Switzerland unveiled Nov. 14 its funding levels for three U.N. bodies that are among the country’s 13 priority multilateral institutions.
For 2012, the country will be contributing 54 million Swiss francs ($57.19 million) to the U.N. Development Program, 41 million Swiss francs to UNICEF and 28.7 million Swiss francs to the U.N. Population Fund.
The 2012 funding level for UNDP was maintained at 2011 levels, while those for UNICEF and UNFPA represent slight increases. Contributions to the three U.N. institutions will be increased by 5 percent in 2013, the Federal Council said.
The increase — for contributions to UNICEF and UNFPA and for 2013 funding levels — is in line with a 2011 decision of the Swiss parliament to boost the country’s aid spending for 2011 and 2012. The overall goal is to allocate 0.5 percent of the country’s gross national income as official development assistance within five years.
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About the author
Ivy Mungcal
As former senior staff writer, Ivy Mungcal contributed to several Devex publications. Her focus is on breaking news, and in particular on global aid reform and trends in the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Before joining Devex in 2009, Ivy produced specialized content for U.S. and U.K.-based business websites.
