Poor sanitary conditions pose a health risk. This is a major problem, particularly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But even today, one third of the world's population has no adequate access to clean water. To help people living poverty protect themselves during the current pandemic, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is supporting hygiene awareness campaigns and the creation of more handwashing stations.

Discussions on the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income countries have gained considerable momentum. Remittances from migrants and wider diaspora communities to their countries of origin are a key issue in this respect. Switzerland is therefore launching an appeal to keep remittance channels open and give the poorest communities continued access to these vital sources of income.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis talks to RTS in 'Pardonnez-moi' about the COVID-19 measures and the possible consequences of the pandemic. As he told the programme, many countries have thanked Switzerland for repatriating their citizens. It has also become clear that no country can tackle a crisis of this magnitude on its own. Here are some key quotes from the interview:

In an interview with "Schaffhauser Nachrichten", Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis talks about how Switzerland is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and the difficult path back to normality. He also said that various foreign policy issues needed to be assessed.

The FDFA advises caution and preparation when travelling during the summer holidays. Information on the regulations of the country of destination as well as on the rules for returning to Switzerland are prerequisites.

Summer is here! Switzerland offers many opportunities to spend the summer holidays, especially with children. However, if you still want to travel abroad with children this summer, it is important to find out about the entry requirements for the destination country before you leave. In the case of minor children travelling with only one parent or without a legal guardian, it is strongly recommended to draw up a declaration of consent.

Following the fire in the Moria refugee camp, Swiss Humanitarian Aid has organised several flights. They are bringing urgently needed relief supplies to the people affected by the fire in Lesbos.

Swiss Humanitarian Aid has completed its emergency response mission in Beirut. Claude Wandeler, deputy head of the “Middle East and North Africa – Humanitarian”-Division (MENA-H), talks about his role as team leader and coordinator on the ground of the first Swiss teams sent to Beirut after the explosion. He highlights the complementarity between the emergency response and Switzerland's existing cooperation projects in the region.

A global pandemic does not only pose a threat to people. It is also a major obstacle for humanitarian aid. If protective equipment is not available, it is not possible to provide assistance on the ground. Swiss Humanitarian Aid is therefore donating three million face masks in response to this problem and in order to protect the people working on the front lines. The consignment was handed over to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday, 08 September 2020.

On 4 August 2020 the Lebanese capital was shaken by a violent explosion. Since then, 38 members of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) have helped to cope with the immediate consequences of the explosion. They checked the stability of damaged buildings, supported maternal and child health care and helped repair 19 schools. The emergency operation will end on 5 September 2020.

Switzerland has ratified amendments to the Rome Statute designed to enable the International Criminal Court (ICC) to punish the use of biological weapons, blinding laser weapons and certain fragmentation weapons as war crimes. Ambassador Corinne Cicéron Bühler, Director of the Directorate of International Law, explains why Switzerland has deposited its instrument of ratification and why the work of the ICC is important – not just for people in war-torn areas.

In two interviews with the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) and the Tribune de Genève (TdG), Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis talks about the significance of the UN in the 75 years since its foundation, about the role as well as the influence of Switzerland and how COVID-19 has changed international cooperation.

Twenty years ago, the Voluntary Principles were launched to work with mining, gas and oil companies and find a way of preventing human rights violations. The initiative fosters dialogue between governments, companies and NGOs. Switzerland is a member and in its role as chair, which lasts for one year and ends in March 2020, it has worked to strengthen this multi-stakeholder approach in the field, in accordance with its own Foreign Policy Strategy 2020–23. The results have been positive.

This was the visionary agenda of the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing, 25 years ago. But the many challenges highlighted back then continue to be relevant today. The UN Commission on the Status of Women is currently conducting a review at its 64th session in New York – in a reduced format because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Switzerland is taking an active part. Read on for an overview of its work to promote gender equality and women's rights.

Sustainable development cooperation is not a one-way street. Switzerland is working to strengthen African economies and helping to harness the dynamism of young people in Africa. Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis explains why in the September edition of the Swiss current affairs magazine Schweizer Monat.

During a media conference on Monday, 27 July 2020, Patricia Danzi reviews her first 100 days as director of the SDC. At the Humanitarian Aid depot in Wabern, she looks back on her arrival in the midst of a global pandemic and stresses the importance of support on site - a partnership that will continue to flourish even after the crisis.

Swiss international cooperation considers private sector engagement key to achieving the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda. In order to strengthen private sector engagement, Switzerland also supports priority multilateral organisations. As of 24 June 2020, IFAD's ABC Fund is being managed by the Geneva-based Bamboo Capital Partners, which engages in social impact investing. The fund provides smallholders and small- and medium-sized agribusinesses with capital to grow their operations and increase production.

The international cooperation strategy is a foreign policy framework for Switzerland, based on the Federal Constitution, to alleviate need and poverty worldwide, improve respect for human rights, promote democracy and protect the environment. The Federal Council defined the thematic and geographical priorities for the next four years in February. In the 2020 summer session, the National Council is to discuss the subject.

In line with its Sustainable Development Strategy, Switzerland builds and manages its properties around the world according to modern sustainability standards. The most recent example is the Swiss embassy in Zimbabwe's capital Harare. A new solar system supplies the embassy with energy and enables it to operate without one of the emergency power generators that are ubiquitous in Harare.

A well-functioning external network is key to providing assistance to Swiss nationals abroad, maintaining relations with the countries concerned and safeguarding Switzerland's interests. A crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic puts enormous pressure on Switzerland's external network. Flexibility, innovation and solidarity allow Switzerland's representations abroad to continue to work effectively. Swiss external network staff share their experiences.

As part of its foreign policy strategy (FPS 2020–23), Switzerland has organised an international workshop to develop its first ever strategy for sub-Saharan Africa. Hailing from more than 30 different African countries, the diplomatic representatives taking part in the workshop in Bern are putting the emphasis on long-term cooperation and the vast potential, which lies in the relations with African countries.

The Charter of the United Nations celebrates its 75th anniversary. Signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 by 50 states, the UN Charter signified the founding of the United Nations and set out its framework. The principles and objectives of this multilateral organisation still broadly correspond to Switzerland's interests and values today.

Some 25 years on from the Srebrenica massacre, the question arises of what we have learnt from the past and how such atrocities can be prevented in the future. Examining our history is also important for Swiss domestic and foreign policy going forward. This article by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis was published in the NZZ on Saturday, 11 July 2020.

Claude Altermatt, the Swiss Ambassador in Minsk, talks about bilateral relations between Switzerland and Belarus and the importance of the opening of the Embassy.

At the beginning of every year, the Federal Council publishes the foreign policy report, in which it summarises and reviews the key foreign policy events of the past 12 months. 2019 saw polarising movements like Fridays for Future and the mass protests in Hong Kong, while the rivalry between major global players such as the United States, China and Russia intensified. How was Switzerland able to assert itself against this backdrop?

The United Kingdom officially left the EU on 31 January 2020. Swiss–UK relations remain unchanged for the time being. This is because there is a transition period until at least the end of 2020, during which the bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the EU continue to apply to Swiss–UK relations. Switzerland has already laid the basis for Swiss–UK relations after the transition period, however.

On 12 August 2020 the Federal Council passed a voluntary report on the implementation of international humanitarian law by Switzerland. In doing so, Switzerland wants to set an example and encourage other states to take similar initiatives. This would enhance the inter-state dialogue with the aim of better protecting the victims of armed conflicts worldwide.

Over the past decade, the war in Syria has resulted in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. At the fourth Brussels conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region co-chaired by the UN and the EU on 30 June, Switzerland announced that it would allocate CHF 61 million in 2020 for measures to assist the Syrian people. The international community pledged a total of USD 7.7 billion.

The promotion of human rights and respect for international law are essential pillars of Switzerland's foreign policy. Switzerland supports various projects and organisations to this end. Among these is the NGO Addameer, which advocates for Palestinian prisoners. As the NGO has been accused of having close ties with a terrorist organisation, the head of the FDFA, Ignazio Cassis, had the accusations investigated by the department in January 2020. The investigation was unable to confirm any of the allegations. Based on the information currently available to the FDFA, there are no grounds to terminate funding to Addameer.

Permanent access to fresh drinking water or sufficient water supply for farming and industry: what is taken for granted in Switzerland can trigger conflict in other parts of the world. 263 catchment basins of rivers or lakes extend over two or more countries worldwide. Around 300 groundwater reserves spanning borders also represent the basis of existence for two billion people globally. The use of water across borders presents potential for conflict. Switzerland aims to defuse potential conflicts with a preventative approach through water diplomacy (Blue Peace).

Four official languages are spoken in Switzerland. This multilingualism is a major asset for Switzerland and its people. Yet linguistic and cultural diversity cannot be taken for granted – it must be nurtured. This year's edition of Plurilingualism Week will once again raise awareness of this fact.

En Svizra vegnan discurridas quatter linguas naziunalas. Questa plurilinguitad è in grond potenzial per il pajais e per ils umans. La diversitad linguistica e culturala n’è però betg simplamain dada, ella sto vegnir tgirada. A quai fan puspè attent quest’emna ils Dis da la plurilinguitad.

Four official languages are spoken in Switzerland. This multilingualism is a major asset for Switzerland and its people. Yet linguistic and cultural diversity cannot be taken for granted – it must be nurtured. This year's edition of Plurilingualism Week will once again raise awareness of this fact.

Four official languages are spoken in Switzerland. This multilingualism is a major asset for Switzerland and its people. Yet linguistic and cultural diversity cannot be taken for granted – it must be nurtured. This year's edition of Plurilingualism Week will once again raise awareness of this fact.