News

On 21 October, Switzerland and the United Kingdom extended the Services Mobility Agreement until 31 December 2029. The Agreement provides Swiss companies with easy access to British service suppliers and regulates Swiss service suppliers' access to the UK market.

From environmental monitoring to future moon bases: Innovative materials, processes, and models are essential for space travel. Lorenz Herrmann, member of Empa's Directorate and Head of the Advanced Materials and Surfaces department, explains how Empa's strengths can benefit the Swiss space industry and why collaborative networks remain key.

The Swiss Statistics Meeting will be held from 5 to 7 November 2025 at the University of Geneva (Uni Mail). The 2025 event will highlight the need to focus on the essential when creating value in statistical processes – a priority made all the more urgent given the limited funding available. The programme will explore how statistical stakeholders can set priorities wisely and identify the data and analyses that benefit society most.

Due to the close interconnection of digital systems, cyberincidents can have an immediate impact on many different organisations. Successfully managing these incidents requires a coordinated approach involving all affected stakeholders, including those from the business and economic community, the cantons, and the federal government. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has developed a plan for coordinated cyberincident response, setting out how the federal government organises itself to ensure effective, coordinated management of incidents.

With its new four-part coin series, “Swiss lakes”, Swissmint is portraying the diversity of Switzerland's lakes. The first two silver coins will be issued on 30 October 2025 and are entitled “Lake Maggiore” and “Lake Lugano”, placing the spotlight on the lakes of Ticino.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis's official visit to Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait ends today. Following his official visit to Jordan on 22 October, the head of the FDFA travelled to Iraq and Kuwait from 23 to 25 October. This trip to the Middle East gave the head of the FDFA an opportunity to discuss the geopolitical challenges facing the region, such as the situation in the Gaza Strip. These three official visits also highlight the new perspectives for political, economic and humanitarian cooperation in a region in motion.

As part of a humanitarian operation, Switzerland is evacuating an initial group of seven injured children from the Gaza Strip to Switzerland. The children and persons accompanying them will be hosted by seven Swiss cantons, where they will receive medical treatment at university and cantonal hospitals. They will also undergo an asylum procedure in Switzerland. The humanitarian operation has been jointly organised by several federal agencies and cantons, and is being carried out in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Swiss Air-Rescue Rega.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis travelled to Amman on 22 October for an official visit to Jordan. There he met with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, for in-depth discussions on regional political developments, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and bilateral cooperation between Switzerland and Jordan. The conflict in the Middle East and the US's 20-point peace plan were at the heart of the talks.

With the inauguration of the Swiss Embassy in Baghdad, Switzerland is reaffirming its long-term commitment to stability, peace and development in Iraq. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis was present at the ceremony and praised the courage of the Iraqi people in his speech. He emphasised the importance of dialogue, cooperation and trust between the two countries. Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) – check against delivery

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will pay a two-day state visit to Switzerland next week at the invitation of the Federal Council, led by President Karin Keller-Sutter. The visit aims to underscore and further deepen the close and multifaceted relationship between the two countries. South Africa is strategically important for Switzerland and ranks among its most important partners on the African continent.

In Switzerland, 15% of people aged 16–65 have poor literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem-solving skills. This equates to around 844 000 individuals. Compared with the overall population, they are less likely to be employed and tend to earn less. They also report lower levels of well-being and social participation than people with higher skill levels. These are the findings of a new report by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) based on data from the OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).

In view of the alarming number of femicides in Switzerland, the committee responsible for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention on combating violence against women and domestic violence defined three urgent measures in June, focusing on the prevention of violence and protection of victims. Yesterday, the committee, comprising representatives from the federal government, cantons and communes, took stock of the progress made in implementing these measures.