Foreign policy

In 2023 and 2024, Switzerland has a seat on the UN Security Council, where it is contributing its expertise in global peace and security to discussions and debates. In May 2023, Switzerland held the council presidency. Scroll the newsticker for background information about Switzerland's Security Council activities and statements.

The use of digital technologies is one of the most important contemporary developments in the field of armed conflicts. What are the risks and opportunities linked to this evolution? Are the Geneva Conventions, adopted 75 years ago, still adequate to address these developments? Philippe Stoll, senior delegate for techplomacy at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), sheds light on these issues.

The Geneva Conventions, the cornerstone of international humanitarian law, were adopted on 12 August 1949. Seventy-five years on, how does Switzerland assess these universally ratified treaties? In the following interview, Franz Perrez, director of the Directorate of International Law (DIL) at the FDFA, takes stock of the situation and explains Switzerland's efforts to implement and promote compliance with the Conventions.

On 15 and 16 June 2024, Switzerland organised a Summit on Peace in Ukraine at the Bürgenstock. The aim of the summit was to develop a common understanding of a possible path to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. All news on the summit can be found here in the ticker.

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are the two stops on Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis' trip to Central Asia from 1 to 4 July 2024. This visit is part of his participation in a meeting of Switzerland's voting group within the Bretton Woods institutions, also attended by Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter. This article sheds light on Switzerland's relations with these two Central Asian nations.

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.