SDC units and expertise

Working Aid > SDC units and expertise

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC is responsible for the overall coordination of Switzerland’s international cooperation and humanitarian aid. The SDC’s key characteristics are described on its official website. This site provides some information on different SDC units and expertise related to C/D/E.

CDE thematic section (thematic cooperation)
As part of SDC’s thematic division, the thematic section Climate, Disaster Risk Reduction and Environment (CDE) is the SDC knowledge broker and pacemaker in the field of C/D/E. It also hosts the CDE Network, which focuses on institutional learning and capacity development for the whole of the SDC and its partners. Together with the SDC networks on Water and Agriculture and Food Systems, the CDE Network forms the Cluster Green.

Bilateral cooperation and thematic hubs
Through dedicated cooperation programmes, the geographic divisions and sections implement bilateral and regional programmes and partnerships in their respective geographic areas. For C/D/E, thematic regional advisors and/or regional thematic hubs of the geographic divisions act as knowledge bearers and first responders on C/D/E issues. These thematic resource persons and thematic hubs combine thematic and contextual knowledge.

Multilateral division
The Multilateral Affairs and Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) Division is responsible for coordinating the engagement with multilateral organisations and the Swiss NGOs, thus covering the management of core contributions and the steering of such partners as UN bodies, multilateral development banks, the ICRC and Swiss NGOs. As such, it plays an important role in influencing the strategic direction of these institutions as well as in leveraging good practices (financial as well as outreach) through contributing to the institutions' programmes or multilateral and bilateral activities.

Humanitarian Aid Division and Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) Expert Groups
As part of the SDC, the Swiss Humanitarian Aid (SHA) unit uses a variety of instruments to save lives and alleviate suffering. The SHA Unit maintains 11 expert groups that assist rapid response missions and direct actions and provide secondments to partner organisations, and to SDC cooperation offices, embassies and HQ. Several of these groups support C/D/E activities, particularly Construction; Water and Environmental Sanitation; Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction; Medical; and Protection. In addition, the SDC has a Humanitarian Competency Centre (HCC) with thematic experts covering C/D/E topics most relevant to humanitarian aid.

👉🏼 more information on these units and their expertise as well as on other Swiss government actors