Swiss diplomacy

Switzerland plays a crucial role in international politics across many areas. We uncover the complexities of Swiss politics globally and provide fresh perspectives on international developments.

Swiss neutrality: your questions answered

This content was published on Sep 3, 2025 Swiss neutrality isn’t always easy to understand. You sent us your questions, and we’ve answered a selection of them.

Neutrality

Swiss neutrality: your questions answered

This content was published on Sep 3, 2025 Swiss neutrality isn’t always easy to understand. You sent us your questions, and we’ve answered a selection of them.

from left, US President Gerald Ford, Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev and Soviet Prime Minister Andrei Gromyko, walk in front of the Soviet embassy in Helsinki during the CSCE 1975 conference.

50 years of the Helsinki Accords: Switzerland’s role between the blocs

This content was published on Jul 24, 2025 Switzerland played an important role in the adoption of the pan-European set of rules in the 1970s that gave rise to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Opinion

Does neutrality promote peace? A look at Switzerland and its good offices

This content was published on Jul 15, 2025 Neutrality is not a necessary condition for the success of good offices, argues historian Liliane Stadler.

Cuban diplomats eye Switzerland in bid to ease US economic pressure

This content was published on Jul 11, 2025 As tensions rise again between Cuba and the US, Cuban diplomats are quietly looking to Switzerland to help restore a constructive dialogue.

Delegates inside the meeting hall in Locarno, 1925

Forgotten Swiss peace pact has lessons for Europe on ending bloodshed

This content was published on Jul 9, 2025 The Locarno Pact, negotiated in Switzerland 100 years ago, still reverberates today as Europe once again deals with war and US isolationism.

Total discretion: the offices of bankers Edmond de Rothschild in Geneva

‘Quiet neutrality’: snapshots of Switzerland’s embrace of oligarchs

This content was published on Jul 4, 2025 To what extent is Switzerland really ‘neutral’? Swiss-Russian artist Anastasia Mityukova’s photography project ‘Quiet Neutrality’ explores this question.

The Swiss want more cooperation with NATO

This content was published on Jun 18, 2025 An annual study shows that cooperation over security is becoming more important for the Swiss.

Switzerland mulls stronger ties with European defence structures

This content was published on Jun 9, 2025 In the face of US disengagement, the idea of a defence partnership with the EU is gaining ground in the Swiss parliament.

What does the future hold for Swiss neutrality?

Switzerland is grappling with a key question: should it follow a path of openness or isolationism?

International cooperation

Lobbyists and oil-producers blamed for failure of Geneva plastics treaty

This content was published on Aug 18, 2025 Talks on a binding treaty on plastic pollution broke down on Friday. Several experts are pointing the finger at interest groups and oil- and plastic-producing countries.

Africa’s relevance is growing – and everyone wants in

This content was published on Jul 21, 2025 Africa is the future – by 2100, one in three people will live there. As the African Union’s clout grows, Switzerland is stepping up engagement.

Viola Amherd, right, President of the Swiss Confederation, and Denys Shmyhal, left, Prime Minister of Ukraines, talk together during a bilateral meeting at the Ukraine Mine Action Conference, in Lausanne, Switzerland, Thursday, October 17, 2024.

Switzerland signs controversial reconstruction aid package for Ukraine

This content was published on Jul 14, 2025 The deal, which includes binding contracts for the involvement of Swiss companies in Ukraine’s reconstruction, has been widely criticised.

A messenger pigeon carrying messages between parties reflects China’s preference for informal, behind-the-scenes engagement over formal arbitration processes. However, given China's track record regarding border issues and international rulings, whether the new China-led IOMed will be recognized internationally remains to be seen.

China’s project to mediate global disputes underlines divide between the West and the rest

This content was published on Jul 11, 2025 China has launched a new global mediation body to resolve disputes. How will this initiative reshape international conflict resolution?

Deep-sea mining: has Trump unleashed a scramble for the seabed?

This content was published on Jun 26, 2025 By forging ahead with deep-sea mining, the US is bypassing the UN and creating a diplomatic storm – with a Swiss firm at the centre.

Cultural activists and members of civil society are painting on a local bus as they are staging a song march for victims who were killed during the recent nationwide student protests over quotas in government jobs, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Ahmed Salahuddin/NurPhoto) (Photo by Ahmed Salahuddin / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP)

Switzerland withdraws from democracy support in Bangladesh

This content was published on Jun 13, 2025 Promoting democracy around the world is one of Switzerland’s goals, but at the same time the funds for such efforts are dwindling.

What is the future of global climate cooperation without the US?

Inside Geneva: pandemics and climate change, can multilateralism still work?

This content was published on May 27, 2025 How will the world find consensus on weighty issues, such as pandemic and climate policies, without US support?

Ibrahim Mahama's installation at the Kunsthalle in Bern

Cultural aid cuts deal blow to Global South creatives – and Swiss diplomacy

This content was published on May 16, 2025 Switzerland is among many countries slashing foreign aid, including funding for the arts. Cultural institutions argue these cuts hurt artists – and donors’ national interests.

Tajik ruler Emomali Rahmon and Vladimir Putin shake hands after their meeting in Moscow in March 2025.

Promoting democracy in authoritarian Tajikistan – is Switzerland making a difference?

This content was published on Apr 30, 2025 While the government of Tajikistan’s long-standing ruler grows more repressive, Switzerland continues to support human rights – a delicate balancing act.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 in the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA, 12 September 2024

Switzerland eyes mediation role amid rising risk of conflict in outer space

This content was published on Apr 10, 2025 As political jockeying between the major powers intensifies in space, Switzerland wants to play the role of “bridge builder” to avert armed conflict in space.

UAE vs. Switzerland: rivalry or synergy in commodity trade?

This content was published on Mar 24, 2025 Dubai is rising as a commodities trading hub. What does it mean for Switzerland?

Trade policy

Trump’s tariffs expose weakness of Switzerland’s economic independence

This content was published on Aug 12, 2025 Officials worry that Switzerland’s historic strengths have become liabilities in an age of trade wars.

Switzerland remains under economic pressure from the United States following the announcement of the so-called "Liberation Day".

How Trump is manoeuvring Switzerland closer to the EU

This content was published on Aug 8, 2025 The steep US tariffs of 39% have sent shockwaves through Switzerland. They give a boost to those who advocate closer ties with the EU.

What do 39% US tariffs mean for the Swiss economy?

This content was published on Aug 7, 2025 US tariffs of 39% on Swiss imports came into force on Thursday morning – the blow to Swiss exporters, jobs, and prosperity could be harsh.

family Waser produces "Niederbauer" alpine cheese

Are EU inspectors headed for Swiss farms?

This content was published on Aug 7, 2025 A new food agreement with the EU opens up export opportunities for Swiss agriculture – but it also sets some alarm bells ringing for farmers.

How pharma became Switzerland’s Achilles heel in US trade talks

This content was published on Aug 6, 2025 The pharmaceutical industry’s strength has made it a key vulnerability for Switzerland in trade talks with the US.

‘We will manage to avoid 39% tariffs’, says Swiss-US business leader

This content was published on Aug 4, 2025 Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce CEO expects a deal to avert 39% US tariffs on Swiss goods.

people with umbrellas in front of rolex shop

Americans face price rises for luxury watches after Trump’s Swiss tariffs

This content was published on Aug 2, 2025 Manufacturers and dealers are threatened by increased levy in a market worth more than $5 billion.

The 17th Brics Summit will take place on 6-7 July 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Brics and Switzerland: aspirations and reality

This content was published on Jul 3, 2025 What kind of relationship can Switzerland and the Brics countries have?

US tariffs pressure Swiss pharma powerhouse

This content was published on Apr 25, 2025 Looming US pharma tariffs could challenge the status quo in pharmaceutical hubs like Switzerland as investment shifts to the US.

New York, Beijing, Tokyo – the Swiss government is on a mission to save trade

This content was published on Apr 24, 2025 Three top ministers are abroad this week because export-reliant Switzerland is in danger of being caught in the trade war between two giants.

The European Union and Switzerland do not have the same currency, but they have close economic ties (illustration).

Swiss-EU economic relations in eight charts

This content was published on Mar 27, 2025 Switzerland and the EU have just concluded a new package of bilateral agreements. Here are some key figures on the long-standing economic links between the two partners.

Swiss position

A Palestinian flag flutters amid the ruins of buildings in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on March 4, 2025, amid the ongoing truce between Israel and Hamas.

Why Switzerland doesn’t recognise Palestine as a state

This content was published on Aug 6, 2025 Around 150 countries – or three-quarters of UN member states – recognise Palestinian statehood. Switzerland, for various reasons, is not one of them.

‘We will manage to avoid 39% tariffs’, says Swiss-US business leader

This content was published on Aug 4, 2025 Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce CEO expects a deal to avert 39% US tariffs on Swiss goods.

Protesters holding signs advocating for support for scientific researchers

Switzerland offers no lifeboat to US scientists

This content was published on Aug 4, 2025 Switzerland has declined to launch initiatives to entice US scientists, while Europe has opened its doors. What’s next for Swiss research?

Patrick Chappatte: ‘The path for satire has been getting narrower’

This content was published on Jun 24, 2025 Patrick Chappatte is one of the most prolific cartoonists. We talked to him about the current state of satire, media and free speech in the world.

Why the Swiss army is training for an emergency in Austria

This content was published on May 2, 2025 The Swiss army is practising recapturing terrain with the Austrians and Germans. Russia is keeping a close eye on things.

In Switzerland, migration isn’t just inbound

This content was published on May 1, 2025 Who are the 90,000 or so foreigners who leave Switzerland each year, and why do they do so?

Ukrainian in Switzerland: ‘I loved Russia…but they threw me out’

This content was published on Apr 17, 2025 Long-time Russian resident Natalia told officers she was for “peace in the world”. The response: a 20-year-ban on entering the country.

Swiss-EU economic relations in eight charts

An aerial view of the Volkswagen car factory in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, June 28, 2023.

Trump’s trade war pushes Europe and Switzerland closer to Mercosur

This content was published on Mar 20, 2025 The European Free Trade Association (EFTA), led by Switzerland, is following the EU’s lead by pushing ahead on a free trade deal with Mercosur states.

People displaced by violence in towns across the Catatumbo region, where rebels of the National Liberation Army, or ELN, have been clashing with former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, line up to register for shelter at a soccer stadium in Cúcuta, Colombia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Switzerland continues to support peace in Colombia, despite recent violence

This content was published on Feb 28, 2025 With National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels once again resorting to violence, peace in Colombia is under threat. Switzerland, meanwhile, continues to support implementation of the 2016 peace agreement.

Are Western countries doing enough to tackle waste trafficking?

This content was published on Feb 25, 2025 The illegal trade in waste is a crime that even countries with strict waste regulations, such as Switzerland, struggle to prosecute effectively.

Lobbyists and oil-producers blamed for failure of Geneva plastics treaty

Dmitry Muratov: ‘I’m not afraid to live without hope’

This content was published on Aug 14, 2025 Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former editor-in-chief of the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, talks to Swissinfo about truth in the era of digital autocracies.

Trump’s tariffs expose weakness of Switzerland’s economic independence

This content was published on Aug 12, 2025 Officials worry that Switzerland’s historic strengths have become liabilities in an age of trade wars.

How Trump is manoeuvring Switzerland closer to the EU

This content was published on Aug 8, 2025 The steep US tariffs of 39% have sent shockwaves through Switzerland. They give a boost to those who advocate closer ties with the EU.

What do 39% US tariffs mean for the Swiss economy?

This content was published on Aug 7, 2025 US tariffs of 39% on Swiss imports came into force on Thursday morning – the blow to Swiss exporters, jobs, and prosperity could be harsh.

Jackie Chan will receive a honour Pardo prize for his career at Locarno. The festival will screen some early Jackie Chan films, like "Project A" (1983), pictured above with Chan in the center.

How the Locarno Film Festival brought Chinese films to the West

This content was published on Aug 7, 2025 Over the past 75 years, some pivotal Chinese films and filmmakers have had their first encounter with international critics at Locarno.

Are EU inspectors headed for Swiss farms?

This content was published on Aug 7, 2025 A new food agreement with the EU opens up export opportunities for Swiss agriculture – but it also sets some alarm bells ringing for farmers.

How pharma became Switzerland’s Achilles heel in US trade talks

This content was published on Aug 6, 2025 The pharmaceutical industry’s strength has made it a key vulnerability for Switzerland in trade talks with the US.

Why Switzerland doesn’t recognise Palestine as a state

This content was published on Aug 6, 2025 Around 150 countries – or three-quarters of UN member states – recognise Palestinian statehood. Switzerland, for various reasons, is not one of them.

Are you noticing or anticipating any changes in your life as a result of the tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump?

How do you think your life could be impacted by the US tariff policy? Let us know.

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Aug 5, 2025

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‘We will manage to avoid 39% tariffs’, says Swiss-US business leader

This content was published on Aug 4, 2025 Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce CEO expects a deal to avert 39% US tariffs on Swiss goods.

Switzerland offers no lifeboat to US scientists

This content was published on Aug 4, 2025 Switzerland has declined to launch initiatives to entice US scientists, while Europe has opened its doors. What’s next for Swiss research?

Americans face price rises for luxury watches after Trump’s Swiss tariffs

This content was published on Aug 2, 2025 Manufacturers and dealers are threatened by increased levy in a market worth more than $5 billion.

What do recent events tell us about the risks and rewards of sticking to nuclear treaties?

Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, Israel, Iran. What’s the point of nuclear deals if it pays off to flout them?

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Aug 2, 2025

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How a Swiss diplomat experienced the end of WWII in Japan

This content was published on Aug 2, 2025 Eighty years ago, the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, precipitating the end of the Second World War. Camille Gorgé captured the moment in his memoirs.

Figure it out: in Switzerland, migration isn’t just inbound

This content was published on Aug 1, 2025 The high immigration figures for Switzerland make it easy to forget that not everyone who arrives is going to stay. ⁠

50 years of the Helsinki Accords: Switzerland’s role between the blocs

Opinion

What Switzerland can achieve with its 2026 OSCE chairmanship

This content was published on Jul 24, 2025 The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is a shadow of its former self. Switzerland, which will chair the organisation next year, must prepare for a range of very different scenarios.

Africa’s relevance is growing – and everyone wants in

This content was published on Jul 21, 2025 Africa is the future – by 2100, one in three people will live there. As the African Union’s clout grows, Switzerland is stepping up engagement.

Beyond tariffs: how Switzerland turned trade talks into climate action with Mercosur

This content was published on Jul 18, 2025 After eight years, EFTA and Mercosur have a deal. But with such agreements facing public scrutiny, negotiators were keen to include protections – including environmental ones.

When East met West – the 1955 Geneva Summit

This content was published on Jul 18, 2025 Exactly 70 years ago, the major powers negotiated security, disarmament and the reunification of Germany in Geneva.

Opinion

Does neutrality promote peace? A look at Switzerland and its good offices

This content was published on Jul 15, 2025 Neutrality is not a necessary condition for the success of good offices, argues historian Liliane Stadler.

Switzerland signs controversial reconstruction aid package for Ukraine

This content was published on Jul 14, 2025 The deal, which includes binding contracts for the involvement of Swiss companies in Ukraine’s reconstruction, has been widely criticised.

China’s project to mediate global disputes underlines divide between the West and the rest

This content was published on Jul 11, 2025 China has launched a new global mediation body to resolve disputes. How will this initiative reshape international conflict resolution?

Cuban diplomats eye Switzerland in bid to ease US economic pressure

This content was published on Jul 11, 2025 As tensions rise again between Cuba and the US, Cuban diplomats are quietly looking to Switzerland to help restore a constructive dialogue.

The death penalty around the world in 90 seconds

This content was published on Jul 10, 2025 While the global trend toward abolishing the death penalty continues, the number of executions worldwide rose in 2024.

Forgotten Swiss peace pact has lessons for Europe on ending bloodshed

This content was published on Jul 9, 2025 The Locarno Pact, negotiated in Switzerland 100 years ago, still reverberates today as Europe once again deals with war and US isolationism.

Locarno City Archives, Rodolfo Huber, Locarno Pact centenary

How Locarno became the ‘city of peace’

This content was published on Jul 9, 2025 The Swiss city of Locarno rose to diplomatic fame in 1925 when a set of post-war treaties were negotiated there, leaving behind an enduring legacy of peace and tolerance.

‘Quiet neutrality’: snapshots of Switzerland’s embrace of oligarchs

The Brics and Switzerland: aspirations and reality

This content was published on Jul 3, 2025 What kind of relationship can Switzerland and the Brics countries have?

Deep-sea mining: has Trump unleashed a scramble for the seabed?

This content was published on Jun 26, 2025 By forging ahead with deep-sea mining, the US is bypassing the UN and creating a diplomatic storm – with a Swiss firm at the centre.

Patrick Chappatte: ‘The path for satire has been getting narrower’

This content was published on Jun 24, 2025 Patrick Chappatte is one of the most prolific cartoonists. We talked to him about the current state of satire, media and free speech in the world.

Behind the scenes: how impactful is Switzerland’s support for political prisoners?

This content was published on Jun 19, 2025 Neutral but outspoken, Switzerland backs human rights — but can it still make a difference as autocrats rise?

The Swiss want more cooperation with NATO

This content was published on Jun 18, 2025 An annual study shows that cooperation over security is becoming more important for the Swiss.

Switzerland withdraws from democracy support in Bangladesh

This content was published on Jun 13, 2025 Promoting democracy around the world is one of Switzerland’s goals, but at the same time the funds for such efforts are dwindling.

Switzerland mulls stronger ties with European defence structures

This content was published on Jun 9, 2025 In the face of US disengagement, the idea of a defence partnership with the EU is gaining ground in the Swiss parliament.

Swiss diplomacy

How a Swiss diplomat experienced the end of WWII in Japan

Geneva hosts some 1,350 foundations, many of which receive public funding from Switzerland and other countries.

International Geneva

A Geneva-based global health foundation came close to ‘collapse’. Where were regulators?   

The unveiling of the White Tower on May 19, 2025, attracted many onlookers. At the top left of the picture, the shell disappears by helicopter.

Swiss oddities

Digital architecture sets world record in Swiss Alps

International Geneva

Lobbyists and oil-producers blamed for failure of Geneva plastics treaty

Swiss Politics

Will Switzerland finally do away with imputed rental-value tax on homeowners?

Are you noticing or anticipating any changes in your life as a result of the tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump?

How do you think your life could be impacted by the US tariff policy? Let us know.

Join the discussion

Aug 5, 2025

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19 Comments

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Would you want to know if you were at risk of a disease? Why or why not?

How early would you like to know if you were prone to a disease, and have you ever experienced issues with a diagnosis? Tell us about your story.

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Aug 25, 2025

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Does your country of residence offer an e-ID?

Switzerland is voting on a new e-ID system. Has your country of residence already introduced one? And does it make your life easier?

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Aug 15, 2025

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Swiss diplomacy

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Swiss neutrality: your questions answered

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Swiss neutrality: your questions answered

More

50 years of the Helsinki Accords: Switzerland’s role between the blocs

More

Does neutrality promote peace? A look at Switzerland and its good offices

More

Cuban diplomats eye Switzerland in bid to ease US economic pressure

More

Forgotten Swiss peace pact has lessons for Europe on ending bloodshed

More

‘Quiet neutrality’: snapshots of Switzerland’s embrace of oligarchs

More

The Swiss want more cooperation with NATO

More

Switzerland mulls stronger ties with European defence structures

More

What does the future hold for Swiss neutrality?

More

Lobbyists and oil-producers blamed for failure of Geneva plastics treaty

More

Africa’s relevance is growing – and everyone wants in

More

Switzerland signs controversial reconstruction aid package for Ukraine

More

China’s project to mediate global disputes underlines divide between the West and the rest

More

Deep-sea mining: has Trump unleashed a scramble for the seabed?

More

Switzerland withdraws from democracy support in Bangladesh

More

Inside Geneva: pandemics and climate change, can multilateralism still work?

More

Cultural aid cuts deal blow to Global South creatives – and Swiss diplomacy

More

Promoting democracy in authoritarian Tajikistan – is Switzerland making a difference?

More

Switzerland eyes mediation role amid rising risk of conflict in outer space

More

UAE vs. Switzerland: rivalry or synergy in commodity trade?

More

Trump’s tariffs expose weakness of Switzerland’s economic independence

More

How Trump is manoeuvring Switzerland closer to the EU

More

What do 39% US tariffs mean for the Swiss economy?

More

Are EU inspectors headed for Swiss farms?

More

How pharma became Switzerland’s Achilles heel in US trade talks

More

‘We will manage to avoid 39% tariffs’, says Swiss-US business leader

More

Americans face price rises for luxury watches after Trump’s Swiss tariffs

More

The Brics and Switzerland: aspirations and reality

More

US tariffs pressure Swiss pharma powerhouse

More

New York, Beijing, Tokyo – the Swiss government is on a mission to save trade

More

Swiss-EU economic relations in eight charts

More

Why Switzerland doesn’t recognise Palestine as a state

More

‘We will manage to avoid 39% tariffs’, says Swiss-US business leader

More

Switzerland offers no lifeboat to US scientists

More

Patrick Chappatte: ‘The path for satire has been getting narrower’

More

Why the Swiss army is training for an emergency in Austria

More

In Switzerland, migration isn’t just inbound

More

Ukrainian in Switzerland: ‘I loved Russia…but they threw me out’

More