• We support poor and disadvantaged people and communities in developing and transitional countries in their efforts to improve their living conditions.
• Through development cooperation, we support people in improving their livelihoods themselves in a sustainable manner.
• We promote equitable access to the resources and services necessary for life, and thus contribute to overcoming the root causes of poverty.
• We uphold the protection and promotion of social, economic, political, environmental and cultural rights and responsibilities, and seek to ensure their practical implementation.
• We support our partners in engaging in development policy issues.
• We advocate for a coherent Swiss foreign and economic policy, responsive to the needs of people in developing and transition countries.
• We accompany and support our partners on a long-term basis.

Our vision is of a just world in which all people determine the course of their lives in dignity and security, using environmental resources in a sustainable manner.

• Our engagement is based on solidarity and partnership.
• We work towards achieving human rights and upholding the principle of self-determined development.
• We are committed to social equity and strive for equal opportunities for all people, regardless of age, origin, language, religion, culture or political convictions.
• Our collaboration with our partners is based on mutual respect for cultural values and principles.
• We stand for development that balances economic viability, environmental appropriateness and social benefits.