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At its meeting on 14 October, the Federal Council took note of the results of the consultation process on the new law on communication platforms and search engines, and instructed the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) to draw up a dispatch by the end of 2027. The preliminary draft is to be amended with measures to protect children. Furthermore, the reporting procedure is to be extended to include all content suspected of being unlawful.

President Guy Parmelin and Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter, as well as Martin Schlegel, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank, will attend the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Bangkok from 15 to 17 October 2026. A meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors will also take place during the Annual Meetings. The Swiss delegation will additionally use the event for bilateral talks.

Opening address by Alexandre Fasel, State Secretary at the FDFA, at the Anticipation Summit organised by the foundation Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) in Geneva. Check against delivery.

Switzerland wants to modernise its electronic warfare capabilities and so is taking part in a European programme to procure electronic attack systems. At its meeting on 14 October, the Federal Council approved Switzerland’s participation in the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of electromagnetic combat capabilities for electronic attack (MoU Knifefish).

The Swiss Confederation issued two bonds by auction on 14.10.2026: 0%, maturity 22.06.2029 (reopening) and 0.25%, maturity 23.06.2035 (reopening). The issuance volume (excluding own holdings) amounts to a total of 344.290 million francs.

During its meeting on 14 October 2026, the Federal Council was informed about the third national report on the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing. Switzerland's risk exposure in this area remains stable. The greatest threats stem from organised crime, corruption, and property and tax crime.

On 14 October, the Federal Council launched the consultation process on the plurilateral Agreement on Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce Agreement, ECA). The ECA establishes a common regulatory framework for digital trade among 67 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and enhances legal certainty for businesses. The consultation procedure will run until 28 January 2027.

A new final report (aviation) is available on the website of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board STSB.

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have been examining the cladding tubes of nuclear reactor fuel rods using a new 3D imaging technique. They were able to determine with extremely high precision how the quality of the cladding changes over time as a result of corrosion and radiation exposure. The oxide layer on the tubes proved to retain its density even after years in operation. The new method allows this to be checked in great detail.

On 13 October 2026, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER updated the authorisation form for money transfers pursuant to Art. 21 of the Ordinance on Measures against the Islamic Republic of Iran. As of today, only the updated form will be accepted. The form can be accessed here.

On 14 and 15 October 2026, the sixth summit of the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) will take place in Geneva. GESDA was founded by the Swiss Confederation in collaboration with the Canton of Geneva and the City of Geneva. The summit will bring together over 1,000 representatives from science, diplomacy, politics, the private sector and philanthropy. The aim is to identify scientific and technological breakthroughs in the areas of people, machines, life, the planet and society at an early stage and to promote international dialogue on their implications for society. State Secretary Alexandre Fasel will represent the FDFA at the summit.

Chalcogenides are versatile materials that are the subject of active research for solar cells, photodetectors and other light and energy conversion applications. Researchers at Empa’s Transport at Nanoscale Interfaces laboratory have for the first time successfully measured chalcogenide perovskites' light-emission efficiency, showing that they are much more efficient at emitting light than expected. The researchers are also exploring promising superconducting and quantum properties in a needle-like form of the material that was previously considered an undesirable byproduct.