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UN Sustainable Development Goals: Switzerland calls on all stakeholders to step up cooperation

18.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
This year's High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is taking place from 14 to 23 July 2025 at the UN headquarters in New York. The Swiss delegation is being led by Markus Reubi, the Federal Council Delegate for the 2030 Agenda at the FDFA and will focus on economic growth and decent work.

State Secretary for Security Policy to travel to Chisinau for security policy dialogue with Moldova

17.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
Markus Mäder, State Secretary for Security Policy, will hold talks on current security policy developments and bilateral cooperation with his counterparts in Chisinau (Moldova) from 17 to 18 July.

Victims of National Socialism: Call for proposals to design the memorial in Bern

11.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
In April 2023, the Federal Council decided to establish a memorial in the centre of Bern for the victims of National Socialism. The Federal Council considers it vital to keep alive the memory of the consequences of National Socialism, as well as the fate of the six million Jews and all other victims of the Nazi regime. On the recommendation of the communal parliament of the City of Bern, the Casinoterrasse near the Federal Parliament was selected as the location for the site of remembrance. A call is now being organised to gather proposals for the its creation from multidisciplinary teams in the fields of art, architecture and history.

Switzerland reaffirms its commitment to reconstruction at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome

11.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) has been held since 2022 to coordinate reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. At this year's conference, which took place in Rome from 10 to 11 July, the head of the Swiss delegation, Jacques Gerber, signed an international treaty with Ukraine. This forms the legal basis for increased cooperation with the Swiss private sector in reconstruction. Projects in the areas of health, education and war risk insurance were also approved.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis at ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Conference: global security and bilateral relations at centre of talks

11.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
On 10 and 11 July, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Malaysia. His participation underlines South East Asia's growing economic importance to Switzerland. Mr Cassis used the platform to discuss economic ties, bilateral relations and global challenges with his counterparts from Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore. For the first time, he also met the new Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand on the margins of the conference.

Strengthening economic ties is focus of talks by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis in Nepal and Bhutan

09.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis visited Nepal and Bhutan during his week-long trip to Asia from 7 to 9 July. The official talks with government representatives centred on bilateral relations and opportunities for deeper economic cooperation.

Les droits des femmes et la non-discrimination au cœur du travail de la Suisse pendant la 59e session du Conseil des droits de l’homme.

08.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
Dans un contexte global marqué par le recul de l’Etat de droit, la Suisse travaille avec détermination en faveur des droits de l’homme. Pour cette 59ème session du Conseil des droits de l’homme (CDH) des Nations Unies, un accent particulier a été placé sur la promotion des droits des femmes et de l’égalité de genre, ainsi que sur les droits des personnes LGBT. La session, qui s'est clôturée aujourd’hui après trois semaines et demie de débats, a été marquée par une adaptation du travail imposée par les restrictions budgétaires affectant l’ensemble du système onusien.

Switzerland reopens its embassy in Iran – ambassador returns to Tehran

06.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
As of today, 6 July 2025, the Swiss embassy in Tehran is open again after having temporarily closed on 20 June due to the unstable situation in Iran. Ambassador Nadine Olivieri Lozano and a small team returned to Tehran yesterday overland via Azerbaijan. The embassy will gradually resume operations.

Ignazio Cassis in Asia for ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and bilateral talks

03.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the head of the FDFA, will be travelling to Asia from 7 to 13 July 2025. He will attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. His participation highlights the growing economic and geopolitical importance of the South East Asian states. Official working visits to Nepal, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore are also planned around the conference.

Presentation of credentials

02.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
Ambassadors newly accredited to Switzerland present their credentials

FDFA State Secretary Alexandre Fasel in Germany for political consultations

01.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
Alexandre Fasel, the state secretary of the FDFA, was in Berlin on 1 July 2025 to hold political consultations with his German counterpart, the state secretary of the Federal Foreign Office, Géza Andreas von Geyr. Talks focused on current geopolitical developments, bilateral issues and the opening of the consultation procedure in Switzerland on the agreements in the new Swiss-EU package. Mr Fasel also met with the state secretary of Germany's Federal Chancellery, Jörg Semmler.

Switzerland attends 4th International Conference on Financing for Development

30.06.2025 — Press releases EDA
Switzerland will be participating in the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, Spain, from 30 June to 3 July 2025. Organised under the auspices of the United Nations, this global event aims to address financing challenges in order to help achieve the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals. The conference will cover a wide range of issues relating to development policy, environmental, economic and social sustainability, and macroeconomics. The Swiss delegation is being led by Patricia Danzi, director general of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

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Switzerland to attend IMF and World Bank 2018 Spring Meetings in Washington

19.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer as Head of the Swiss delegation, Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann and Thomas Jordan, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank, will attend the joint Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group in Washington from 20 to 22 April 2018.

2018 Annual Consultations of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) Member States in New York

13.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
Representatives of Poland, Sweden and Switzerland, Member States of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) in Korea, met in New York City on 12–13 April 2018 for their annual consultations. The discussion focused on the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and its impact on the activities of the NNSC. The representatives also evaluated the operational tasks of the NNSC and reaffirmed their long-term commitment to contributing to a permanent peace solution on the Korean Peninsula. In addition, the NNSC Member States exchanged views with several high-level UN staff on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and on the work of NNSC.

Humanitarian crisis in DRC: Switzerland commits CHF 12.5 million to assist the population

13.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is gripped by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The country now also faces a cholera epidemic, while millions of its people are dependent on humanitarian assistance. Representatives of several states and humanitarian organisations met today in Geneva to support the international response to this crisis. This was the first high-level humanitarian conference devoted to the DRC. Switzerland will provide CHF 12.5 million this year to support emergency operations in the country.

Federal Act on Private Security Services Provided Abroad: annual implementation report for 2017

11.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
The competent authority for implementing the Federal Act on Private Security Services Provided Abroad (PSSA) has published its second annual report, covering the period from 1 January to 31 December 2017. In its review of some 450 declarations submitted by private security companies, no violations of the federal act were found.

State visit by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier

10.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
The Federal Council invited the president of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to pay a state visit to Switzerland to underscore and further deepen the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries. President Alain Berset will receive Germany’s head of state on Wednesday 25 April.

Decrease in Switzerland's official development assistance in 2017

10.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
With an official development assistance (ODA) rate of 0.46% of its gross national income (GNI), Switzerland ranked in 2017 in the top third of donor countries according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Switzerland remained 8th out of the 29 member states of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), which published its ranking yesterday. In 2017, the amount of ODA spent on receiving asylum seekers from developing countries during their first year in Switzerland was significantly less than in 2016. The ratio of ODA to GNI in non-asylum related areas also decreased in 2017 as a result of cost-cutting measures passed by Parliament.

World Health Day dedicated to “Health for all”

06.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
World Health Day 2018, which will take place on 7 April, will be dedicated to the theme of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Almost half of the world’s population has no access to essential health services and each year almost hundred million people face extreme poverty because of the money they have to spend on health services.

Migration: Ignazio Cassis signs readmission agreement with Mongolia

05.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
Switzerland and Mongolia signed two agreements on Thursday following a meeting between Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis and Mongolian Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar in Ulaanbaatar. Both ministers confirmed the excellent relations between the two countries at the meeting. By signing the readmission agreement, Mongolia has pledged to take back any of its citizens living in Switzerland without a permit. The second agreement will exempt Swiss and Mongolian diplomats from the visa requirement in both countries.

Swiss abroad in 2017 - Three quarters of a million Swiss citizens live abroad

05.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
(FSO) – The number of Swiss citizens living abroad was 751 800 at the end of 2017. They live in almost 200 countries around the world, but mainly in Europe. The largest Swiss community is in France, where a good quarter of expatriates live. More Swiss women live abroad than Swiss men. 54.5% of expatriates are women. These findings are from the Federal Statistical Office's (FSO) Statistics on the Swiss Abroad.

Trust in data in the era of fake news - The important role of official statistics in a world of fact, fiction and everything in between

04.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
(FSO) – Facts provide the foundation for political and social dialogue. But what happens when instead of facts, purposely spread untruths begin to dominate that dialogue? And what can be done about it, or better still, what can be done to stop it? Possible answers can be found at the conference entitled “Truth in numbers – the role of data in a world of fact, fiction and everything in between” that highlights the importance of official statistics for democracy. The conference is organised by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the international Partnership in Statistics for Development PARIS21.

Switzerland's engagement in mine action

03.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
In 2017 the Swiss Confederation invested CHF 22.3 million in mine action activities for the clearance of contaminated areas, awareness of mine risks, local capacity building and monitoring the implementation of international laws and treaties.

Humanitarian crisis in Yemen: donors gathered in Geneva pledge USD 2.01 billion to alleviate suffering

03.04.2018 — Press releases EDA
Yemen is currently experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis worldwide. Millions of people are deprived of water, food and medical care because of the armed conflict. Famine has struck several regions of the country. Donors gathered in Geneva have pledged USD 2.01 billion for the humanitarian response. Switzerland, which co-hosted the conference, announced on 3 April a contribution of 13 million francs for 2018.

Other news (151)

SwissInTouch, Switzerland in your pocket

24.11.2022 — Article EDA
Approximately 780,000 Swiss citizens abroad currently benefit from the wide range of services provided by a global network of representations offering advice and support. The FDFA Helpline is also on hand to answer queries 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Now there's a new app that makes staying in touch even easier: SwissInTouch keeps Switzerland at your fingertips.

Speech - 150e anniversaire du passage de la frontière de l’armée du général Bourbaki

29.01.2022 — EDA
Allocution du président de la Confédération Ignazio Cassis, chef du Département fédéral des affaires étrangères, à l’occasion du 150e anniversaire du passage de la frontière de l’armée du général Bourbaki - Check against delivery.

"Digitalisation - an opportunity for Europe's democratic values"

21.05.2021 — EDA
Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), on the occasion of the 131st (virtual) Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Check against delivery.

Official opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel

04.09.2020 — EDA
Camorino, 04.09.2020 - Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis on the occasion of the Inauguration Ceremony "Ceneri2020" - Check against delivery

Passaggio di testimone tra generazioni (de-fr-it)

25.08.2020 — EDA
Bern, 25.08.2020: Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis on the occasion of the retirement of the ambassadors and the welcoming of the young diplomats who are taking up their posts in the service of the FDFA. Check against delivery.

75 years of the United Nations (fr)

26.06.2020 — EDA
Geneva, 26.06.2020: Address by the Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis on the 75th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter - Check against delivery

Opening of the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council (fr)

24.02.2020 — EDA
Geneva, 24.02.2020 - Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis - Check against delivery

Discover the world with the FDFA and with peace mind

17.01.2020 — Article EDA
Just what is the perfect trip abroad? And where would it take you? Swiss travellers have different needs and expectations – some prefer to go on their own, others would rather choose an organised tour. It doesn't matter if you're a backpacker or a jet-setter: the FDFA provides a wide range of services for anyone who wants to travel abroad.

Switzerland and Italy reach an agreement on Campione d'Italia

20.12.2019 — EDA
At its meeting on 20 December 2019, the Federal Council approved an exchange of notes between Switzerland and Italy regarding the change of the customs status of the Italian enclave of Campione d'Italia. This exchange of notes is necessary to ensure legal certainty and facilitates the transition of Campione d'Italia into the European Union's customs territory, scheduled for 1 January 2020.

Third meeting of the Working Group on Unresolved Issues established by the Joint Committee supervising the implementation of the Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Russian Federation

19.12.2019 — EDA
On 16 and 17 December 2019 a third meeting of the Working Group on Unresolved Issues established by the Joint Committee, supervising the implementation of the Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Russian Federation on the basic principles for a mechanism of customs administration and monitoring of trade in goods, signed on 9 November 2011, took place in Bern.

First Global Refugee Forum in Geneva brings together actors committed to finding shared solutions

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.

Federal Council extends freeze on assets relating to Tunisia and Ukraine

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.

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