Sida's activities are based in the assumption that the recipient countries wish to carry out changes and are willing to invest their own resources to achieve these changes. Sweden's development policy is to contribute to improved living standards for the poorest groups of people. Sida's chosen route is via democratisation and sustainable development. Social security which liberates human resources also falls within this framework. Strengthening the position of women must be prioritised.
Gender equality is one of the most important goals of development co-operation.
Adequate nutrition is an important prerequisite for health and thus an important basis for development of individuals and nations. Adequate nutrition for health and well being is also included in human rights, expressed in several international human rights declarations and conventions. Several international meetings during the 1990s have emphasised the need to direct greater efforts towards the reduction of chronic malnutrition and micro-nutrition deficiencies. Yet, while a lot of progress has been made in nutrition in most low income countries, nutrition problems continue to be the major single cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. In 1996, the World Health Organisation estimated that malnutrition, even in mild forms, was the underlying cause of over fifty percent of child mortality globally.