The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) is the federal government's centre of expertise for all core issues relating to economic policy. Its aim is to ensure sustainable economic growth by putting in place the necessary regulatory and economic policy conditions.

On the domestic front, SECO acts as an interface between business, social partners and government. It supports the regionally and structurally balanced development of the economy and ensures the protection of employees. Through its labour market policy, it contributes to the prevention and tackling of unemployment and consequently to upholding social peace.
SECO also helps to ensure access to all markets for Swiss goods and services and investment. In terms of foreign trade policy, SECO is active in the formulating of efficient, fair and transparent rules for the world economy.

SECO’s Economic Cooperation and Development Division

The “Economic Cooperation and Development” Division of SECO is responsible for planning and implementing economic and trade policy measures with developing countries, Eastern European and Central Asian states as well as the new EU states (enlargement contribution).
The primary aims of SECO are to integrate partner countries into the world economy and promote sustainable economic growth, making an efficient and effective contribution to reducing poverty. This represents a direct positive relationship between foreign trade policy and development cooperation.

SECO’s priorities lie in strengthening developing countries’ competitiveness and diversifying their trade, mobilising domestic and foreign investments, improving the basic infrastructure and promoting stable economic framework conditions. Special attention is given to climate change, energy and environmental issues. The mobilisation of private capital and know-how on-site and in Switzerland forms an important principle of SECO’s development cooperation.

Moreover, together with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), SECO acts as the leading federal agency in forming the policy of the World Bank Group and regional development banks, so that these contribute effectively to international cooperation and development.

The Economic Cooperation and Development Division is headed by a member of SECO’s executive board and consists of a staff of around 70 persons. The Division’s seven sections are structured according to the main areas of activity. The Division has an annual budget of around 290 million Swiss Francs.

Economic and trade cooperation play a major role in promoting investments and trade. Such cooperation makes a key contribution towards creating an environment that provides favourable framework conditions for economic growth and private initiative.

Great value is placed on the coherence between economic and trade cooperation measures and the goals of Swiss foreign policy as well as on the synergies with other instruments and forms of cooperation of the Swiss Confederation. To this end, the Economic Cooperation and Development Division works closely together with other SECO Divisions, with the SDC and other federal offices involved in international cooperation.

Contact
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
Economic Cooperation and Development
Effingerstrasse 1
3003 Bern
Switzerland
info@seco-cooperation.ch

For more information about SECO’s Economic Cooperation and Development Division and SECO in general visit the following internet sites
www.seco-cooperation.admin.ch/index.html?lang=en
www.seco.admin.ch