Human Rights, Counter-Terrorism, IHL and Diplomatic Law

The Division also handles matters in the following areas of expertise, where appropriate together with other units of the FDFA and Federal Administration:

• human rights, the ratification of human rights instruments and reporting to the relevant United Nations committees
• combating terrorism (foreign policy coordination), human rights compliance and international humanitarian law in counterterrorism
• legal status of diplomatic and consular representations and their staff (foreign representations in Switzerland and Swiss representations abroad:  embassies, consulates and permanent missions to the international organisations in Geneva)
• legal status of international organisations and their staff in Switzerland, and of international conferences organised in Switzerland
• international criminal justice, in particular in connection with the International Criminal Court
• international humanitarian law, initiatives to clarify or strengthen this body of law to ensure that it meets the challenges of contemporary armed conflicts
• Secretariat of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC)