Here you can find the last 12 media releases and other news published by the FDFA, such as statements, announcements and articles, in chronological order.
All media releases can be found on the Administarions's website.
24.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has signed contribution agreements worth around CHF 270 million with 27 partners for the period 2023–24. Swiss NGOs are instrumental in accomplishing Switzerland's international cooperation objectives. With the support of the SDC and in cooperation with their local partners, they create decent jobs, work for the sustainable use of natural resources and transfer Swiss expertise and innovative approaches to local actors.
24.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
The UN 2023 Water Conference, which was held in New York from 22 to 24 March, has resulted in an action agenda. This outcome is expected to help advance progress on SDG 6 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – clean and accessible water for all. The Swiss delegation to the conference emphasised the importance of concerted and effective transboundary water management in making this vital resource a tool for peace and cooperation.
20.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
The Swiss Confederation is extending its support to the populations of the earthquake-hit regions of Turkey and Syria. At the international donors' conference in Brussels, held to secure support for the people of Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the earthquakes, Manuel Bessler, the Federal Council's delegate for humanitarian aid, announced that Switzerland would contribute CHF 8,5 million towards relief efforts in the affected areas.
20.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) welcomes the positive outcome of the negotiations that were held in the canton of Bern. The plan, agred this afternoon at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, was concluded thanks to facilitation by the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Switzerland supports the UN peace process in Yemen as part of its good offices policy.
17.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
The Kantha Bopha children's hospitals, founded by Dr Beat Richner in 1992, have made a major contribution to improving the health system in Cambodia over the past 30 years. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has backed these efforts since the very beginning and will continue to support the hospitals until 2027. On March 17, 2023, SDC Director General Patricia Danzi signed an agreement to this effect with the Kantha Bopha Foundation.
17.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
A number of staff changes and conferments of ambassadorial titles have been announced for 2023 for several Swiss representations abroad and at the head office of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) as part of the usual transfer rotation and on the basis of appointments made by the Federal Council at its meeting on March 17, 2023.
09.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
The state secretary of the FDFA, Livia Leu, met with South Africa's deputy minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Alvin Botes, in Pretoria today for political consultations. The focus was on foreign policy issues as well as bilateral matters in the areas of business, human rights and education, research and innovation. South Africa is a priority country of the Federal Council's Foreign Policy Strategy 2020–23 and Switzerland’s most important economic partner in Africa.
09.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
Private Sector Engagement (PSE) is highlighted in the Swiss International Cooperation Strategy 2021–24 as an important modality to achieve sustainable development and poverty reduction. As part of the ambition to partner with the private sector in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) committed 15 million Swiss francs for the Bamboo-UNCDF Initiative for the Least Developed (BUILD) Fund.
07.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
Francesca Pometta, of Ticino origin, was the first Swiss woman to be appointed ambassador. She was a trailblazer who paved the way for women in the Swiss diplomatic service – and the number of women diplomats has been growing ever since. A room in the Federal Palace West, which houses the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), now bears her name. The inauguration took place on 7 March on the occasion of International Women's Day in the presence of Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis.
06.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
The 67th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) opens on 6 March 2023 in New York with the theme 'Innovation and technological change – education in the digital age'. Switzerland's particular focus is on initiatives to promote women's and girls' access to technology and innovation, and to guard against cyber violence. The president of the Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset, will be heading the Swiss delegation and will speak at the CSW on 6 March. On 7 March, he will deliver a speech to the UN Security Council on women, peace and security.
03.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
At its meeting of 3 March 2023, the Federal Council has decided to capitalise on the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina as a platform to promote Switzerland and its national interests. Northern Italy is one of Switzerland's most important neighbouring regions in economic terms. The House of Switzerland will focus on sustainability and innovation as well as the Alps as a common living and economic space.
01.03.2023
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Press release
EDA
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), received the Chilean Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola Noguera today in Murten, canton of Fribourg, for an official working visit. The discussions focused on bilateral relations, particularly economic relations, as well as cooperation in environmental, multilateral and other matters.
24.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has signed contribution agreements worth around CHF 270 million with 27 partners for the period 2023–24. Swiss NGOs are instrumental in accomplishing Switzerland's international cooperation objectives. With the support of the SDC and in cooperation with their local partners, they create decent jobs, work for the sustainable use of natural resources and transfer Swiss expertise and innovative approaches to local actors.
24.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
The UN 2023 Water Conference, which was held in New York from 22 to 24 March, has resulted in an action agenda. This outcome is expected to help advance progress on SDG 6 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – clean and accessible water for all. The Swiss delegation to the conference emphasised the importance of concerted and effective transboundary water management in making this vital resource a tool for peace and cooperation.
20.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
The Swiss Confederation is extending its support to the populations of the earthquake-hit regions of Turkey and Syria. At the international donors' conference in Brussels, held to secure support for the people of Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the earthquakes, Manuel Bessler, the Federal Council's delegate for humanitarian aid, announced that Switzerland would contribute CHF 8,5 million towards relief efforts in the affected areas.
20.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) welcomes the positive outcome of the negotiations that were held in the canton of Bern. The plan, agred this afternoon at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, was concluded thanks to facilitation by the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Switzerland supports the UN peace process in Yemen as part of its good offices policy.
17.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
The Kantha Bopha children's hospitals, founded by Dr Beat Richner in 1992, have made a major contribution to improving the health system in Cambodia over the past 30 years. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has backed these efforts since the very beginning and will continue to support the hospitals until 2027. On March 17, 2023, SDC Director General Patricia Danzi signed an agreement to this effect with the Kantha Bopha Foundation.
17.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
A number of staff changes and conferments of ambassadorial titles have been announced for 2023 for several Swiss representations abroad and at the head office of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) as part of the usual transfer rotation and on the basis of appointments made by the Federal Council at its meeting on March 17, 2023.
09.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
The state secretary of the FDFA, Livia Leu, met with South Africa's deputy minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Alvin Botes, in Pretoria today for political consultations. The focus was on foreign policy issues as well as bilateral matters in the areas of business, human rights and education, research and innovation. South Africa is a priority country of the Federal Council's Foreign Policy Strategy 2020–23 and Switzerland’s most important economic partner in Africa.
09.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
Private Sector Engagement (PSE) is highlighted in the Swiss International Cooperation Strategy 2021–24 as an important modality to achieve sustainable development and poverty reduction. As part of the ambition to partner with the private sector in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) committed 15 million Swiss francs for the Bamboo-UNCDF Initiative for the Least Developed (BUILD) Fund.
07.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
Francesca Pometta, of Ticino origin, was the first Swiss woman to be appointed ambassador. She was a trailblazer who paved the way for women in the Swiss diplomatic service – and the number of women diplomats has been growing ever since. A room in the Federal Palace West, which houses the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), now bears her name. The inauguration took place on 7 March on the occasion of International Women's Day in the presence of Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis.
06.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
The 67th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) opens on 6 March 2023 in New York with the theme 'Innovation and technological change – education in the digital age'. Switzerland's particular focus is on initiatives to promote women's and girls' access to technology and innovation, and to guard against cyber violence. The president of the Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset, will be heading the Swiss delegation and will speak at the CSW on 6 March. On 7 March, he will deliver a speech to the UN Security Council on women, peace and security.
03.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
At its meeting of 3 March 2023, the Federal Council has decided to capitalise on the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina as a platform to promote Switzerland and its national interests. Northern Italy is one of Switzerland's most important neighbouring regions in economic terms. The House of Switzerland will focus on sustainability and innovation as well as the Alps as a common living and economic space.
01.03.2023 —
Press release
EDA
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), received the Chilean Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola Noguera today in Murten, canton of Fribourg, for an official working visit. The discussions focused on bilateral relations, particularly economic relations, as well as cooperation in environmental, multilateral and other matters.
17.12.2019 —
EDA
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis has opened the Global Refugee Forum together with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. The purpose of the forum, which takes place on 17 and 18 December at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, is to find shared solutions to meet the needs of refugees and their host communities.
13.12.2019 —
EDA
On 13 December 2019, the Federal Council decided to extend for one year the preventive freeze on the assets relating to Tunisia and Ukraine. The purpose of this decision is to support the judicial cooperation between Switzerland and these two states.
13.12.2019 —
EDA
On 13 December 2019, the Federal Council approved the proposal to establish a national human rights institution (NHRI). The Federal Council has thereby strengthened its constitutionally enshrined commitment to human rights. With the model of a public corporation, it takes into account the results of the consultation procedure. The NHRI will be independent, include members from across society and receive an annual financial support from the Confederation.
12.12.2019 —
EDA
The 33rd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent ended today in Geneva. The conference adopted six resolutions that will enable the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to improve its actions and adapt them to the needs of vulnerable groups, in a world where the demand for humanitarian aid has never been so high. The topic of digitalisation was on the agenda for discussion, for example in restoring family links broken by crisis situations. The conference was opened by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis on Monday 9 December.
09.12.2019 —
EDA
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis called for international humanitarian law to be strengthened in his opening speech at the 33rd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent taking place in Geneva from 9 to 12 December. Mr Cassis praised the vital work of the 17 million volunteers who make up the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
06.12.2019 —
EDA
Following a Swiss initiative, the International Criminal Court (ICC) will from now on be able to prosecute the intentional starvation of civilians in civil wars as a war crime. The ICC Assembly of States Parties took a unanimous decision to this effect earlier today. It strengthens the protection of victims of war.
05.12.2019 —
EDA
In a triumph for Swiss diplomacy, the 26th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has opened with the Chairperson-in-Office, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák, appointing Ambassador Heidi Grau as Special Representative for Ukraine. A renowned Swiss expert on Eastern Europe, Ambassador Grau thus assumes a key role in working towards an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis welcomes the news of her appointment and considers this a testament to the reputation Swiss diplomacy enjoys within and beyond the OSCE.
05.12.2019 —
EDA
Switzerland and the United Nations cooperate closely in the fight against terrorism. On Thursday in New York, Switzerland presented to the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) the latest developments in its anti-terrorism measures following last year's visit by UN experts.
04.12.2019 —
EDA
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) welcomes UN Secretary-General António Guterres' decision to appoint Swiss law professor Walter Kälin as one of the experts of the UN's newly established High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement, which is tasked with finding solutions to internal displacement and alleviating its impact.
04.12.2019 —
EDA
Humanitarian action is centred on the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. Together with the Musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is hosting an exhibition and forum for debate on humanitarian action and its founding principles. The art installation will run until March 2020 at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum in Geneva.
02.12.2019 —
EDA
Following several demarches from the FDFA over the incident concerning an employee of the Swiss embassy in Colombo, State Secretary Pascale Baeriswyl has received the Sri Lankan ambassador to Switzerland based in Berlin, Karunasena Hettiarachchi, in Bern. Ms Baeriswyl confirmed at the meeting that Switzerland supports measures to investigate and settle this matter by due process of law. However, the employee concerned still cannot be questioned on health grounds.
02.12.2019 —
EDA
During its 5th meeting held at Luxembourg on 2 December 2019, the Swiss-EU statistics committee adopted a decision concerning the revision of Annex A of the bilateral agreement in the area of statistics. This revision, which results from a decision of the Federal Council from 22 May 2019, thus makes it possible to continue the good statistical collaboration between Switzerland and the EU. The new Annex A comes into force with immediate effect.