In Afghanistan, 24 million people rely on humanitarian aid and most of the population live below the poverty line. Switzerland has now opened a humanitarian office in Kabul. Four specialists from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) and ten local employees are working on the ground to ensure vulnerable communities are getting support to meet their basic needs.

Since April 2023, fighting in Sudan has caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. According to the UN, 24.8 million people will need humanitarian aid in 2024. With the massive influx of Sudanese refugees into Chad, South Sudan and Egypt, an entire region has been affected. The SDC has released additional funds to support humanitarian activities in Sudan and neighbouring countries.

Switzerland's offer of assistance following the earthquake in Morocco remains valid. It includes support in various areas such as emergency shelter, access to clean water and sanitation, as well as medicine and construction technology. The FDFA has no information on Swiss victims of the earthquake in Morocco.

19 August is World Humanitarian Day – a time to shine a spotlight on the people working to help communities in need. Larsan Traore in Mali and Michelle Jalkh in Lebanon belong to the ranks of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)'s local staff. Here they talk about their work and commitment in the humanitarian field.

Together we make discoveries, achieve innovation and ensure progress. Launched in 2013, the 'Forum for Dialogue between Switzerland and Italy' has evolved and has been updated, adopting a new format as well as a new name –'Switzerland and Italy in Dialogue'. The event – being held for the 7th time this week in Rome – is more compact, focus more heavily on specific topics and will be attended by guests of honour.

As of today, Switzerland once again has a diplomatic presence in Iraq. The previous embassy was closed in 1991 due to the 1991 Gulf War. The Federal Council aims to strengthen bilateral relations with Iraq and deepen cooperation in economic, security and migration matters. This move also fulfils an objective of the Federal Council's MENA Strategy 2021–24 adopted in 2020.

A chapter of history between Switzerland and Brazil was highlighted during the official meeting of Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on 30 April 2024. Mr Vieira is indeed a descendant of Swiss emigrants who settled in the Swiss colony of Nova Friburgo at the beginning of the 19th century. Let's revisit the history and circumstances of Swiss emigration to South America, and how it unfolded.

Forty-nine employees work tirelessly at the Swiss embassy in Kyiv to implement and promote Swiss programmes to support the Ukrainian population. The overview on the map shows a wide range of projects, from humanitarian mine action and tracing missing persons to trams for public transport and the digitalisation of public services.

In 2026, Switzerland will assume the chairpersonship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) for the third time, following its previous terms in 1996 and 2014. Switzerland was elected by the participating states of the organisation in a secret ballot. Switzerland will take on leadership functions on 1 January 2025 as a member of the OSCE's troika – comprising the 2024 (Malta), 2025 (Finland) and 2026 (Switzerland) chairs. Switzerland has already gained the necessary experience for this role through its past OSCE chairpersonships.

In December 2024, the UN General Assembly will decide whether to adopt the new convention against cybercrime. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) led the Swiss delegation in the negotiations on the convention. In this interview, Irene Grohsmann from the International Security Division at the FDFA, together with Andrea Candrian and Sara Pangrazzi, who both work at the Federal Office of Justice within the FDJP, give us their take on the negotiations and their outcome.

Switzerland's permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Jürg Lauber, was elected president of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on Monday 9 December, two months after Switzerland was elected a council member. The HRC is the UN's main human rights body.

Humanitarian aid often takes place in contexts affected by UN sanctions. On 6 December 2024, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution setting out humanitarian exemptions for all UN financial sanctions. The resolution underlines Switzerland's long-standing commitment to reducing the negative impact of sanctions on the civilian population and on humanitarian work. It protects the civilian population – a priority of the Federal Council for Switzerland's membership of the Council in 2023–24. Switzerland, together with the United States, put the resolution to the vote in the Security Council.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, around 11% of all Swiss citizens were living abroad at the end of 2023 – almost two-thirds of them in Europe. With an increase of 1.7% last year, the Swiss community abroad continues to grow in importance. The FDFA's Consular Directorate and its partners are constantly developing their range of services for the Swiss community abroad, most recently with the 'Ageing abroad' information and prevention campaign and the 'SwissInTouch' app.

It could be armed conflict, an earthquake or an accident – even Swiss nationals can find themselves in an emergency situation when travelling abroad. In such cases, the FDFA's Travel Admin app has proven to be a useful tool. The new, extra user-friendly Travel Admin app 3.0 is now available. The FDFA recommends that travellers update their Travel Admin app or – if they have not already done so – install it, register and enter trips abroad directly in the app.

As part of a working visit to Asia and Oceania, which includes stops in Jakarta, Singapore, Sydney, and Wellington, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will celebrate this year's Swiss national day with members of the country's diaspora. At the end of 2022, there were more than 800,000 Swiss citizens living abroad.

Due to the severe drought and strong winds, several forest fires have broken out on Rhodes. Many tourists are therefore leaving the Greek island. A Swiss desk has been opened at Rhodes International Airport to assist people with Swiss nationality on site.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs has decided to make peace the central theme of this third edition of the International Cooperation Forum. This platform will enable actors to debate, exchange ideas and work together towards this goal. Switzerland's commitment to peace, which is one of its foreign policy priorities, is carried out in a variety of complementary ways in addition to the forum. Examples include acting as guarantor state in Colombia, supporting women's peace circles in Mali, and taking part in various UN peacekeeping missions.

The time we have to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is half over. So how far have we got in implementing the 17 goals we set ourselves eight years ago? This question is at the centre of this year's High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York. Markus Reubi, Federal Council delegate for the 2030 Agenda, and Christian Frutiger, head of the Thematic Cooperation Division at the SDC, explain to us what it means for Switzerland.

One year after the Taliban's abrupt return to power, living conditions for many people – particularly women and girls – have deteriorated under the new regime. Although the Swiss cooperation office in Kabul was forced to close its doors due to security reasons, the SDC is still active in Afghanistan and can rely on its existing networks there, says Walburga Roos.

"I unleash the potential of young people from the slums," explains Gianmarco Marinello, the driving force behind professionally organised city tours of Nairobi. At the International Cooperation Forum Switzerland in Geneva at the end of March, the SDC and SECO will award the 'Together we're better' prize for projects like this one in Kenya. The more than 60 projects are an impressive testament to the inventiveness of young people in development cooperation.

On 16 June, more than 80 countries and organizations expressed their support for the Bürgenstock Communiqué. Since then, more states have endorsed the Summit's final declaration. This shows that the process for peace in Ukraine initiated at the Bürgenstock continues. Several debriefings and exchanges are planned. The meeting between Ambassador Gabriel Lüchinger and the Chinese Special Representative for Eurasian Affairs, Li Hui, in Beijing on Friday, June 28, 2024, is another example.

The world has not faced such a large number of conflicts since the end of the Second World War.One such conflict began exactly one year ago in Sudan, with catastrophic consequences for the civilian population. Hunger is widespread and millions of people have been displaced. Switzerland is working to mitigate the consequences of the conflict both through its international cooperation and peacebuilding programmes and within the UN Security Council.

Sub-Saharan Africa, a region of both challenges and opportunities, is playing an increasingly important role on the global political and economic stage. Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, will visit Sub-Saharan Africa from 17 to 22 March, with stops in Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya. These three countries are key to creating stability and prosperity in the region.

From 5 to 8 February 2024, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will travel to Asia, a region that is becoming increasingly significant for Switzerland. His journey will take him to four nations – India, South Korea, China, and the Philippines – where he will conduct numerous ministerial meetings. Mr Cassis' trip marks the resumption of the annual strategic dialogue between the foreign ministers of Switzerland and China. This article presents five questions and answers that provide insights into Swiss–Chinese relations, followed by facts and figures on Switzerland's long-standing ties with India, the Philippines and South Korea.

On 31 August 2022, the Federal Council approved the bilateral implementation agreements for Switzerland's second contribution to selected European Union (EU) states. This is an investment in stability, security and prosperity in Europe, as well as a further step on the bilateral path. We discussed this cooperation with Debora Kern (SDC) and Daniel Birchmeier (SECO), who, among other things, work together on the programmes that the contribution will fund in the field.

5 May is Europe Day – in memory of the founding of the Council of Europe on 5 May 1949, when Europe lay in ruins. Since then, the Council of Europe has promoted human rights, the rule of law and democracy. In the face of war, these values are of particular importance, writes President Ignazio Cassis in his message for this year's Europe Day.

President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Leendert Verbeek, visited Switzerland between 30 April and 3 May. The aim of the visit was to present Swiss federalism in situ. Are there any experiences from his visit that he could now apply profitably in the Netherlands and in the Congress? He answers our questions.

President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Leendert Verbeek, is visiting Switzerland between 30 April and 3 May. The aim of the visit is to present Swiss federalism in situ. David Eray, president of the Cantonal Council of Jura and head of the Swiss delegation to the Congress, is accompanying Mr Verbeek on his trip, which will also include a visit to the Landsgemeinde in Glarus. Interview.

From 14 to 25 October 2024, a group of specialists from the Ecole des Sciences Criminelles of the University of Lausanne will travel to Serbia and Kosovo to examine the use of new technologies in the search for missing persons from the period immediately before, during and after the Kosovo conflict. The specialists' visit is part of a mandate from the FDFA's Peace and Human Rights Division and is Switzerland's contribution to the implementation of the Declaration on Missing Persons, which was adopted by Serbia and Kosovo on 2 May 2023.

Those involved in humanitarian demining strive to stay at the cutting edge of technological developments. The efficiency, accuracy and safety of demining operations depend on it. The integration of scientific and technological advances is particularly important in Ukraine, one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world.

The threat posed by mines and unexploded ordnance is forcing smallholder farmers and their families to reduce or cease production, thereby compromising the quality, variety and availability of food. This situation undermines the food security of local communities, making them more dependent on humanitarian aid, and is leading some farmers to risk their own lives in order to farm their contaminated land. Switzerland and its partners continue to work to ensure that the affected farmers can get back to work safely and quickly.

On 20 February 2025, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will mark the fifth Romansh Language Week (Emna rumantscha) in Bucharest. The event, which is a joint initiative of the FDFA, the canton of Graubünden and Lia Rumantscha, aims to showcase Switzerland's plurality abroad. Mr Cassis, who heads the FDFA, will undertake this year's celebrations as part of his official visit to Romania, one of the themes of which is minorities. Various bilateral meetings and the signing of cooperation agreements are also on the agenda. We spoke to Switzerland's ambassador to Romania, Massimo Baggi.

Approved by the Federal Council, the Africa Strategy 2025–28 is rooted in a long-term partnership between Switzerland and Africa. The dynamics at play on the continent impact directly on Europe and on Switzerland. Conscious of the economic potential of many countries in the region, Switzerland is also open to providing its good offices and to acting as a bridge-builder.

On 13 December 2024, the Federal Council adopted the updated national action plan on business and human rights ('NAP'). Existing measures have been strengthened and updated and 10 new measures added, which are intended to help achieve the objectives of the NAP.

Switzerland will take part in the World Expo in Belgrade in 2027, with 120 participating countries and over 2.6 million visitors expected. Under the motto "Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All", the event will showcase ideas and solutions in response to the question: "How to prepare the human body, mind and logic for a technology-led world full of insecurities and make humans more resilient for the coming decades?"

In order to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, we must also address the issue of delivery systems. The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), with its 35 member states, develops guidelines for controlling the export of delivery systems and technologies for ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones and other military and combat equipment. As Benno Laggner explains, the issue has a significant bearing on Switzerland's security policy and economy. The Swiss diplomat will chair the MTCR for one year.

The nuclear threat was omnipresent during the Cold War. But it is still real, as developments in context of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine demonstrate. The 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is the basis for disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. At the Treaty Review Conference taking place in New York from 1 to 26 August 2022, President Ignazio Cassis calls for concrete measures in view of slow pace on nuclear disarmament.

The global power structure is in flux. New technologies and the nature of conflict are changing radically. This is highlighted by the crisis in Ukraine and unresolved issues concerning Europe's security architecture. In the Federal Council's Arms Control and Disarmament Strategy, President of the Confederation Ignazio Cassis indicates that Switzerland wishes to continue tried-and-tested approaches while also adopting innovative new ones. This contributes to greater security and strengthens Switzerland’s role.

The priorities of Switzerland’s action plan for 2022–25 are to develop a dialogue process with a view to an anniversary summit in Helsinki in 2025, to consolidate the foundations of the OSCE, strengthen arms control and increase mediation capabilities in conflict situations. We interviewed Thomas Greminger, former secretary general of the OSCE.

The Climate Change Conference in Glasgow includes a pavilion devoted to Earth's frozen surfaces. This initiative is backed by Switzerland, whose world-renowned scientific expertise in the cryosphere may help to advance the climate negotiations. Part of the pavilion will feature virtually in Geneva.

Mining asteroids for their natural resources and downloading the contents of the human brain are quickly moving from the realms of science fiction to reality. The Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator builds capacities to spot future scientific and technological breakthroughs before they happen. The independent foundation, which enjoys FDFA support, is set to unveil its Breakthrough Radar at its upcoming inaugural summit.

Xavier Mertz was the first Swiss polar explorer to set foot in Antarctica in 1911, but his drive to explore the region came at a bitter price. Although polar exploration today is less dramatic, it is even more urgent than ever before. To mark Swiss Polar Day, the head of the FDFA's Prosperity and Sustainability Division, Stefan Estermann, talks about the role Swiss polar research has to play and how Switzerland is stepping up its commitment to scientific diplomacy.

The establishment of CERN in Geneva in 1954 played its own part in the reconstruction of post-Second World War Europe. The man behind the initiative was Professor Herwig Schopper. Now, at the age of 97, this wise man is still a champion of peace and scientific development and is working on the creation of new institutes in different strategic regions of the world.

COVID-19 has an impact on our lives in Switzerland and abroad. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) summarises the most important information regarding travelling and living abroad in its COVID-19 news ticker. The information is constantly being added to.

In this guest article for the NZZ, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis takes his own look back at an extraordinary year – a whirlwind 12 months that left little time for reflection amid ever-changing case numbers. Cassis addresses a number of questions. Who decides how much a human life is worth? How important are open borders? And how will we make sense of it all whenever normality returns?

On Monday evening, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis was a guest on the programme "60 Minuti" on RSI. The head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) spoke about the importance of federalism in Switzerland and the measures adopted by the Federal Council to combat the COVID 19 pandemic. Among other things, personal responsibility and mutual solidarity are decisive factors in the fight against the pandemic.

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.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) monitors the political and social situation abroad and issues specific position statements. The FDFA's positions are guided by the objectives, and priorities of Swiss foreign policy as set out, for example, in the Federal Constitution, the Federal Council's foreign policy strategy, and other thematic and geographical strategies.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) monitors the political and social situation abroad and issues specific position statements. The FDFA's positions are guided by the objectives, and priorities of Swiss foreign policy as set out, for example, in the Federal Constitution, the Federal Council's foreign policy strategy, and other thematic and geographical strategies.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) monitors the political and social situation abroad and issues specific position statements. The FDFA's positions are guided by the objectives, and priorities of Swiss foreign policy as set out, for example, in the Federal Constitution, the Federal Council's foreign policy strategy, and other thematic and geographical strategies.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) monitors the political and social situation abroad and issues specific position statements. The FDFA's positions are guided by the objectives, and priorities of Swiss foreign policy as set out, for example, in the Federal Constitution, the Federal Council's foreign policy strategy, and other thematic and geographical strategies.