Danzi has been working at the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross since 1996 and was ICRC regional director for Africa over the past four years.
She will take up her new post next May, succeeding Manuel Sager who headed the development agency for five years and taking retirement.
The 50-year old Danzi, who has Swiss and Nigerian citizenship, is the first woman at the helm of the SDC.
“She possesses the abilities necessary to develop international cooperation and to lead the SDC into the future,” Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told a news conferenceExternal link on Friday.
The SDC is the largest unitExternal link of the foreign ministry and has a staff of about 700, and an annual expenditure of CHF2 billion ($2 billion) in 2018.
Danzi said she wanted help promote Switzerland’s humanitarian tradition, the respect of human rights, poverty reduction and the preservation of natural resources.
“My hope is that all Swiss citizens are proud of the country’s international cooperation. This is something valuable and I want them to understand what it means so they can cherish it,” she said.
Switzerland to increase aid partnerships with private sector
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The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) plans to double the number of partnerships with the private sector in the next two years.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Rhine could warm by up to 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
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The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.
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The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.
Defence Minister Pfister stresses importance of Swiss mission in Balkans
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During a visit to the Balkans region last week, Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister met Swisscoy peacekeeping troops in Kosovo.
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
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On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
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The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
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The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
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The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
Is there a place for culture in Swiss development aid?
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Switzerland is changing its approach to development cooperation. Many are wondering where that leaves projects promoting culture abroad.
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Swiss development aid should concentrate more on the needs of its partner countries and less on stopping migration, says the OECD.
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The Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development (SDC) will focus its work over the next four years on migration and will untertake assessments.
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As part of his five-day trip to Africa, Swiss Foreign Affairs Minister Ignazio Cassis visited a copper mine. Now he faces criticism.
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