Federal Council adopts dispatch concerning measures to strengthen Switzerland's role as host state
Bern, 19.11.2014 - The dispatch adopted today by the Federal Council is aimed at consolidating and developing Switzerland's long-term role as host state, in particular through the intermediary of International Geneva. It places special emphasis on improving building and technological infrastructures and on fostering better interaction between the various international and national actors. In today's increasingly competitive environment, the Swiss government wishes to enable International Geneva to continue to be a unique platform for the effective promotion of its interests and values.
With this dispatch the Federal Council is submitting to Parliament a new strategy aimed at enhancing Switzerland's attractiveness and competitiveness as a host state and centre of global governance. It is seeking to obtain additional funds in order to implement these measures. In total some CHF 117.2 million francs are sought for the period 2016–2019. This amount includes CHF 72.4 million of funding already budgeted by the Confederation plus an additional CHF 44.8 million.
The dispatch is the Federal Council’s response to a parliamentary motion (12.4267 “Strengthen International Geneva and Switzerland as places to host international and multilateral diplomacy”), which was signed by 120 national councillors. It corresponds with the foreign policy strategy for 2012–2015, in which the Federal Council aims notably to promote Switzerland's long-term role as host state, in particular through the intermediary of International Geneva. To achieve this, in today's multipolar world where new actors are emerging in the international arena and cities and states are vying for the position of host, Switzerland must keep one step ahead and ensure that it provides an optimal quality of services as host state.
Geneva's exceptional concentration of actors, organisations, experts and skills helps Switzerland to make an active contribution to the global, coordinated responses that are required to meet the many challenges facing the world. The dispatch therefore provides for an enhancement in welcome arrangements, improving still further building and technological infrastructures, external security arrangements and services provided by the host state. In addition it aims to build on existing strengths, taking targeted measures to encourage international actors to work together more closely so as to contribute more effectively to resolving the problems of our time. To this end, different thematic platforms will be set up to foster cooperation and the exchange of information and experience among the actors concerned, specifically in the areas of humanitarian training, global health and internet governance. Measures will also be taken to promote the establishment of permanent missions in Geneva for states not yet represented there.
Thanks to the host state policy actively pursued by the Swiss government and the considerable efforts of the cantons and communes concerned, over recent decades Switzerland has become one of the world's major centres of global governance. This gives the country more political weight in international relations than its size would otherwise suggest, enabling it to better defend its interests and values within international organisations and providing it with a stronger voice at the global level. Over and above these major political advantages, International Geneva generates considerable economic benefits for the Lake Geneva region and for Switzerland as a whole.
Last year the Swiss Confederation, in collaboration with the Canton of Geneva and the City of Geneva, developed a strategy aimed at strengthening the long-term attractiveness and competitiveness of International Geneva and Switzerland as host state. The Federal Council took note of the strategy on 26 June 2013 and asked the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to draw up a dispatch indicating precise figures for the measures proposed. The dispatch has now been submitted to Parliament for debate in 2015. Subject to approval by Parliament, the measures foreseen by the new strategy will therefore come into effect from 2016.
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