Caritas Switzerland

Caritas Switzerland (CACH) is one of the oldest and most well-established aid organizations in Switzerland. Since its foundation in 1901, CACH provides professional, effective and efficient help to people in need and in poverty, regardless of their political or religious beliefs, gender or ethnicity. Since 1929, CACH has been registered as a non-profit association, with its head office in Lucerne, Switzerland.

CACH has a dual mandate: Firstly, it is engaged in practical activities directly for the benefit of disadvantaged and poor people in Switzerland and abroad. Secondly, it carries out information and awareness-raising work and acts as an advocate at the policy level in the interest of socially disadvantaged people to draw attention to existing abuses, challenges and injustices.

Following its mission to prevent, combat and relieve poverty, CACH engages in long-term development cooperation, in disaster risk reduction as well as in emergency relief, rehabilitation and humanitarian aid in the aftermath of disasters or in protracted crises, in 16 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Europe.

CACH’s International Cooperation Strategy 2021-2025 is based on the Nexus principle, thus linking development measures with interventions of humanitarian relief across three main thematic areas integrating the gender dimension and conflict sensitivity in each project design:

· Income comprises the priority areas of market system development as well as employment and vocational education, agriculture and food security. The aim is to contribute to the development of a private sector that offers profitable opportunities to people affected by poverty.

· Climate comprises the priority areas of climate adaptation (including water and sanitation) and sustainable energy. The aim is to sustainably secure livelihoods by natural resources management adapted to climate change, and to conserve the ecosystems.

· Migration focusses on meeting basic needs, protecting refugees and migrants, and working towards their social and economic integration, which in the long term contributes both to the independence of migrants and the development of peaceful and inclusive societies.

· Humanitarian Aid as an overarching theme, includes disaster relief, basic services delivery, protection, cash programming, shelter, and psychosocial support.

The fundamentals of CACH’s International Cooperation (IC) programme are based on the Convention on Human Rights, the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Global Compacts for Migration and for Refugees.