Published on 12 March 2025

United Nations Organisation

Today’s challenges, from poverty alleviation to humanitarian assistance, require global solutions. The United Nations (UN) and its affiliated organisations are key to addressing these global issues. As a major UN donor country, Switzerland actively participates in its governing bodies.

The Palais des Nations, headquarters of the UN in Geneva. — UN headquarters in Geneva with a line of national flags. — © FDFA

Switzerland has been a full member of the UN since its joining in September 2002. It participates in decisions that set the course for UN subsidiary bodies and international development cooperation as a whole. The UN is the only organisation in which all stakeholders can discuss global development challenges. With its 193 Member States, it enjoys unrivalled universality and legitimacy around the world. The UN is instrumental in establishing legal frameworks for critical development matters. The UN’s legitimacy stems from its impartiality, specialised knowledge, and worldwide presence.

The SDC collaborates with UN bodies involved in development cooperation, humanitarian assistance, and peace promotion. The SDC provides core contributions to select UN organisations that it identifies as priority partners, in line with the focus areas outlined in the IC strategy. This funding ensures Switzerland’s representation in these organisations’ governing bodies, enabling it to help shape their strategic and operational goals. Switzerland and its local representations also work with UN organisations at the national level.

The following UN organisations and agencies are priority partner organisations of the SDC:

The UNDP is the United Nations’ lead agency for international development. The UNDP assists countries in building the political and institutional capacities necessary to achieve the SDGs. It focuses on three areas: sustainable development, democratic governance and peacebuilding, and climate and disaster resilience. The UNDP plays a key role in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In accordance with its statutes, the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol, the UNHCR works to protect refugees worldwide and to find durable solutions to their situation. This also includes stateless persons and internally displaced persons. The UNHCR works closely with governments, regional and international organisations, and NGOs. It involves affected refugees in decisions that directly impact them.
The UNFPA is the UN development agency that supports countries in matters of sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, and the rights of women and girls. Its aims are to reduce maternal mortality and improve the living conditions of women, girls and boys. The UNFPA also helps countries collect and analyse demographic data, which is used to develop policies and programmes for social and economic development.
The UNICEF operates worldwide to protect and promote the rights of children. UNICEF’s mission ranges from emergency relief to long-term development support, aiming to ensure every child, irrespective of race, religion, or background, can grow up healthy, safe, and able to fulfil their full potential. As one of the UN’s largest development and humanitarian organisations, UNICEF serves as Switzerland’s primary partner in safeguarding children, both in developing nations and during crises.

Convention of the United Nations on the Rights of the Child of 1989
UN Women, the UN entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, promotes gender equality worldwide and monitors normative standards to ensure that all women and girls can enjoy their human rights and fulfil their potential. UN Women is a key partner for Switzerland in strengthening women’s economic and political rights and participation, and in combating gender-based violence. Through UN Women, gender equality is leveraged in the work of all UN actors.

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 2015
The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation, fighting hunger and malnutrition in more than 120 countries. WFP differs from other United Nations organisations in its dual mandate of humanitarian aid and development aid. It provides food aid to people in emergency situations and supports governments with long-term initiatives on food security issues. Switzerland provides technical and financial assistance to the WFP in the areas of protection and accountability to affected populations, localisation of aid, and institutional governance.
Part of the United Nations Secretariat, the OCHA’s mission is to coordinate global emergency assistance to save lives and protect people in humanitarian crises. The OCHA is committed to effective and principled humanitarian action by all and for all. Switzerland maintains a regular institutional and operational dialogue with the OCHA on strengthening the humanitarian coordination system through stronger leadership and specific instruments, particularly in the areas of civil–military coordination, search and rescue, disaster assessment, and environmental emergencies.
The DCO manages the resident coordinator (RC) system, aiming to support the capacity, effectiveness and efficiency of the UN development system as a whole. The DCO is based in New York and has regional teams in Addis Ababa, Amman, Bangkok, Istanbul, and Panama. It supports 130 RCs and 132 RC offices, covering a total of 162 countries and territories. This makes the DCO an indispensable partner for Switzerland in implementing the reforms of the UN development system.
The UNRWA has a mandate in the areas of humanitarian aid and development cooperation. Its mission is to provide assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees until a just and lasting solution to their situation is achieved. The UNRWA is active in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Its services include health, education, infrastructure and camp improvement, community support services, microfinance, and emergency aid, especially during armed conflicts.
The WHO leads and coordinates UN’s health activities. The WHO works actively to ensure the best possible health for all, including the poorest and most vulnerable in low-income countries or in health emergencies. Switzerland is a founding member of the WHO and hosts the organisation’s headquarters in Geneva. As a sovereign member state, Switzerland is free to adopt adaptations to existing regulations or to sign and ratify new instruments of the organisation.
The UNAIDS aims to prevent the spread of HIV, improve the life expectancy and quality of life of those affected, prevent and reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS, and ensure a comprehensive and coordinated approach to HIV/AIDS. The UNAIDS, based in Geneva, is one of the most important sources of data on HIV/AIDS and uses this information to develop strategies on how best to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.
The IFAD is a specialised agency of the UN. The IFAD’s mission is to transform rural economies and food systems to make them more productive, resilient, and sustainable. The IFAD combines the status of a specialised UN development agency with that of an international financial institution. This enables it to play a decisive role in mobilising financial resources for agricultural and rural development.
The UNDRR brings partners together to create safer and more resilient communities. It supports countries in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, promotes coherence with the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, and advocates for the integration of disaster risk management into all public and private investments to save lives and reduce losses from disasters.