FOREIGN
RELATIONS
Swaziland is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and Southern African Development Community (SADC). Ten accredited ambassadors or honorary consuls are resident in the country. Swaziland maintains diplomatic missions in Brussels, Copenhagen, Kuala Lumpur, London, Maputo, Nairobi, Pretoria, Taipei, the United Nations, and Washington.
U.S.-SWAZILAND
RELATIONS
The United States seeks to maintain and strengthen the good bilateral
relations that have existed since the kingdom became independent
in 1968. U.S. policy stresses continued economic and political
reform and improved industrial relations.
The United States assists Swaziland with a number of HIV/AIDS initiatives and programs implemented through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Peace Corps, African Development Foundation, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Defense. In addition, the U.S. supports small enterprise development, education, military training, institutional and human resources development, agricultural development, and trade capacity building. The U.S. is also the largest bilateral donor to the Global Fund, Swaziland's principal HIV/AIDS funding source. The U.S. Government sends about 4 Swazi professionals to the United States each year, from both the public and private sectors, primarily for master's degrees, and about 5 others for three- to four-week International Visitor programs. About 6 military members are sent to the United States for education and training purposes.
In 2003,
Peace Corps volunteers returned to Swaziland after a nine-year
absence. The current Peace Corps/Swaziland program, Community
Health Project, focuses on HIV/AIDS and provides assistance in
the execution of two components of the HIV/AIDS national strategy–risk
reduction and mitigation of the impact of the disease. Volunteers
encourage youth to engage in appropriate behaviors that will reduce
the spread of HIV; they work with children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS
pandemic; and they assist in capacity building for non-governmental
organizations and community based organizations.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Maurice Parker
Deputy Chief of Mission--Sarah Morrison (arrival November 2007)
Peace Corps Country Director--Nwando Diallo
The U.S. Embassy in Swaziland is situated in the Central Bank of Swaziland building in the Mbabane city center. The address is American Embassy, 7th floor Central Bank Building, Warner St., Box 199, Mbabane, Swaziland (tel. 268-404-6441/6445; fax 268-404-1695).
