Reports in English

Read, among other things, about how feminist Sweden’s foreign policy is, how well different policy areas within Sweden and the EU strive for sustainable development and what Sweden can do to counteract the shrinking democracy in the world.

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EU’s official development assistance reached its highest level so far in 2022, 0.59 percent of GNI, mainly as an effect of the aid to Ukraine. But the erosion of aid also reached new record levels. More than a fifth of EU aid fell outside the basic criteria for aid, according to the AidWatch report 2023. The report emphasizes the importance of increased international cooperation to deal with the serious and overlapping global crises that threaten the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. While the EU’s aid is increasing overall, Sweden’s aid is decreasing to 0.9 percent of GNI, and the decrease is expected to continue in the coming years.

The EU influences policy in member countries in several ways. In Sweden, at least a third of legislation comes from the EU. Many people regard the EU as complex and difficult to grasp, not least with respect to decision-making. At the same time, there are plenty of examples of how civil society organisations have influenced EU policy, and it is often no more complicated than at the national level – just a bit different. With this guide, exclusive to CONCORD Sweden members, we seek to promote understanding of the EU and how decisions are made within the Union, as well as to provide advice and ideas on how organisations can best influence policy. We hope that the guide will encourage more civil society organisations to get involved and try to influence EU policy, both within the platform and in their individual advocacy work.

Biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate, and the level of investments needed to reverse the loss is enormous – as is the gap between the needs and the resources that are currently being invested. This brief provides an overview of the commitments, status and challenges of biodiversity finance, internationally and in Sweden.

This brief follows a similar overview made by CONCORD Sweden in 2022 about Swedish and international climate finance. There are many similarities between the two areas when it comes to the type of commitments made, the challenges of reporting and accountability, as well as the lack of local access to funding. Together the two overviews are meant to promote an understanding of the overlaps between commitments and reporting of ODA, climate and biodiversity finance.

No standardised format setting out what a feminist foreign and development policy should contain has yet been agreed, and the differences between existing policies are plenty. However, our interactions over the last eight years with Sweden’s feminist foreign policy have put us in a unique position to identify a number of concepts and approaches that are key to a genuine, and successful, feminist foreign and development policy. When they are applied, the policy can be a powerful tool, capable of transforming lives, changing harmful structures and norms and building inclusive, sustainable and peaceful societies.

We hope it will encourage a dialogue between policy makers and civil society, in particular EU policy makers and EU civil society, on how to step up the work on gender equality globally, sparking an interest in and building understanding about feminist foreign and development policy. 

Across the world, civic space is shrinking and activists for democracy and human rights are pushed back. Swedish diplomatic missions can play an important role in supporting local civil society. That effort starts with meaningful, safe and inclusive relationships and meetings. Both physical and digital. This guide is our contribution to this important work and is aimed at those of you working at Swedish diplomatic missions. Based on our own and our partner organisations’ experiences, we have compiled information and recommendations on how Swedish diplomatic missions can build relationships and collaborate with civil society organisations.

The global development landscape is in a state of flux, but the European Union and its Member States’ inaction to achieve its commitments remains constant. Since 2005, when CONCORD began its annual AidWatch report, the EU has failed to meet internationally agreed upon aid targets. AidWatch monitors the quantity and quality of EU Official Development Assistance, or ODA. 

The global development landscape is in a state of flux, but the European Union and its Member States’ inaction to achieve its commitments remains constant. Since 2005, when CONCORD began its annual AidWatch report, the EU has failed to meet internationally agreed upon aid targets. AidWatch monitors the quantity and quality of EU Official Development Assistance, or ODA. 

This year, CONCORD’s report shows that, with global poverty on the rise, it is more important than ever that the EU steps up its game.

Sweden aims to be a leader both when it comes to fighting climate change and ensuring gender equality. However, these issues and perspectives are not interlinked in Swedish policies. Women, girls and marginalised groups living in poverty are the ones most affected by climate change. Policies made to tackle climate change are ineffective without feminist perspectives. What are the key links between gender and climate change that need to be understood and addressed in Swedish and international policies? Find out in this publication.

For the third year in a row, EU international aid is declining and is at levels well below the agreed target of 0.7% of GNI. It is particularly serious that the EU is not living up to its commitment in a situation where the corona pandemic has led to an increase in hunger and poverty.

Even before the corona pandemic, it looked bleak to reach the Global Goals for Sustainable Development by 2030. With the pandemic, the situation is now even worse for people living in poverty and vulnerability around the world. This year, poverty in the world is growing for the first time since 1998.

The EU has continued to reiterate its commitment to provide at least 0.7 percent of GNI in international aid by 2030, but today only four member states are living up to this level. Instead, official aid is declining slightly, to 0.46 percent of EU GNI. The share that aims for results for vulnerable people in the EU’s partner countries, genuine aid, stands at 0.4 percent of the EU’s GNI.

At the current rate, the target set by EU member states for aid levels will not be reached until 2070. If that forecast holds, the target will be reached exactly 100 years after the UN agreed on a system in which high-income countries will contribute at least 0.7 percent.

During a two day session Swedish and international organizations, decision-makers and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sida sat down to discuss new ways for civil society to become better at including more people in the work of achieving the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

During the days, expert panels and seminars were mixed with testimonies from committed human rights defenders and activists from around the world. The final report calls on civil society organizations to become better at working together. How do we build a common narrative about civil society? Many of the participants did not think that civil society organizations were challenging themselves enough to really work to ensure that no one was left out. What happens if we leave our comfort zone to find new forms of partnership? Read more about this in the final report.

Also read a summary of key messages from organizations that attended the conference.

CONCORD Europe’s annual review of EU and Member States’ assistance, AidWatch, has failed in several respects. Aid is declining and is moving further and further away from the 0.7% of GNI target. Only four member states meet the promise level; Luxembourg, Great Britain, Denmark and Sweden.

In 2019, Throughout Europe, large groups of citizens raised their voices for a sustainable European Union. Climate change and growing inequality are becoming increasingly common items on the political agenda and the EU now needs to take its leadership role.

In this report, CONCORD Europe examined five policy areas to see how well they contributed to or counteracted sustainable development. The report gives recommendations to the next EU Commission. The thematic areas covered are: trade, migration, agriculture and food.

This is a summary of a report originally published in Swedish with the title “Tag plats! Civilsamhällets demokratiska utrymme och rätten till organisering”. It was produced in 2018 with the following members of CONCORD Sweden’s working group on civic space: Afrikagrupperna, Diakonia, ActionAid Sweden, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Sweden, the Swedish Mission Council, IM, the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, PMU, SILC, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Church of Sweden’s International Work, WWF, Fair Action, RFSU, Union to Union, Forum Syd, Save the Children Sweden and Plan International Sweden.

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Are you looking for a report published earlier than 2019? Please contact CONCORD Sweden at info@concord.se for assistance.