Week 36: The foreign minister resigns, accusations against Sida's director general and debate on climate policy

Tobias Billström announced on Wednesday that he is resigning from the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs. The announcement has left many questions about the reasons for the resignation and who will succeed him. Pictured: Foreign Minister Tobias Billström. Photo: Josefine Stenersen. Source: Flickr.

Of: Benjamin Frisk

The budget statement on climate policy has been overshadowed by it sudden the resignation letter from Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, who has come to dominate debatten on the leader pages that timena week. In the discussions about the government's reform agenda for aidthe politics SvD has published two texts with criticism of Sida's performance reporting and information that previously general directorör Carin Jämtin will have made decisions in strid with the government's instructor.  

September 9, 2024, Current debate

The National Audit Office criticizes Sida for ambiguity in development assistance work

The National Audit Office's review of Sida's and the Government's work with Swedish development assistance shows, among other things, that it is unclear what motives and priorities lie behind parts of Sida's choice of forms of development assistance and partners. Pictured: A Tuareg man in the dunes of the Sahara Desert. Photo: Getty Images Signature. Source: Canva.

Of: Lina Kallio

Sida's choice of partners and forms of development assistance are unclear and the government's target images more difficult. This is the opinion of the National Audit Office after examining Sida and the government's work with Swedish development assistance.

June 3, 2022, Notis

Continued devastation after Typhoon Rai in the Philippines

The destruction of Typhoon Rai in Debu City, Philippines. Picture from December 2021. Photo: Martin Michlmayr. Source: Wikimedia.

Of: Lisa Busch

About two months after typhoon Rai struck the Philippines, the damage is still great. More than 350 people have died and tens of thousands of people are still being displaced from their homes and lacking basic necessities.

February 17, 2022, News

More and more people are aware of the Global Goals

In Sida's survey on Swedes' views on development assistance from December 2021, 51 percent of those surveyed answered that they had heard about the Global Goals. This is an increase of 14 percent since 2018. Photo: Canva.

Of: Linnea Ljungar

Women and highly educated people are more positive about development aid than other groups in Sweden, and more and more people are aware of the UN's 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. This is shown by a new survey from the Swedish development assistance authority Sida.

January 3, 2022, News

Withdrawal of development aid could accelerate the humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan

This summer, protests were held around the world against the actions of the outside world during the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. Photo: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona. Source: Unsplash.

Of: Julia Lundén Azzeddine

During the intensive news reporting on the Taliban regime's takeover of Afghanistan this summer, Sweden's aid authority Sida announced that they will end million payments in aid for development projects in the country. - It will destroy development programs concerning education, health and more, says Anders Fänge, Afghanistan expert and board member of the Swedish Afghanistan Committee.

December 8, 2021, Interview

Sweden's democracy aid makes a difference

About 30 percent of Sida's aid goes to democracy and human rights. Photo: Helena Bjuremalm

Of: Helena Bjuremalm

Both international and Swedish democracy aid is effective, according to a new study from the Expert Group for Aid Analysis (EBA). The report also shows that Sweden's democracy assistance has decreased at country level in recent years. Helena Bjuremalm, Deputy Head of Unit at Sida's Democracy Unit, has analyzed the results.

December 14, 2020, Debate

Sida cannot outsource the country knowledge

Map with magnifying glass

Of: Göran Hyden

In recent years, the development agency Sida's task has been to move and manage money. There is no time left for what makes development assistance more effective - to gain knowledge and understanding of the environment in which development assistance is to be integrated. This is what Professor Göran Hydén writes, who is now proposing an internal investigation.

July 2, 2020, Debate

The bureaucracy contains some of the most important ingredients of development cooperation

Notes

Knowledge exchange is often more important than the money that is conveyed within development cooperation, writes Inge Gerremo. Photo: Kyle Gese

Of: Inge Gerremo

Expert knowledge and knowledge exchanges are fundamental for a functioning development collaboration. Prioritizing it to reduce aid bureaucracy is both stupid and short-sighted. Then it will be difficult to navigate in our complex world, says Inge Gerremo who has 50 years of experience working with Swedish development assistance.

June 23, 2020, Debate

Aid bureaucracy - so much more than "administration"

Administration and Daniel Tarschys

Administration and administration are often devalued in Swedish development assistance, writes political scientist Daniel Tarschys. Photo: Piqsels and http://politik.in2pic.com (CC BY-SA)

Of: Daniel Tarschy's

Cutting back on aid administration has long been seen as a virtue. On the contrary, more expertise and analysis can be crucial for effective aid. It shows a new study by political scientist Daniel Tarschys for the Expert Group for Development Aid Analysis.

June 9, 2020, Guest chronicle

Sida must prioritize the work against the illegal distribution of weapons

Small and light weapons - such as pistols and rifles - kill half a million people every year. They are therefore called today's real weapons of mass destruction.

Of: Body Valero, Charlotta Lotta Hedström, Charlotte Lotta Ohlsson, Christer Winbäck, Desired Pethrus, Eva Zetterberg, Håkan Svenneling, Hanna Gunnarsson, Karin Enström, Lotta Johnson Fornarve and Yasmine Posio Nilsson

Every day, an average of 575 people in the world are killed by weapons such as rifles and pistols. The Government's priorities in these matters are clear. Reducing the illegal flow of small arms and light weapons is an important goal of peace work. Now Sida must also listen to it, write 11 current and former members of parliament from different parties.

October 1, 2019, Debate