Peace and Human Rights
Promoting peace and human rights is a priority of Swiss foreign policy. The protection of the individual and their dignity is at the centre of this. Everyone should be able to live without fear, without hardship and in peace. Switzerland is working on the ground and also within international organisations to achieve this.
The Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation explicitly stipulates that in its foreign relations Switzerland must promote respect for human rights and democracy and the peaceful coexistence of peoples (Art. 54). The Federal Act on Measures pertaining to Civil Peace Support and the Promotion of Human Rights came into effect in 2004. At the FDFA, the PHRD is in charge of implementing the act.
The PHRD works on the diplomatic and political dimensions of promoting peace, human rights, democracy and the implementation of international humanitarian law. As the centre of expertise for mediation, it supports peace processes in around 20 country programmes by working with key actors on sustainable conflict transformation and conflict resolution. Using its human rights and humanitarian diplomacy, the PHRD strengthens the international regulatory framework in multilateral forums, through bilateral dialogues and diplomatic initiatives. It supports the strengthening of democratic resilience in partner countries through its diplomacy for democracy. Through the Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding (SEP), the PHRD also deploys specialists to international organisations and to peacekeeping and election observation missions in various countries.
In order to fulfil its tasks, the PHRD has a framework credit at its disposal, which must be approved by Parliament every four years as part of the dispatch on international cooperation.
Documents
Foreign policy strategy 2024–2027
At the beginning of each legislative period, the Federal Council presents a foreign policy strategy which provides the central guidelines for Switzerland's foreign policy for four years and sets out priorities and objectives. It serves as a compass in a volatile world.
Switzerland’s International Cooperation Strategy 2025–2028
Final report on the IC-dispatch 2021-2024
Contact
State Secretariat STS-FDFA
Effingerstrasse 27
3003 Bern