Sweden and the ILO renew their partnership

News | 21 April 2022
Sweden reconfirmed their strong commitment to decent work and social justice by renewing the longstanding partnership between the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the ILO, covering 2022 to 2025.

Under the four-year agreement, Sweden will provide a total of SEK 200 million (US$ 21.4 million) to support the ILO’s work. Sweden commits SEK 70 million (US$ 7.5 million) of fully flexible resources to the Regular Budget Supplementary Account (RBSA) and SEK 130 million (US$ 13.9 million) of lightly- earmarked support to the new Sida-ILO Global Programme.

The Global Programme’s innovative design relies on four strategic, cross-cutting areas of ILO’s work, reflecting the normative nature of the Global Call to Action: gender equality and non-discrimination; just transition and environmental sustainability; conflict perspective and humanitarian, peace and development nexus (HPD); and market systems development approaches (MSD). All four areas of work serve workers and enterprises in the informal economy, particularly women, youth, migrant workers, refugees and internally displaced people. Relying on country-level applications in Official Development Assistance (ODA) eligible countries, the Global Programme focuses on addressing poverty, conflict and/or crises and disasters.

Global normative products produced under this Global Programme will also contribute to many of the Programme and Budget (P&B) 2022-23 Outcomes, thereby having a multiplier effect on influencing the overall direction of the ILO's work. The ILO will also strengthen its partnerships with other UN agencies and multilateral organizations through joint advocacy and complementary interventions.

The new partnership follows the successful conclusion of the 2018-2021 Sida-ILO Partnership Programme. Sweden remains one of the ILO's most generous and reliable partners, and a like-minded partner of long standing, having been a partnership donor since 2006. By renewing its four-year Partnership Agreement with the ILO, Sweden strengthens its position as a forerunner in promoting effective cooperation and partnerships for development efforts.