, DR Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Timor-Leste, Iraq, Gaza-West Bank, Colombia and Guatemala. Special, flexible initiatives will be required here to contribute to poverty reduction, peace processes and reconstruction.

Countries in eastern Europe with which Sweden will conduct reform cooperation. We are deepening cooperation with nine countries/regions in order to facilitate EU integration and by doing so, strengthen poverty reduction and reform efforts in our immediate region. These include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Moldova, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Sweden's development cooperation will be characterised by quality and effectiveness. The Government is currently carrying out extensive changes so as to make development cooperation more effective. Three elements are involved: a country focus, a new strategy for multilateral development cooperation, and greater focus on results-based management.

Through the country focus approach, Sweden can strengthen partnerships with our most important partner countries and continue to be a leading donor with high quality development cooperation, without increasing the administrative resources used to steer and carry out development cooperation. In this way, enhanced poverty reduction will be achieved.