Swiss Cooperation Program Launches in Tunisia with a Budget of CHF 60 Million
On Thursday, April 24, 2025, the NINE Lifestyle Experience hotel, Tunisia's first lifestyle hotel, inaugurated late last year, hosted the official launch of the new Swiss cooperation program in Tunisia for the period 2025-2028. This event brought together institutional partners, representatives of civil society, private sector actors, and several Tunisian media outlets, in a spirit of exchange and transparency.
A Budget of CHF 60 Million
With an indicative budget of CHF 60 million (approximately TND 211 million), this program is the result of a collaboration between three Swiss federal entities: the Directorate for Development and Cooperation (DDC), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). The program is built on two interdependent pillars: economic prosperity and social stability. The goal is to support Tunisia's national priorities in terms of sustainable development, inclusive governance, and concerted migration management.
A Program Developed in Close Consultation with Local Partners
As Anne de Chambrier, Deputy Director of Swiss Cooperation in Tunisia, recalled, this program was developed in close consultation with local partners since February 2024. "We have made every effort to listen to you," she stated, referring to the co-construction workshops held with government, private, and associative actors. This process allowed for refining the program's priorities and integrating transversal dimensions such as equity, gender, transparency, and territorial anchoring.
Prosperity Objective: Reforms, Competitiveness, and Skills
The first strategic axis, prosperity, is divided into several levels:
- Macroeconomic: Supporting reforms conducive to a favorable business climate, green transition, and investments.
- Mesoscopic: Strengthening the competitiveness of enterprises, particularly SMEs, their access to global value chains, and the creation of sustainable and inclusive jobs.
- Microeconomic: Implementing professional training adapted to the needs of young people and the market, promoting entrepreneurship and links with the diaspora.
Stability Objective: Governance, Territorial Development, and Cohesion
The second axis, stability, aims to reinforce social inclusion and peace through:
- Enhanced cooperation: Between the state, the private sector, and civil society organizations.
- Urban and local development projects: Anchored in the realities of regions, particularly those in the interior.
- Improved resilience: Of territories in the face of climate change, thanks to targeted initiatives.
A New Chapter in Swiss-Tunisian Cooperation
This new program builds on the Swiss cooperation program 2021-2024, which enabled the implementation of around 60 projects. Notable results include:
- Over 7,000 young people benefited from 34 training programs in 12 sectors, with an average insertion rate of 75%.
- Support for alternative tourism in the south generated over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, contributing to a 20% increase in tourist frequency in the Dahar region.
Aligned with Tunisia's Vision 2035 and various national sectoral strategies, the 2025-2028 program marks a new stage in Swiss-Tunisian partnership. It embodies a shared will to build a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future, placing human beings, innovation, and cooperation at the heart of action.
