About SKL International
SALAR started an involvement in international development in the mid 80's, with projects of support for decentralisation and democratisation in southern Africa. At the request of Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), this activity later expanded to cover other parts of the world.
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked a turning point, which led to a sharp increase in the demand for Swedish support on the local level. Starting out as a small unit run by a number of enthusiasts within SALA, the operation has now developed into a professional consulting agency.
Since August 2000, SKL International is a joint stock company, currently employing 15 persons full time and with a turnover (2003) of about 45 million SEK.
The reason for turning SKL International into a separate agency was to establish it clearly as a financially independent organisation. Although owned by SALAR, SKL International receives all its funding externally, the dominating donors being Sida and the EU.
But in spite of its financial independence, SKL International relies heavily on its links to the mother organisation, thereby gaining access to more than 500 experts working within the associations and more than 800 000 people employed by Swedish municipalities and county councils. Of the latter, more than 1500 have been employed in the projects of SKL International, a rich asset to knowledge and experience.
As a consulting agency working with international development on local and regional levels, SKL International shares the long Swedish tradition of Swedish local democracy by harnessing this expertise and channelling the commitment to international development cooperation that exists on Swedish local and regional level.
The company can carry out development cooperation projects in support of local self-governance and local democracy in all countries where international donors are present. Currently, SKL International has projects in Central and Eastern Europe including Russia, Africa, Asia, Central and South America.