Tunisia
Tunisia is a key partner for Switzerland, with great economic potential and a long tradition of bilateral cooperation. By capitalising on its core competences, Switzerland focuses on creating jobs, climate change adaptation and mitigation, supporting circular migration, promoting access to basic services for vulnerable groups, and strengthening human rights.
Context Tunisia
Following the Arab Spring, which paved the way for a long transition process, North Africa has struggled to unlock the economic potential of its young and skilled workforce. Tunisia’s fragility is the result of multiple factors: high unemployment, gender discrimination, regional disparities, and migration flows.
Governance and human rights
Switzerland works to ensure that public services are performed in a participatory, efficient, transparent and responsive way. It therefore bolsters its support for the rule of law and respect for human rights, particularly those of women and migrants. In Tunisia, Switzerland draws on its expertise in governance to help consolidate the rule of law and support education for democracy initiatives.
Decent work and sustainable and inclusive economic development
Drawing on its experience, Switzerland promotes access for working people – particularly women and young people – to high-quality vocational education and training that is tailored to their aspirations and the needs of the labour market. In addition, Switzerland supports structural economic reform and economic opportunities through better infrastructure, an innovative private sector, transparent public sector management, and gainful employment.
Migration and protection
North Africa is affected by migration flows as people move within their countries, to other countries in the region, and sometimes onward to Europe, fleeing conflict, economic stagnation, discrimination and the impacts of climate change. Many of these migrants are victims of violence and exploitation. Switzerland contributes to the protection and socioeconomic inclusion of migrants and refugees, as well as their access to high-quality basic services. It also encourages respect for international humanitarian law and the international obligations of states.
At the regional level, the focus is on the protection, basic education and integration of children and young people travelling on two intra-African migration routes, as well as on the economic migratory corridor between North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. At the political level, Switzerland pursues two objectives: promoting the protection of migrants and respect of their rights, and strengthening cooperation on migration between the countries of North Africa.
Approach and main partners
Switzerland has adopted an interdepartmental approach for its international cooperation in Tunisia, which is implemented by the SDC, the State Secretariat of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).
Switzerland’s main partners in Tunisia are:
- National, regional and municipal authorities;
- Local and international civil society organisations;
- International organisations: the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP);
- Swiss civil society organisations, businesses and competence centres: EBP Switzerland, Helvetas, Swisscontact and Terre des hommes.
Contact
Eichenweg 5
3003 Bern