Articles on current topics and events from Sida. http://www.sida.se/Modules/Global/CategoryListingLarge.aspx?SourcePageID=46961&OffsetPage=46961 20 Swedish companies have today, as the first national business group in the world, adopted four core principles on how they jointly contribute to sustainable development and poverty reduction in the global work done with new development after 2015. Sustainability must permeate operations and business models. The companies also stress the importance of creating more and better jobs, systematically reducing environmental impact, and to fight corruption and unethical business practices. CEOs of some of the leading companies endorsed the principles at a round table meeting at Sida in Stockholm today. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Swedish-companies-in-unique-initiative-for-sustainable-global-development/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Swedish-companies-in-unique-initiative-for-sustainable-global-development/ Thu, 16 May 2013 13:16:00 GMT At the end of 2012, Sida launched a global call for proposals with the aim to increase women and girls’ access to and use of ICT. Today, on the global International Girls in ICT Day, can we present the result. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/One-woman--one-mobile-phone/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/One-woman--one-mobile-phone/ Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:45:00 GMT The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) aims to make aid transparent and increase effectiveness. The initiative has been successful in getting over 75 per cent of global official development finance to sign up. Sweden stays at the forefront for better transparency by hosting IATI for the next three years. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Aid-transparency-gains-momentum/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Aid-transparency-gains-momentum/ Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:05:00 GMT The latest statistics from the OECD's Development Assistance Committee shows that Sweden is one of five countries in the world that meets the UN target of allocating at least 0.7 percent of GNI to development assistance. Sweden is, with 0.99 percent, in second place. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Swedens-aid-remains-at-the-top/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Swedens-aid-remains-at-the-top/ Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:16:00 GMT Sida has become better at detecting corruption in contributions. Despite this the organisation must continue to learn and develop in that area in order to contribute to the fight against corruption in partner countries. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Four-factors-associated-with-lower-corruption-/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Four-factors-associated-with-lower-corruption-/ Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:20:00 GMT More than 70 people attended the graduation of SE Outreach Accelerator Spring 2013. The entrepreneurs delivered their business pitches, drawing attention to important issues such as health, education and more. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Nine-social-entrepreneurs-graduated-from-SE-Outreach-Accelerator/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Nine-social-entrepreneurs-graduated-from-SE-Outreach-Accelerator/ Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:40:00 GMT Four organizations, so called Think Tanks, supported by Sida, are among the best in the world according to University of Pennsylvania's annual rankings. Through their influence they contribute to the world with an African perspective. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Sida-supported-Think-Tanks-in-Africa-are-in-the-top/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Sida-supported-Think-Tanks-in-Africa-are-in-the-top/ Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:40:00 GMT Sida’s support to Area C in the West Bank shall help improve the Palestinian living conditions and livelihoods. Through the support from Western donors, the Palestinian Authority can increase its influence in the occupied territory and make it possible for Palestinians to stay on their land. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Support-to-the-West-Bank-will-help-Palestinians-stay-on-their-land/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Support-to-the-West-Bank-will-help-Palestinians-stay-on-their-land/ Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:00:00 GMT Uganda has examined over 120 Doctors of Philosophy since Sweden’s support was initiated. The country now can perform their own research based on national priorities and Makerere University is considered the foremost in Africa after South Africa’s. A delegation from Makerere university visited Sida for discussions. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Makerere-University/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Makerere-University/ Fri, 08 Feb 2013 11:22:00 GMT In order to create a good dialogue about sexual and reproductive health with young people, you need to build up their trust and confidence. As India is committed to build more youth-friendly health services - doctors, managers and public health functionaries now visit Lund to learn from the Swedish model. The training programme is organised by Lund University and funded by Sida as a part of its Partner Driven Cooperation. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Indian-visit-to-learn-about-youth-and-sexual-health/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2013/Indian-visit-to-learn-about-youth-and-sexual-health/ Mon, 21 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT Women have an important role in contributing to peace and stability in war-torn countries. If given the opportunity to invest, they often put their money in businesses that benefit the local economy, which in turn contributes to stability. Nonetheless, in order to strengthen women's economic development, men need to be involved. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Womens-economic-empowerment-increases-stability/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Womens-economic-empowerment-increases-stability/ Wed, 19 Dec 2012 09:42:00 GMT Results must, of course, be in the focus of all development aid efforts. But how can you determine the results when both activities and development cooperation environments are as complex as they are? These were the main issues discussed during the Development Talk to which Sida recently invited among others Dr. Michael Woolcock, a senior researcher at the World Bank and a lecturer at Harvard who has led many international development project evaluations. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Results-discussion-at-a-high-level/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Results-discussion-at-a-high-level/ Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:22:00 GMT In order to plan a country’s health services in a functional manner it is essential to have access to data on the population’s health. Data such as what diseases are common, average life expectancy, how many women die in childbirth and so on. Sida supports the INDEPTH network which gathers information and develops basic practical systems. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Demographic-statistics-for-better-health/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Demographic-statistics-for-better-health/ Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:34:00 GMT On 28 October parliamentary elections were held in Ukraine. Sweden financed three interventions to help in making the elections free and fair. One was directed to OSCE/ODIHRs election monitors. Madeleine Hägg–Liljeström shares her views as one of the election monitors. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Observing-democracy-in-the-making/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Observing-democracy-in-the-making/ Mon, 05 Nov 2012 15:44:00 GMT Biogas production in small villages and new medication against parasitic diseases. These are some of the progresses that Sida’s longstanding support for research in Bolivia has contributed to. Strengthening national research is vital in order to solve the country’s problems, and thus contribute to development. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Supporting-research-a-key-to-development/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Supporting-research-a-key-to-development/ Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:01:00 GMT World aid is becoming more transparent and accessible to ordinary citizens, according to a report from Publish What You Fund. Sweden gets good marks for its efforts to make data available, which helps tax payers in Sweden as well as people in our cooperation countries to see where the money goes. But internationally, the big transparency work has only started. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Open-data-means-transparent-aid-/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Open-data-means-transparent-aid-/ Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:24:00 GMT EU membership and reform cooperation has influenced Eastern Europe over the past ten years, but the level of corruption in the region has hardly improved, despite major investments in anti-corruption programmes. There are approaches that work, but it is not the donors that must do the work, the change has to come from within. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Challenging-fight-against-corruption-in-Eastern-Europe/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Challenging-fight-against-corruption-in-Eastern-Europe/ Wed, 05 Sep 2012 09:50:00 GMT Reality checks are a method used to determine how people perceive their situation. The results provide a picture of how aid succeed in reaching out to the poorest. Now are ​​such studies being done in Mozambique. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Reality-checks/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Reality-checks/ Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:51:00 GMT Sweden and UNCDF Announces a $16 million Partnerships Framework on Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development. The new agreement is seen as an innovative framework for fostering inclusive growth, sustainable development and aid effectiveness. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/UN-Capital-Development-Fund-UNCDF-and-Sida-in-partnership/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/UN-Capital-Development-Fund-UNCDF-and-Sida-in-partnership/ Wed, 02 May 2012 15:41:00 GMT The Swedish model of quality infrastructure is inspiring and clearly shows benefits of having different institutions for different tasks. These were the comments from the Ugandan delegation visiting Sweden to learn more about standards and quality. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Ugandans-want-to-learn-about-Swedish-quality/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Ugandans-want-to-learn-about-Swedish-quality/ Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:05:00 GMT The poverty level in Rwanda has decreased from 56.7 to 44.9 per cent in the last five years and the extreme income poverty has gone down to 24 per cent. This means that Rwanda has reached its national target for poverty reduction, and the country’s exceptional development can rather be compared to that of China and Thailand than to its African neighbouring states. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Successful-development-policy-reduces-poverty-in-Rwanda/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Successful-development-policy-reduces-poverty-in-Rwanda/ Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:29:00 GMT Ten years ago corruption was frequent in Georgia. Through dedicated efforts, certain public services today are considered basically free of corruption. Representatives from the World Bank presented the success story and a new book on this theme at a seminar held at Sida. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Fighting-Corruption-in-Public-Services---Chronicling-Georgias-reforms/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Fighting-Corruption-in-Public-Services---Chronicling-Georgias-reforms/ Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:33:00 GMT Private sector is an important driving force for a faster development in Africa. But for the growth to take off the same way as it did in Asia, it’s crucial to invest in entrepreneurship, as well as to free oneself from old systems. http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Africa--developing-or-lacking-progress/ http://www.sida.se/English/current-topics-archive/2012/Africa--developing-or-lacking-progress/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:23:00 GMT