Switzerland to host high-level conference on peace at the Bürgenstock resort in June 2024

In January 2024, President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks in Bern. At the time, she assured President Zelenskyy of Switzerland's support in organising a high-level peace conference in Switzerland. Since then, Switzerland has been in direct contact with numerous states to explore options for initiating a peace process. During the initial exploratory phase, Switzerland held talks with G7 member states, the EU and representatives of the Global South such as China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. At its meeting today, the Federal Council took note of the results to date and discussed the next steps. There is currently sufficient international support for a high-level conference to launch the peace process. The conference will be held in June 2024 at the Bürgenstock resort, hosted by President of the Confederation Viola Amherd.

The conference aims to establish a forum for a high-level dialogue on ways to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. It aims to create a common understanding of a framework favourable to this objective and a concrete roadmap for the peace process.

The Federal Council is aware that there are still some unknowns leading up to June, but in view of Switzerland's long-standing diplomatic tradition and the encouraging feedback received during the exploratory phase, it considers it its responsibility to contribute to the peace process in Ukraine. The exploratory phase has thus been concluded and the implementation phase is now under way.

An FDFA task force headed by Ambassador Gabriel Lüchinger and an interdepartmental steering group (FDFA, DDPS, FDJP and EAER) headed by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis are in charge of the preparations for the event. The task force is also working on the necessary security and logistical aspects in close coordination with the relevant federal authorities, the Swiss Armed Forces, and the cantons of Nidwalden, Lucerne and Zurich.

Address for enquiries:

For further information:

FDFA Communication
Tel. Press service +41 460 55 55
kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

DDPS Communication
Tel. +41 58 464 50 85
kommunikation@gs-vbs.admin.ch

Publisher:

The Federal Council
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports

The funds required for reconstruction in Ukraine are estimated at USD 486 billion (around CHF 440 billion). This World Bank estimate is based on a damage and needs analysis co-financed by Switzerland. Switzerland is already supporting projects in Ukraine that focus on rebuilding destroyed civilian infrastructure in the energy, road and healthcare sectors. In addition, Switzerland and Ukraine jointly launched the political recovery process on a broad scale at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano in July 2022. The 59 delegations from states and international organisations in attendance there agreed on the Lugano Principles, laying the cornerstones of the political recovery process.

To date, Switzerland has spent around CHF 3 billion on these and other measures in support of people affected by the war in Ukraine. Around CHF 425 million of this was drawn from the international cooperation budget, with the rest (around CHF 2.5 billion) spent by the State Secretariat for Migration for welcoming and supporting people with protection status S in Switzerland.

Through the measures on the ground taken to date and those planned, Switzerland is also contributing to stability in Europe and reducing migration flows, while indirectly also strengthening Switzerland's security, prosperity and independence.

Over the next twelve years, the Federal Council intends to step up its support for reconstruction in Ukraine and promote cooperation with the private sector. It plans to spend CHF 5 billion to these ends by 2036. Given the Swiss federal government's current financial situation, the Federal Council has proposed a phased approach: the support for Ukraine drawn from the international cooperation budget up to 2028 is to total CHF 1.5 billion. The Federal Council will propose this to Parliament within the framework of the international cooperation strategy. For the 2029–36 period, the Federal Council intends to also look into other sources (beyond international cooperation) from which to draw the remaining CHF 3.5 billion.

At its meeting today, the Federal Council also instructed the FDFA and the EAER to draw up a joint Ukraine country programme that includes the appropriate oversight mechanisms. This programme should ensure targeted and effective support and be based on the seven Lugano Principles: partnership, reform focus, transparency, accountability and rule of law, democratic participation, multi-stakeholder engagement, gender equality and inclusion, and sustainability.

The Federal Council also instructed the FDFA, in cooperation with the EAER and with the involvement of all the departments concerned, to establish how the Ukraine country programme is to be headed, in strategic terms. Specifically, a proposal for an interdepartmental steering group headed by a Federal Council delegate for Ukraine is to be drawn up and submitted to the Federal Council for approval.

Address for enquiries:

For further information:
FDFA Communication
Tel. Press service +41 460 55 55
kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Publisher:

The Federal Council
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research