Migration

The Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies, initiated by Switzerland, was officially launched on 25 January 2021, making International Geneva a global centre for education in emergencies. Over 127 million children in humanitarian crises and conflict regions cannot go to school. More than 40% of the 80 million displaced people are children; the majority of these children have no access to education, resulting in a lack of future prospects. The Hub aims to change this situation.

According to the UN, there are some 270 million migrants worldwide. Their situations are often difficult, but they make an important contribution to sustainable development in their countries of origin and destination. This is what International Migrants Day on 18 December is all about. Migration policy issues are important for the projects of the FDFA's Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and are also reinforced in Switzerland's new International Cooperation Strategy, says Simone Giger, Head of the SDC's Global Programme Migration and Development.

The Federal Council defined the objectives of Switzerland's foreign policy back in February. In the MENA strategy it has now set out how it intends to implement these objectives in the important region spanning from Morocco to Iran. Switzerland's focus in the region over the next few years will be supporting sustainable economic development, better job prospects for young people, and peace and human rights.

Manuel Bessler, Deputy Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Delegate for Humanitarian Aid and Head of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, visited the Lesbos camp on Tuesday 29 September. He was keen to see the situation on the ground 20 days on from the fire that destroyed the transit camp for refugees and migrants on the Greek island. He also met other international actors to discuss the future of Swiss aid. In an interview he explains how Switzerland will end its emergency relief operation but will continue to provide medium- and long-term assistance.

Switzerland's international cooperation work is a foreign policy instrument. Rooted in the Federal Constitution, its purpose is to alleviate need and poverty in the world, to foster respect for human rights, to promote democracy and to conserve the environment. The Federal Council adopted the International Cooperation Strategy on 19 February 2020, and is applying to Parliament for CHF 11.25 billion for its implementation.

Peace and security, prosperity, sustainability, and digitalisation are the foreign policy priorities for the next four years. At its meeting on 29 January, the Federal Council approved Switzerland's foreign policy strategy for the next four years. The strategy also defines clear regional objectives worldwide, with a special focus on the EU, and new objectives for the external network and foreign policy communication.