Swiss development cooperation in Africa

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The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs run cooperation programmes in Africa that constitute one of the oldest and most continuous channels of relations between Switzerland and the continent. These programmes cover health, education, agriculture, governance, water and climate. They now form part of the federal strategies for Africa, the first of which, adopted on 13 January 2021, covered sub-Saharan Africa, while the second, adopted on 20 December 2024, covers the whole continent for the period 2025-2028.¹

Swiss cooperation long gave priority to the French-speaking countries of West Africa and to the countries of the Great Lakes region, where Switzerland developed expertise and networks. It relies on non-governmental organisations, several of which are established in Geneva, on the international organisations of International Geneva and, increasingly, on the private sector, through partnerships and blended finance instruments.

For the financial centre, development cooperation constitutes an indirect but real channel of relations with Africa. The projects financed by cooperation create markets, skills and institutions from which economic actors benefit. Blended finance instruments combine the public capital of cooperation with Geneva’s private capital. And cooperation contributes to Switzerland’s reputation on the continent, from which the financial centre benefits.

Notes

Federal Council, Sub-Saharan Africa Strategy 2021-2024, 13 January 2021; press release of 20 December 2024, admin.ch. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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Swiss development cooperation in Africa

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?