Sweden

Students raising their hands in class.
Students raise hands to participate during a science lesson in a laboratory at St. Michaels Tongogara Secondary school at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge, Zimbabwe.
© UNHCR/Zinyange Auntony
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As a top supporter of unearmarked funding, Sweden sets the standard of humanitarian partnership and allows UNHCR to be agile and support those most in need.


Sweden is UNHCR’s largest provider of multi-year unearmarked funding—allowing UNHCR to meet the most urgent needs anywhere in the world, whether it is for new crisis or responding to forgotten and underfunded emergencies. This allows us to deliver on our core mandate to reach the most vulnerable displaced and stateless people, and help them to thrive, not just survive.

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In a world where displacement is at an all-time high and we operate in complex and challenging environments, having the flexibility to respond quickly is more important than ever. Yet, the reality is that funding received by UNHCR is increasingly becoming earmarked, meaning it must be spent in a certain place or on a certain activity, limiting our ability to act in places where needs are among the greatest. But with Sweden's deep understanding of the needs of those we serve, they have made it their mission to provide us with the agility we need to make a real impact. As a donor, Sweden sets an example within the humanitarian community

Sweden and UNHCR have a long and proud history together, with Sweden being one of the first signatories of the 1951 Refugee Convention and a member of our Executive Committee since 1958.

The partnership is focused on promoting and safeguarding the rights of forcibly displaced communities, including the most vulnerable, in a sustainable manner and operationalizing the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. Sweden's focus on gender equality, combating gender based violence, protecting the environment, and promoting education in their humanitarian aid efforts only further underscores Sweden's compassionate and visionary leadership.

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