News

Switzerland will object to Ukraine's decision to suspend the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel mines. At its meeting on 15 October, the Federal Council considered that such a suspension would be incompatible with international law.

The UN sanctions committee has amended the list of sanctioned individuals, companies and organizations. The SESAM database has been updated accordingly. On 4 March 2016 the Federal Council has adopted the Ordinance on the automatic application of the UN Security Council’s sanctions lists. Hence, the amendments of the UN Security Council’s sanctions lists enter into force in Switzerland without delay.

On World Statistics Day, 20 October, we celebrate the importance of high-quality official statistics and data for all. Good decisions and a vibrant democracy begin with neutral and reliable information. In Switzerland, this commitment has guided our approach for 175 years, since the first federal census in 1850 and the establishment of the Federal Statistical Bureau – the predecessor of today's Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

Florian Schütz, Director of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), is representing Switzerland at two major international cybersecurity forums this month, one in Dubai and one in Singapore. By contributing to discussions on global cyber resilience, artificial intelligence and international cooperation, he is advocating for a secure and resilient digital future, and reinforcing Switzerland's role as an active partner in global cyberpolicy.

On 16 October 2025, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the head of the FDFA, received the Uzbek foreign minister, Bakhtiyor Saidov, in Bern for an official visit. The talks centred on bilateral relations, regional cooperation in Central Asia, the war in Ukraine and Switzerland's chairpersonship of the OSCE next year.

Joint press release from the OAG, fedpol, and the NCSC - In recent months, the hacker group AKIRA has stepped up its activities in Switzerland. Around two hundred companies have been victims of ransomware attacks, with damages currently amounting to several millions of Swiss francs, and to several hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide. Since April 2024, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has been conducting criminal proceedings. The investigation is being coordinated by the Federal Office of Police (fedpol), in close cooperation with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the authorities in several other countries that are affected. The Swiss authorities stress the importance of contacting them before taking any action and of the need to file a criminal complaint.

Higher US tariffs have further clouded the outlook for the Swiss economy. Based on recently revised GDP data,[1] the Expert Group on Business Cycles projects significantly below-average economic growth of 1.3% in 2025, slowing further to 0.9% in 2026.[2] This forecast reflects expectations of a weak second half of 2025 and is based on the technical assumption that international tariffs will remain at current levels.

Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) at the 2025 Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipation Summit (GESDA) – Check against delivery

In view of the imminent signing of a MoU on mobility systems, Switzerland and India initialled on October 15 the text of the MoU in presence of Hon’ble Minister Nitin Gadkari, Swiss Ambassador Maya Tissafi and Assistant State Secretary Martin Saladin, Vice Director and head of SECO's Promotion Activities Directorate, and a delegation of more than 20 Swiss mobility companies. The agreement, which was approved by the Federal Council on 8 October, will facilitate access for Swiss companies to major projects in the Indian transport sector.

You could be interested by new pages which have been published on the OFCOM website between 01.10.2025 and 14.10.2025.

As part of the FDFA's periodic transfer rotation and on the basis of appointments made by the Federal Council, personnel changes and the conferment of ambassadorial titles will take place in 2025 and 2026 at several Swiss representations and at the head office of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).

Switzerland will take part in the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha from 4 to 6 November. The aim of this summit organised by the United Nations is to renew the international community’s commitments in the field of social development and to give fresh impetus to efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda. On 15 October, the Federal Council appointed a delegation comprising various stakeholders, which will be headed by SECO Director, State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda.