{"id":13727,"date":"2023-09-19T14:56:33","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T14:56:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reci-education.ch\/?p=13727"},"modified":"2024-02-05T15:11:52","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T15:11:52","slug":"reci-statement-on-the-swiss-international-cooperation-strategy-2025-2028-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reci-fobbiz.ch\/en\/reci-statement-on-the-swiss-international-cooperation-strategy-2025-2028-2\/","title":{"rendered":"RECI statement on the Swiss International Cooperation Strategy 2025-2028"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Paper Summary<\/strong><\/p>

RECI expressed its concerns regarding the new Swiss International Cooperation Strategy 2025-2028 during the optional consultation procedure.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

While Switzerland has been increasingly promoting education on the international stage in the past years, RECI is disappointed that this priority is not adequately reflected in the new strategy. It emphasises the fundamental importance of education as a human right and a prerequisite for achieving all other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). RECI also expresses its concerns about the reduction of the international cooperation budget and stresses that the exceptional financial assistance to Ukraine must be financed through a supplementary credit to ensure that long-standing investments are not jeopardised and that the poorest countries can continue to be supported.<\/span><\/p>

In its position paper RECI puts forward specific recommendations, such as placing greater emphasis on education as a central theme of human development, promoting an inclusive educational continuum, and highlighting the role of education in achieving SDGs related to sustainable economic development, the environment, peace, and governance.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload the Statement<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Swiss International Cooperation Strategy 2025-2028 \n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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RECI statement within the optional consultation procedure \n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

\u201cWithout education there can be no development.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis at the second IC Forum<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Geneva, February 15, 2023<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

https:\/\/www.admin.ch\/gov\/en\/start\/documentation\/media-releases.msg-id-93098.html<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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RECI is the Swiss Network for Education and International Cooperation. With its 40 members \u2013 NGOs, academic institutions, grant-giving foundations and individual experts, RECI promotes the right to quality education and lifelong learning for all worldwide.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

RECI welcomes the opportunity to comment on the draft Swiss International Cooperation Strategy 2025-2028 as part of the consultation process. We kindly ask you to take into account the following inputs, which have been jointly developed and approved by RECI members.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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I. Introductory remarks<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>

1. Switzerland as advocate for education through bilateral and multilateral engagement\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

Switzerland has positioned itself as an important advocate and supporter of education through its bilateral and multilateral engagement and its notable contributions to the international policy dialogue on education in the past years. The establishment of the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies, Switzerland’s representation in the board of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), its support to Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and its strong pledges for education at the Global Refugee Forum are just a few examples of this important engagement, which is very visible and well recognized internationally. RECI strongly appreciates and supports this engagement. All the more we are surprised to see the priority Switzerland is giving to education in international policy dialogue is not adequately mirrored in the new Swiss International Cooperation Strategy 2025-2028.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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2. Swiss cooperation, Agenda 2030 and the human rights framework\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

The major paradigm shift of the 2030 Agenda is the shared responsibility of all countries for sustainable development. It also enshrines the central principle to \u201cleave no one behind\u201d. It is an inclusive agenda whose 17 goals are interlinked and mutually dependent.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The Agenda 2030 is oriented towards and based on the international human rights framework. Education is a basic human right in itself, as well as the means to realising all other human rights. SDG 4 on education is both a goal in its own right and a prerequisite for achieving all other goals. <\/span>In addition, the implementation of the right of all people to have access to a good quality, inclusive and equal education is the cornerstone for ensuring that no one is left behind. Only on this basis is the basic precondition given that minorities most at risk, including persons with disabilities, can benefit equally from other measures and projects, for example the creation of decent jobs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Therefore, education must be recognised as a focus of IC across countries and sectors. Especially in the current discourse on our climate future (to name just one cross-cutting example), quality education and lifelong learning for all must be the basis for people to make informed and self-reflective decisions that contribute to sustainable global solutions. RECI welcomed the recognition of the importance of education for all development objectives by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis at the second Swiss IC Forum in Geneva on February 15, 2023.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Against this background, it is important to include education as a priority topic, as well as to mention its irreplaceable role for the successful achievement of the other objectives.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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3. Quality education and lifelong learning for all: using Swiss Know-how\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

F<\/span>or education to unfold its power for sustainable development, it needs to be viewed and addressed in a holistic <\/span>way. Hence,<\/span> RECI advocates for a transformative understanding of quality education, which serves as a cross-sectoral catalyst for sustainable development and the creation of a just and peaceful society. Investment in education needs to be addressed in a sense of an inclusive and permeable continuum of education for all, including early childhood education, basic education, secondary education, vocational and university education and adult education and training in formal, non-formal and informal contexts, with participation of all relevant stakeholders at all levels (including decentralised governance) that ensures approaches adapted to the local context and where no one is left behind.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

It is this integrated view on education shaping Swiss education policy and governance that creates the value and quality of Swiss education and is at the core for the success of the Swiss dual education system, and notably the quality of its VET.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In this respect, the IC Strategy must use Swiss know-how and do justice to the different levels of education, the permeability among these, as well as across the different areas of education in a balanced and holistic way, instead of focusing primarily on VET.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Furthermore, Swiss NGOs working in Switzerland and worldwide, many of whom with strong expertise and active engagement in education, represent a comprehensive, and indispensable part of the wealth of Swiss know-how that makes significant contributions to the achievement of Switzerland\u2019s IC, and should be recognised, as well.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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II. Specific recommendations<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>

We share the following recommendations specific to education, as defined above:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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(1) Goal \u201cHuman Development\u201d: Highlight education as key topic<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

We recommend highlighting education as a key topic for human development by adding a specific paragraph on education under the goal \u201chuman development\u201d, to make Switzerland’s commitment in this area more visible. This is important for the following reasons:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>