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The Confederation engages in “communication abroad” to cultivate Switzerland's image internationally and to guard against image crises. Presence Switzerland, a unit of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), implements measures relating to communication abroad: appearances at major international events, project funding, communication content, the organisation of delegation trips, and monitoring of how Switzerland is perceived abroad. Presence Switzerland follows the Federal Council's Strategy for Communication Abroad and coordinates with the many federal agencies that communicate abroad on Switzerland's behalf. The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) examined whether Presence Switzerland uses the funds for communication abroad coherently and effectively. It concluded that Presence Switzerland should prioritise its activities more rigorously and gear them towards achieving an impact among the relevant target groups.

The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) is the Confederation’s specialised agency for national and international issues in its field. In particular, it supports innovation and vocational training projects. In 2022 the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) conducted an audit of how this funding is granted. It examined whether the funding was justified and effective. The SFAO issued four main recommendations, one at the highest level of priority. The SFAO therefore conducted a follow-up audit on the implementation of these key recommendations. It concluded that SERI has implemented the four recommendations.

Foreign policy and science diplomacy were the focus of FDFA State Secretary Alexandre Fasel's visit to Brussels on 10 and 11 November 2026. On Tuesday, he met with Kajsa Ollongren, the secretary-general of the European External Action Service (EEAS), for political consultations. On Wednesday, at the European Commission's European Research and Innovation Days, he highlighted how Switzerland fosters trust through anticipatory science diplomacy. This approach is also being pursued by Switzerland in the run-up to the Global AI Summit 2027 in Geneva. Mr Fasel invited the European states and their partners to take part in this preparatory process.

The Swiss Confederation issued two bonds by auction on 11.11.2026: 0.50%, maturity 27.05.2030 (reopening) and 0.50%, maturity 28.05.2040 (reopening). The issuance volume (excluding own holdings) amounts to a total of 185.060 million francs.

As young people’s career aspirations change and more opt for general education pathways, companies in some sectors are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit apprentices. Researchers at the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training SFUVET presented their trend report on current developments in the Swiss apprenticeship market today. Innovative vocational education and training (VET) projects were also recognised with the Enterprize 2026 awards at the national conference.

Life cycle assessment is used to quantify the environmental impact of products and services and forms an important basis for political decisions. However, the necessary data is always difficult to capture completely. A study by the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI now shows that four established hybrid methods can be reduced to just two: a first step towards open-source software that could enable such analyses even without in-depth mathematical knowledge.

New synthetic drugs pose considerable health risks – consumers cannot assess the consequences of taking them. To combat these designer drugs effectively, the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) is adding further substances to the Narcotics List Ordinance with effect from 10 November 2026. This makes them subject to the Narcotics Act: their manufacture, trade and use are illegal.

Malaria is supposed to be eradicated by 2030 – at least according to the WHO’s goals. But malaria-carrying mosquitoes are becoming increasingly resistant to common insecticides. As part of the Innosuisse project MalCoFil, Empa researchers have now developed a liquid-core fiber that contains novel insecticides and is suitable for the production of long-lasting, insecticide-treated mosquito nets. They received support from two industry partners.

The Swiss Confederation is offering two bonds on a public tender system on 11.11.2026: 0.50%, maturity 27.05.2030 (reopening) and 0.50%, maturity 28.05.2040 (reopening).

Over 2 million people and more than 1 million vehicles cross the Swiss border every day. As it is not possible to monitor all movements with the resources available, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) carries out customs and border checks using a risk-based approach. Risk analysis helps the FOCBS to carry out the limited number of checks in a targeted and efficient manner. Since 2019, it has been centralised within the newly created Risk Analysis and Analytics Directorate (RAA DT) in Bern. This directorate will be disbanded on 1 May 2026, and the individual organisational units will be transferred to other directorates according to their functions. The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) examined whether the risk analysis is effective and supports the FOCBS’s self-imposed objective of becoming a data-driven agency. It concluded that the risk analyses continue to rely too heavily on individual experts' knowledge and not enough on data. The FOCBS should use the forthcoming reorganisation to systematically address shortcomings in impact measurement, organisational structure and role distribution.

Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), on the occasion of Switzerland Global Enterprise’s International Business Day 2026 - Check against delivery.

Switzerland is to provide the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) with an additional CHF 4 million in aid for the evacuation and subsequent support of civilians affected by the war in Ukraine. The funds will mainly benefit people forced to leave their homes close to the front line due to the ongoing Russian attacks.