Europe, Middle East and North Africa

In the context of Switzerland's second contribution to selected member states of the European Union (EU), a delegation from Lithuania visited Bern to exchange experiences and get inspiration for best practices.

On 11 and 12 June 2024, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will take part in the third Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Berlin. The conference is one of the stops on the way to the Ukraine Mine Action Conference, which will take place in Lausanne in October. It offers the opportunity to discover one of the underlying facets of Switzerland's commitment to humanitarian demining.

Every four years, the Federal Council presents the international cooperation (IC) strategy to Parliament. With the 2021–24 strategy period drawing to a close, it is time to take stock and learn lessons for the coming period. The offices involved – the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) – do this in the accountability report.

Despite the highest number of violent conflicts since the Second World War, the issue of mental health continues to be largely neglected in most contexts. Yet, it is undisputed that addressing the psychological and social needs of communities is essential for sustainable peace. The SDC supports health sector reforms and locally-led mental health initiatives in different conflict and post-conflict contexts. Its engagement in Ukraine particularly demonstrates the potential of this approach.

Since 2019, Lebanon has been experiencing a severe economic crisis while simultaneously hosting approximately 1.5 million refugees from Syria. Access to clean drinking water for all is not guaranteed, exacerbating tensions. In the Bekaa Valley, the SDC is running a project that utilises digitalisation and solar energy to improve water management. The project also aims to ease tensions surrounding water access. This initiative is part of Switzerland's broader efforts to address water-related issues in Lebanon.

The SDC is financing a project that conducts research on homelessness in Switzerland and Croatia – a success story.