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Gunilla Carlssons 2013 Press release 13 September 2013 Ministry for Foreign Affairs Conference on the humanitarian situation in Syria On 16 September, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will host a conference between donors and UN representatives to discuss coordination of the humanitarian operation in Syria and its neighbouring countries. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is the main organiser and initiator of the conference, while Sweden will act as host. The conference aims to offer donors and other UN bodies a forum for sharing information and discussing how to manage the challenges of supplying humanitarian assistance to the Syrian crisis. "This conference is an excellent opportunity for donors and the UN to discuss how we can best help the seven million Syrians, including over three million children, who are deemed to be in need of humanitarian aid. With continued intensive fighting, the difficulty of reaching disaster areas and approximately two million people who have fled to neighbouring countries, Syria constitutes by far the greatest humanitarian challenge the international community faces today. Donors and UN humanitarian bodies cooperating and complementing each other helps ensure that our aid reaches those affected and provides maximum dividends to the suffering population," says Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson. Sweden is one of the world's largest humanitarian donors. So far this year, Sweden has contributed SEK 270 million to operations aimed at dealing with the acute humanitarian crisis in Syria and its neighbouring countries. In addition to this, Sweden provides extensive core support to various UN humanitarian bodies and the International Red Cross Movement. Contact Sebastian Tham Press Secretary to Hillevi Engström +46 72 212 74 72 email to Sebastian Tham Press release 29 August 2013 Ministry for Foreign Affairs African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka to visit Stockholm President of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka, is to visit Stockholm on 30 August at the invitation of Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson. During the visit, meetings will also be held at the Riksdag, with Swedish business leaders and with Minister for Finance Anders Borg. The African Development Bank (AfDB) is one of Africa's largest development funders. Each year the bank approves the equivalent of SEK 40-50 billion in loans and grants to African states and businesses for initiatives, primarily in the areas of infrastructure, private sector development and regional integration. Sweden has been a member of the AfDB since 1982 and currently owns 1.54 per cent of capital in the bank. Through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Sweden contributed approximately SEK 920 million to the AfDB's activities in 2012. The Government considers that the bank conducts relevant, results-oriented and effective measures that are very much in line with Sweden's aid policy priorities. President Kaberuka is visiting Sweden as part of a tour of the Nordic region. Contact Sebastian Tham Press Secretary to Hillevi Engström +46 72 212 74 72 email to Sebastian Tham Press release 29 August 2013 Ministry for Foreign Affairs Gunilla Carlsson to deliver opening address at World Water Week On Monday, 2 September, Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson will deliver the opening address at World Water Week and take part in a subsequent press conference with UN Deputy Secretary- General Jan Eliasson and others. The theme of this year's Water Week, the 23rd in a row, is "Water Cooperation - Building Partnerships". The UN has declared 2013 as the "International Year of Water Cooperation". External links World Water Week, arranged by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), is an annual forum that Stockholm International gathers the world's foremost experts, researchers, policy-makers and leaders in various sectors linked to Water Institute's web site water. World Water Week will be held at Stockholm International Fairs in Älvsjö and is expected to attract more than 2,500 participants representing more than 130 countries. Time and venue for the press conference: Time: Monday 2 September at 12.45 Place: Pressrummet, Älvsjömässan (Stockholm International Fairs in Älvsjö) Contact Sebastian Tham Press Secretary to Hillevi Engström +46 72 212 74 72 email to Sebastian Tham Press release 27 August 2013 Ministry for Foreign Affairs Ministry of Defence Hague, Carlsson and Enström to discuss women, peace and security British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Sweden's Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson and Minister for Defence Karin Enström will meet on 29 August. The focus of the discussion will be the promotion of women, peace and security (UN Resolution 1325) and the prevention of sexual violence in conflict. Swedish government agencies - the Folke Bernadotte Academy, Sida and the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations - will participate in the meeting to provide External links information about their work on women, peace and security in the field. Resolution 1325 The ministers will discuss how Sweden and the United Kingdom can contribute to bridging the gap between policy and practice. The meeting will take place at the Folke Bernadotte Academy. Contact Sebastian Tham Press Secretary to Hillevi Engström +46 72 212 74 72 email to Sebastian Tham Henrik Hedberg Press Secretary to Karin Enström +46 8 405 25 15 +46 72 72 75 949 email to Henrik Hedberg Press release 16 August 2013 Ministry for Foreign Affairs UN representative for South Sudan to visit Sweden Hilde Johnson, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for the Republic of South Sudan, is to visit Stockholm on 19 August for talks with Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt and Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson. As the world's youngest country, but also one of its poorest, South Sudan stands in great need of commitment and support from the rest of the world. The UN has an important role in the country's future via its Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), which is led by Ms Johnson. Aside from the humanitarian and domestic policy situation in South Sudan, the talks are expected to touch on relations with Sudan and the disputed area of Abyei. "The Government is following developments in South Sudan and Sudan closely. The UN plays a crucial role in this context. Hilde Johnson's visit is an excellent opportunity to discuss the challenges facing South Sudan and how the UN, the EU and Sweden can be of assistance," says Ms Carlsson. Sweden has a section office in Juba, South Sudan and Sweden's Ambassador in Khartoum is also accredited to South Sudan. Sweden's development assistance to South Sudan has focused on peace-building and democratisation, as well as health. This development assistance totals SEK 220 million during 2013. Moreover, Sweden has contributed significant humanitarian support to the country, totalling SEK 200 million in 2013. Sweden is also providing development assistance totalling SEK 35 million in 2012-2013 to Sudan. The focus there is on Darfur and the situation of women. Sweden is also contributing staff to the UNMISS peace-building operation and to the EU's civilian Aviation Security Mission (EUAVSEC) in South Sudan. Contact Sebastian Tham Press Secretary to Hillevi Engström +46 72 212 74 72 email to Sebastian Tham Press release 08 August 2013 Ministry for Foreign Affairs Strong increase in future aid to Afghanistan Today the Government decided to start work on producing a new strategy for Swedish development assistance to Afghanistan for the period 2015-2019. Similar to the strategy for 2012-2014, the Government wants development assistance for the period 2015-2019 to focus on education, democracy, human rights and gender equality in Afghanistan. New priorities are increased employment, economic integration, and the development of the private sector and rural areas. Sweden's commitment to Afghanistan is long-term. At the Tokyo Conference in July 2012, Sweden announced its intention to support Afghanistan during the period 2015-2024 with an indicative volume range of SEK 8-8.5 billion. The results offers that the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has now been instructed to produce will be based on a country allocation to Afghanistan of SEK 4-4.25 billion during the period 2015-2019. This is a strong increase compared with the current development assistance levels of approximately SEK 600 million per year. With today's decision, Sida has been instructed to come up with proposals, based on 'initial values' for how to achieve the development assistance results that the Swedish Government wishes to achieve in Afghanistan. The results proposals will then form the basis of work to produce a results strategy for development assistance to Afghanistan for the period 2015-2019. Background Afghanistan is one of the world's poorest countries, with a conflict that is still ongoing and a very limited capacity on the part of the state to provide its citizens with basic services. In the UN 2013 Human Development Report, Afghanistan is placed 175th of a total of 186 countries, and second to last with regard to gender equality. The initital values will prioritise poor people in rural areas, with a special focus on women and children. Contact Olof Kollinius +46 (0)8-405 2282 Press release 08 August 2013 Ministry for Foreign Affairs Work to start on strategy for future aid to Cambodia Today the Government decided to start work on producing a new strategy for Swedish development assistance to Cambodia for the period 2014-2018. As with the current strategy, the focus for the period 2014-2018 will be on human rights and democracy, education and climate. Within the area of education there will be a special focus on professional development for greater employability, which is new.
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