The Swedish Mission in Geneva represents Sweden in the United Nations and other International Organizations present in Geneva. In this work we pursue a wide range of Sweden's international objectives including promoting development and respect for human rights, disarmament, protecting health and the environment, negotiating freer and fairer global trade, and ensuring speedy and effective responses to humanitarian disasters.
Sweden is one of the largest donors to the UN system. This includes humanitarian and health-related assistance in Geneva, as well as the UN Office for Human Rights, OHCHR. Nearly 40 Geneva organizations receive Swedish support every year. Our work on governance and performance issues in the Geneva organizations that are recipients of Swedish funds is therefore of particular importance. Active EU cooperation and Nordic/Baltic cooperation are key parts of our activities.
The mission is led by the ambassador, who is the permanent representative to the UN and other international organizations. The deputy head of the mission represents Sweden at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The mission also has eleven sent out staff from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as well as eight local employees.
The mission's activities relate to five areas:
Sweden promotes an open, sustainable and rules-based global trade for the safeguarding, protection and development of a multilateral trading system compliant with WTO rules. The EU has a common trade policy and is also one of the world's largest trading blocks, which gives the EU and its member states significant influence in the WTO. Sweden contributes to EU's positions and stances in the WTO through consultations in both Brussels and Geneva. Priorities for Sweden include dispute settlement reform, fisheries subsidies negotiations, agricultural issues, e-commerce as well as the link between trade and development and between trade and environment/sustainability. Furthermore, the mission follows digitalization and internet issues, particularly within the ITU (International Telecommunication Union). Sweden also participates actively in the work of UN's specialized agency for intellectual property rights (WIPO).
Issues relating to international humanitarian issues, refugee issues and migration are particularly focused on Geneva. The representation represents Sweden in the international organizations in Geneva and works, among other things, to ensure that Swedish aid money to humanitarian organizations is used in the best and most effective way to help save lives and alleviate suffering. Sweden also works to strengthen the humanitarian system as such.
The global work on disarmament and non-proliferation issues is mainly covered in Geneva, where the only multilateral disarmament negotiating forum is located - the Conference on Disarmament. Sweden is represented in all disarmament fora and the primary objectives is, among other things, to reduce and eliminate weapons of mass destruction and counteract their proliferation. Furthermore, Sweden promotes the establishment of risk-reducing measures regarding nuclear weapons-related issues and remains committed to regulating the availability of conventional weapons, biological weapons, mines, avoiding an arms race in space and banning various types of weapons that are considered particularly inhumane.
The work with human rights at the Swedish mission in Geneva consists of promoting and defending human rights in general and Swedish priorities in particular at the UN Human Rights Council and with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva. The protection and promotion of human rights is integrated into all areas of the government’s foreign policy. Democracy, human rights and the principles of the rule of law are at the core of every constitutional state. Human rights are constitutionally protected in Sweden and the European Convention is Swedish law. Ensuring respect for human rights and international commitments, in line with Sweden's international commitments, is central to all parts of the government's work.
Geneva is the hub for global health and home to the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the Gavi vaccine alliance. Sweden is a major donor and an active member of these organizations. The mission's task is to promote Swedish policy priorities and their implementation as well as an efficient and results-based management. A particularly important area is the right to sexual and reproductive health.
Click here for an overview of the UN and its main bodies.
Here you can read more about facts and figures about international Geneva.
Click here for the international organizations with headquarters in Geneva.
