{"id":6502,"date":"2025-12-16T08:27:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T08:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/?p=6502"},"modified":"2025-12-16T10:41:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T10:41:56","slug":"working-in-authoritarian-contexts-what-weve-learned-and-whats-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/6502\/working-in-authoritarian-contexts-what-weve-learned-and-whats-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Working in Authoritarian Contexts \u2014 What the SDC Has Learned and What\u2019s Next"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

International cooperation work in authoritarian contexts has become the norm. Reflecting a broader global shift towards authoritarianism, nearly 8 out of 10 dollars of global Official Development Assistance (ODA) went in 2019 to autocratic settings (OECD<\/u><\/a>). This trend is likely to have intensified, as 2024 saw, for the first time in 20 years, autocracies outnumber democracies (V-Dem 2025<\/a><\/u>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working in such contexts inevitably brings dilemmas and trade-offs. How can we fulfill our mandates without appearing to legitimize undemocratic governments? How do we support local civil society without overburdening or endangering it? And how can we ensure the sustainability of interventions without creating parallel structures and new dependencies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid the growing number of partner countries affected by democratic decline, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) launched a Learning Journey on working in authoritarian contexts in 2019. The process brought together lessons from cooperation offices worldwide, own research<\/a><\/u>, and relevant policy documents (e.g. Cheeseman and Derosiers, 2023<\/u><\/a>). They then fed into policy dialogue at the global level, in particular within the OECD Development Assistance Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unpacking Authoritarianism<\/strong>
Authoritarianism is not a uniform condition. Regime classifications <\/u><\/a>offer a starting point, but understanding these systems requires looking at how power is distributed, both within the regime and between the government and other economic, social, and political actors. Authoritarian developmental states<\/u><\/a> with strong delivery capacity pose different challenges than more fragile regimes marked by elite fragmentation or weak capacities to deliver development results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trajectories of rising authoritarianism also differ. A rapid transition through an unconstitutional change of government (such as a coup d\u2019\u00e9tat<\/em>) often attracts international attention and pressure. While such a trigger event can enable swift and coordinated action, it also carries the risk of prompting symbolic measures aimed at appeasing domestic audiences, with sometimes questionable long-term value. By contrast, gradual democratic erosion tends to pass more quietly, though it can be equally corrosive. Both trends frequently intersect with setbacks to gender equality<\/a><\/u>, for example provision reversing legal progress with regard to sexual and reproductive health and rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How SDC Responded<\/strong>
While some donors withdraw entirely in the face of authoritarian ruptures, SDC\u2019s experience shows that a sustained and adaptive presence preserves credibility, maintains the confidence of local counterparts, and can ultimately safeguard long-term development gains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as authoritarian trajectories vary, so too must our response. In times of gradual backsliding, Switzerland\u2019s international cooperation pursued incremental adaptation, reviewing but not discontinuing government partnerships. Its work focused on less politically exposed, technical, or local interventions, and diversified partnerships to include CSOs, the private sector, and independent media. In contrast, rapid decline prompted more decisive action: freezing or scaling back programs with central authorities, renegotiating portfolios to cut direct government management of funds, and expanding engagement with multilateral and non-state actors despite mounting restrictions. In both situations, close coordination with embassies, other donors and local partners was essential to reassess the context and define a clear rationale for staying engaged. Such principles of engagement provide a foundation for coherent communication across all actors and help safeguard our cooperation from drifting away from its core values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To support Swiss representations in navigating such contexts, SDC developed a Working Aid<\/u><\/a>. This document identifies principles, risk parameters and areas of action for offices to define tailor-made responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following key lessons emerged from this process:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Transparent trade-offs are essential: <\/strong>Decisions on whether and how to stay engaged reflect broader foreign policy priorities and risk tolerances. Coexisting mandates in Switzerland\u2019s constitution, such as alleviating poverty or promoting democracy, can conflict, as staying present may benefit vulnerable populations but also risk signaling that disrespect of democratic principles has no consequence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. States are not monolithic:<\/strong> Even in highly authoritarian systems, pockets of alignment can still be found among reform-minded actors and sub-national authorities that share internationally agreed values and principles. Stopping cooperation with central authorities does not mean ending all engagement. Identifying and supporting such actors sustains modest but meaningful spaces for positive change.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Responding to gradual decline requires anticipatory action:<\/strong> In the absence of a clear trigger (such as a coup), incremental adaptations are common, while there is a growing need for proactive, decisive responses. The OECD, with case-based insights from SDC, is finalizing a guidance on early warning indicators to support this anticipatory approach, which should be available in the first half of 2026.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Re-humanitarization vs. Nexus Approach: <\/strong>A common reflex to deteriorating political contexts is to fall back on humanitarian aid, perceived as less political. However, this reaction runs counter to the Triple Nexus approach, which calls for the strategic integration of humanitarian, development and peace efforts to achieve sustainable impact. Additionally, relying solely on humanitarian action fails to address the political dilemmas outlined earlier. As the NRC<\/u><\/a> notes, stepping back from broader engagement risks leaving humanitarian actors as the sole interface with local authorities, \u2018instrumentalized\u2019 to advance policy concerns and placing increasing pressure on their neutrality and operational effectiveness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Ambition must match context:<\/strong> Under growing political pressure and shrinking civic space, we should adjust our expectations for rapid or transformative results. Modest, cumulative progress and frank assumptions of what is politically feasible must guide our work.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    What Lies Ahead<\/strong>
    Since SDC launched its learning process six years ago, the international environment has shifted profoundly. Authoritarian rulers are increasingly confident and networked, sharing approaches that limit civic space. An emerging multipolar order, with new assertive powers and selective adherence to international norms, adds uncertainty and complexity to global cooperation. International development is facing one of its most challenging periods, marked by constrained funding, competing domestic priorities, and explicit challenges to the human rights and democratic principles that have traditionally underpinned international cooperation. The central challenge is to sustain principled, effective development cooperation in an environment where traditional approaches to influence are eroding. Meeting this challenge requires patience, principled adaptation, and innovative partnerships to preserve the transformative potential of development cooperation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    International cooperation work in authoritarian contexts has become the norm. Reflecting a broader global shift towards authoritarianism, nearly 8 out of 10 dollars of global Official Development Assistance (ODA) went in 2019 to autocratic settings (OECD). This trend is likely to have intensified, as 2024 saw, for the first time in 20 years, autocracies outnumber … Working in Authoritarian Contexts \u2014 What the SDC Has Learned and What\u2019s Next<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6505,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"issue":[449],"acf":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"\u00e0 propos","author_link":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/author\/apropos\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/WB_Streetart-Medellin-600x332.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Focus<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Focus<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 9 months ago","modified":"Updated 9 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on December 16, 2025","modified":"Updated on December 16, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on December 16, 2025 8:27 am","modified":"Updated on December 16, 2025 10:41 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6502"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6502"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6996,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6502\/revisions\/6996"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6502"},{"taxonomy":"issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue?post=6502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}