Overarching issues and priorities within multilateral aid

The plan wants Sweden to participate wholeheartedly in the work of lifting people out of poverty, advocates for debt relief and solidarity-based aid, and is a steady voice for human rights. A driving and progressive Swedish role in the World Bank and IMF, with gender equality as a requirement, is an expression of the same commitment. The plan does not specifically mention these institutions, so the position is derived.

• debt relief and solidaritydecisive»Vi vill att Sverige verkar för skuldavskrivning,« (party programme ↗)“We want Sweden to work for debt relief,”
• active role against global poverty»Vi vill att Sverige ska vara ett land som deltar helhjärtat i arbetet med« (party programme ↗)“We want Sweden to be a country that participates wholeheartedly in the work with”
• increased aid»Sverige ska öka biståndet, stärka FN och skriva under kärnvapenkonventionen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should increase aid, strengthen the UN and sign the nuclear weapons convention.”
• voice for human rights»en stadig röst i världen som talar för mänskliga rättigheter, fred och« (party programme ↗)“a steady voice in the world that speaks for human rights, peace and”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto establishes that Sweden shall be a strong global voice and drive forward in international institutions, and the party programme binds aid to at least one percent of GNI. That Sweden takes a driving and progressive role in multilateral organizations and particularly values the equality perspective is thus directly supported by the plan, which also promises to strengthen girls' and women's rights globally.

• active global roledecisive»Sverige ska vara en stark global röst« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall be a strong global voice”
• one percent target in aid»Det svenska biståndet ska motsvara minst en procent av bruttonationalinkomsten« (party programme ↗)“Swedish aid shall correspond to at least one percent of gross national income”
• global equality»Flickors och kvinnors rättigheter måste stärkas globalt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Girls' and women's rights must be strengthened globally”
• expanded climate aid»Därför vill vi dubblera klimatbiståndet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we want to double climate aid”

The party programme explicitly requires that the World Bank and IMF be reformed and democratized, and the election manifesto wants to develop and strengthen feminist foreign and development policy and protect the aid level at over one per cent of GNI. A driving and progressive role in multilateral organizations, with a gender equality perspective in the World Bank's strategy, is precisely what the plan demands.

• reform the World Bank and IMFdecisive»Världsbanken ska reformeras och demokratiseras.« (party programme ↗)“The World Bank should be reformed and democratized.”
• feminist foreign policy»utveckla och förstärka Sveriges feministiska utrikes- och utvecklingspolitik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“develop and strengthen Sweden's feminist foreign and development policy.”
• protected aid level»att mer än 1 procent av Sveriges bruttonationalinkomst fortsatt ska gå till bistånd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“that more than 1 per cent of Sweden's gross national income continues to go to aid”
• strong multilateral cooperation»Miljöpartiet de gröna vill se ett starkt internationellt samarbete med FN som central aktör för fred« (party programme ↗)“The Green Party wants to see strong international cooperation with the UN as a central actor for peace”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan sees protection of human rights and sustainable development as the responsibility of the whole world and multilateral bodies as tools that bind countries together. That Sweden takes a leading role in the World Bank and IMF and pushes for a gender equality perspective follows from this and from the party's feminist stance. The plan therefore supports the demand.

• global responsibilitydecisive»Fred, skyddet av mänskliga rättigheter och hållbar utveckling är hela världens ansvar.« (party programme ↗)“Peace, protection of human rights and sustainable development are the responsibility of the whole world.”
• multilateral cooperation»Samarbetsorganisationer som FN och EU, handelsavtal och bistånd, kan knyta länder närmare varandra« (party programme ↗)“Cooperation organizations such as the UN and EU, trade agreements and aid can bring countries closer together”
• feminist politics»Centerpartiet är ett feministiskt parti, som utmanar och bryter rådande maktförhållanden och kollektiva orättvisor.« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party is a feminist party that challenges and breaks existing power relationships and collective injustices.”
• women's own livelihood»människor i fattiga länder, särskilt kvinnor, får möjlighet« (party programme ↗)“people in poor countries, especially women, get opportunities”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan wants Sweden to do much more, both individually and within international cooperation, for freedom and rights and democracy, and that development policy focuses on democracy and gender equality. A driving Swedish role in the World Bank and IMF with a gender equality perspective follows from that commitment. The plan also establishes that Sweden should cooperate closely with other countries globally.

• active role in international cooperationdecisive»Därför vill vi att Sverige gör mycket mer, både som enskilt land och inom internationella samarbeten, för fri- och rättigheter, frihandel, fria val och samarbete i den fria världen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we want Sweden to do much more, both as a single country and within international cooperation, for freedom and rights, free trade, free choice and cooperation in the free world.”
• gender equality in aid»Den svenska biståndspolitiken måste genomgå stora reformer med fokus på demokrati, jämställdhet och minskad korruption.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish development policy must undergo major reforms with a focus on democracy, gender equality and reduced corruption.”
• democracy as development goal»Demokrati ska vara det övergripande målet för utvecklingsbiståndet.« (party programme ↗)“Democracy should be the overarching goal for development aid.”
• close international cooperation»Sverige bör samarbeta nära med andra länder, både globalt och med våra närmaste grannländer i« (party programme ↗)“Sweden should cooperate closely with other countries, both globally and with our nearest neighbours in”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan explicitly demands that the World Bank, IMF and the regional development banks set high requirements for respect for human rights in their operations. It also establishes that women's situation shall be prioritized in development cooperation and that the gender equality perspective shall permeate all policy areas. A leading Swedish role for gender equality in the World Bank's strategy follows directly from this.

• requirements for international financial organizationsdecisive»Internationella organ som Världshandelsorganisationen WTO, Internationella valutafonden IMF, Världsbanken/World Bank och de regionala utvecklings« (party programme ↗)“International organizations such as the World Trade Organization WTO, the International Monetary Fund IMF, the World Bank/World Bank and the regional development”
• women's situation is prioritized»situation prioriteras i utvecklingssamarbetet.« (party programme ↗)“situation is prioritized in development cooperation.”
• gender equality in all policy»Jämställdhetsperspektivet ska genomsyra alla politikområden.« (party programme ↗)“The gender equality perspective shall permeate all policy areas.”
• the one-percent target»Sverige bör ge minst en procent av BNI i internationellt bistånd.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden should provide at least one percent of GNI in international aid.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan is explicitly critical that Swedish aid funds are uncritically channelled in increasing volumes through unreformed multilateral bodies, and wishes instead to concentrate aid where it does the most good and abolish disbursement targets. The counter-proposal demands the opposite: a driving and progressive role in the multilateral bodies and that cuts are counteracted. The plan's line is narrower and smarter aid, not greater multilateral engagement.

• critical view of multilateral channelsdecisive»Dina skattepengar ska inte försvinna i korruption eller hamna i fickorna på odemokratiska ledare, och inte heller okritiskt kanaliseras i ökande volymer genom oreformerade FN-organ som brister i transparens och uppföljning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Your tax money should not disappear in corruption or end up in the pockets of undemocratic leaders, and it should not be uncritically channelled in increasing volumes through unreformed UN bodies that lack transparency and follow-up.”
• no disbursement target»Avskaffa enprocentmålet och ersätta det med en fyraårig budgetram för biståndet som skapar förutsägbarhet och resultatfokus« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Abolish the one-percent target and replace it with a four-year budget framework for aid that creates predictability and results focus”
• focused aid»Fokusera det svenska biståndet till de länder, organisationer och tematiska områden där det gör störst nytta« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Focus Swedish aid to the countries, organisations and thematic areas where it does the most good”
• reform before increased engagement»Verka för ett reformerat FN« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for a reformed UN”

The plan states that international aid in general must decrease significantly and that aid shall be focused on humanitarian action and distributed based on reciprocity with Swedish interests. An active and progressive Swedish role in the World Bank and IMF with expanded thematic ambitions goes in the opposite direction. The counter-proposal's demands are therefore rejected.

• significantly reduced aiddecisive»Överlag måste det internationella biståndet kraftigt minska och insatserna effektiviseras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In general, international aid must decrease significantly and efforts be made more efficient.”
• Swedish welfare before aid»Minska svenskt bistånd till förmån för svensk välfärd och trygghet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce Swedish aid in favour of Swedish welfare and security”
• aid according to Swedish interests»Bistånd ska också fördelas utifrån en ömsesidighet i förhållande till Sveriges intressen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Aid shall also be distributed based on reciprocity in relation to Sweden's interests.”
• Swedish interests internationally»Värna svenska intressen i internationella sammanhang« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect Swedish interests in international contexts”