COVID-19 has an impact on our lives in Switzerland and abroad. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) summarises the most important information regarding travelling and living abroad in its COVID-19 news ticker. The information is constantly being added to.

In this guest article for the NZZ, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis takes his own look back at an extraordinary year – a whirlwind 12 months that left little time for reflection amid ever-changing case numbers. Cassis addresses a number of questions. Who decides how much a human life is worth? How important are open borders? And how will we make sense of it all whenever normality returns?

On Monday evening, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis was a guest on the programme "60 Minuti" on RSI. The head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) spoke about the importance of federalism in Switzerland and the measures adopted by the Federal Council to combat the COVID 19 pandemic. Among other things, personal responsibility and mutual solidarity are decisive factors in the fight against the pandemic.

Poor sanitary conditions pose a health risk. This is a major problem, particularly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But even today, one third of the world's population has no adequate access to clean water. To help people living poverty protect themselves during the current pandemic, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is supporting hygiene awareness campaigns and the creation of more handwashing stations.

A year ago, the Swiss architect Emilie Schmid boarded a flight for Beirut wearing the uniform of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit as a member of a team that helped rebuild the city after the tragic explosion. She talks about her experience and the importance of Swiss humanitarian aid. We are publishing this article to mark World Humanitarian Day and pay tribute to the many people who dedicate their lives to helping others.

Formerly head of the Humanitarian Aid Department at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), 75-year-old Toni Frisch has channelled his energies over the past six years into coordinating humanitarian aid in eastern Ukraine. Following the end of his term of office at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in June, now is the perfect time to spotlight his wealth of experience and forthright championing of those most in need.

On World Refugee Day, we are in Geneva where a new hub has taken up residence at the UNHCR. Launched by Switzerland and the UN refugee agency, the Geneva Technical Hub is a centre of expertise dedicated to the greening of humanitarian action.

In late May, thirty tonnes of relief supplies were sent from Switzerland to Nepal to help the country in its battle against COVID-19. According to Elisabeth von Capeller, the Swiss ambassador to Nepal, the delivery illustrates how to effectively combine development cooperation and emergency aid: Switzerland can react quickly to Nepal's requests for help while using its long-standing development cooperation partnership with the country to open up access and strengthen systems on the ground.

On 2 November, Switzerland and Indonesia celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations. Batik culture, an economic partnership agreement that came into force on 1 November, Swiss vocational education and training in Indonesia, traditional shadow theatre, gamelan music, a hand-made road and Swiss disaster relief – the stories behind an excellent partnership.

On 5 September 2021 Switzerland and Australia celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations, as well as their enduring friendship. One of the oldest surviving civilisations in the world, cutting-edge Swiss technology, cultural exchanges, scientific cooperation, acclaimed wines, and a patch of the Australian natural world in Switzerland are the subject of six emblematic stories to mark the 60th anniversary of Swiss-Australian diplomatic relations.

From 1 to 6 August, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis is travelling to Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Switzerland maintains specific and long-standing relations with the three countries. All three are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – an important regional organisation for Switzerland. The region is also home to many Swiss nationals. On the trip, Mr Cassis hopes to gain an insight into how Swiss expatriate communities are faring in times of COVID.

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania: the three European countries are celebrating 100 years of bilateral relations with Switzerland and 30 years of renewed ties after the end of the Soviet era. We asked the people working daily to build these relations what this centenary means to them.

Weather forecasting, transport systems, energy and financial transactions – space technologies keep us safe and are drivers of prosperity. Switzerland is committed to the peaceful, safe and sustainable use of outer space. Natália Archinard represents Switzerland in the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). We asked her about the challenges here on Earth and in outer space.

On 3 March 2002, the Swiss people said yes to Switzerland's accession to the UN. On this 20th anniversary, FDFA State Secretary Livia Leu looks back on achievements and explains why Switzerland is a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the years 2023–24. In the interview, Ms Leu emphasises that being a member of the Security Council is compatible with Switzerland's neutrality. The election will take place on 9 June 2022.

Switzerland has made a political commitment to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which establishes social, economic and environmental goals. All UN member states are called upon to regularly evaluate their progress and publish the results. In 2022 Switzerland will present its second voluntary comprehensive country report. FDFA IT and the FDFA State Secretariat developed a customised tool specially for the report.

International Geneva was in the spotlight on 1 November 2021. With the inauguration of the new Building H at the Palais des Nations and the opening of the eighth edition of Geneva Peace Week, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis ‘nurtured the seeds of peace’ in the city of Geneva.

The Consular Directorate (KD) provides a wide range of services – including the issuing of passports, emigration advice and emergency assistance abroad – to support Swiss citizens in Switzerland and abroad. Read on to learn about some of the wide range of services provided by the KD.

This year's launch of Mission August 1st marks the first time the FDFA is celebrating Switzerland's national holiday online. At the heart of the project is a multilingual and interactive website to help the Swiss community abroad and Swiss enthusiasts around the world celebrate this day together.

The FDFA advises caution and preparation when travelling during the summer holidays. Information on the regulations of the country of destination as well as on the rules for returning to Switzerland are prerequisites.

Summer is here! Switzerland offers many opportunities to spend the summer holidays, especially with children. However, if you still want to travel abroad with children this summer, it is important to find out about the entry requirements for the destination country before you leave. In the case of minor children travelling with only one parent or without a legal guardian, it is strongly recommended to draw up a declaration of consent.

The international community has committed itself to the goal of securing a high-quality education for everyone by 2030. Non-state actors make a fundamental contribution to achieving this goal and are the focus of this year's UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report. On 3 February, the report will be presented in Switzerland at a virtual event. Basilio Ghisletta, education adviser at the SDC, speaks in the interview below on the report's significance for the 2030 Agenda's education targets.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs are announcing the second edition of the Swiss Youth and Future Prize. The 'Together we're better' competition is asking young people up to age 35 to submit projects that promote sustainable development and help fight poverty in the Global South. Another goal of the competition is to offer young people the opportunity to become involved in international cooperation work.

Carl Emery (52), an officer in Geneva's cantonal police force, has been working on his first mission in Africa since October 2020. He is a member of the FDFA's Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding and runs projects that aim to reform Mali's national security institutions. The programme is in keeping with the commitment to multilateral peace efforts emphasised by Ignazio Cassis on his visit to the country at the beginning of February. Read on for a first-hand account.

More than 600 million children and young people worldwide are still deprived of an education. The UNESCO International Day of Education on 24 January reminds us of this and highlights the importance of education for equality of opportunity and for peace. Switzerland - with its high-quality school system and the successful recipe of dual vocational education and training - helps to create sustainable opportunities.

On 29 October 2021, Federal Councillor Cassis launches the process 'On the Road to Lugano' in preparation for the Ukraine Reform Conference 2022, to be held in Switzerland. Increasing responsibility at local level, lowering the cost of heating, contributing towards conflict prevention – Switzerland has been supporting Ukraine for more than 20 years in the areas of international cooperation, peacebuilding and humanitarian aid. Thanks to this long-standing engagement and its chairmanship of the conference, Switzerland will be able to make a lasting contribution in 2022 to stability and prosperity in Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Geneva on 16 June. In the framework of the U.S.-Russia Summit, two bilateral meetings between representatives of the Swiss government and their counterparts from the USA and Russia took place before and after the event.

In Switzerland, solutions are generally sought in consultation with all stakeholders. Swiss diplomacy is also based on this principle, and seeks to facilitate dialogue, for example through good offices. Geneva can be offered as a venue for political talks, and the city will play host to the summit between the US and Russian presidents on 16 June.

With the "House of Switzerland" and the Swiss Pavilion, Switzerland will showcase itself at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.

President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Leendert Verbeek, is visiting Switzerland between 30 April and 3 May. The aim of the visit is to present Swiss federalism in situ. David Eray, president of the Cantonal Council of Jura and head of the Swiss delegation to the Congress, is accompanying Mr Verbeek on his trip, which will also include a visit to the Landsgemeinde in Glarus. Interview.

Current foreign policy issues are being discussed at the Ambassadors' and Foreign Network Conference from 23 to 26 August 2021 in Bern. The topics range from cyber security to equal opportunities and also include European policy. In this context, it is interesting to take a look at other countries that, like Switzerland, do not belong to the EU and have chosen their own paths in bilateral relations – such as the United Kingdom and Norway.

Just a few weeks after the institutional agreement negotiations with the EU were terminated, the Federal Council started working towards the unblocking of the second Swiss contribution to selected EU member states. These framework credits are intended to contribute to greater cohesion within the EU and to improved migration management in Europe. Ruth Huber, head of the SDC's Cooperation with Eastern Europe Department, answers our questions on this topic.

Ambassador Patric Franzen wants to involve the embassies in the EU area even more in his work as head of the Europe Division in the FDFA.

When the Évian Accords were signed by Algeria and France some sixty years ago, they put an end to 132 years of French occupation and more than seven years of war. Algeria declared independence shortly afterwards, on 5 July 1962. Switzerland played a key role in facilitating the signing of the accords, in no small part thanks to the perseverance and discretion of one of its diplomats, Olivier Long.

Switzerland is working to ensure that women play an active role in conflict prevention and peace processes, and that their rights are protected. The Women Peace and Security Focal Points Network, of which Switzerland and 90 other countries and organisations are members, is a key instrument to this end. Switzerland is co-chairing the network with South Africa in 2022. What objectives do the co-chairs pursue? An interview with Talia Wohl, Switzerland's representative in the Network.

Democracy, the rule of law and human rights are under pressure in Europe too. The European Court of Human Rights is working to remedy this. The court is using a new strategy to adapt to current trends such as digitalisation and COVID-19. The FDFA is providing CHF 250,000 in funding to support this strategic realignment so that pending cases can be processed more rapidly.

The situation facing female journalists is deteriorating in many parts of the world – including in some unexpected places. Director Javier Luque, who works as a coordinator at the International Press Institute (IPI), explores this issue in a film screened at the Lugano Human Rights Film Festival in early October. Produced as part of an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) project, the film was also supported by the Peace and Human Rights Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).

Ils 21 da favrer 2022 cumenza l'emna internaziunala da la lingua rumantscha («Emna rumantscha»). Questa iniziativa è vegnida lantschada l'onn passà dal DFAE en collavuraziun cun il chantun Grischun e cun la Lia Rumantscha. Quest onn ha il president da la Confederaziun envidà dudesch scolaras e scolars dal stgalim secundar da Savognin e da Scuol a Berna. Els han purtà cun sai ina valisch plain propostas per render enconuschenta la lingua e la cultura rumantscha en Svizra ed a l'exteriur.

21 February 2022 marks the start of Romansh Language Week ('Emna rumantscha'), an initiative launched last year by the FDFA in cooperation with the Canton of Graubünden and the Lia Rumantscha. Twelve pupils from the secondary schools of Savognin and Scuol travelled to Bern at the invitation of the president of the Swiss Confederation with a suitcase of ideas for promoting the Romansh language and culture in Switzerland and abroad.

The Federal Council adopted its strategy on the Americas at its meeting of 16 February 2022. Five priorities have been identified, and Switzerland has defined objectives and measures for each of these during the 2022-25 period. These objectives are based on Switzerland's foreign policy strategy, which sets out four thematic focus areas: peace and security, prosperity, sustainability, and digitalisation.

Il pled dal president da la Confederaziun Ignazio Cassis a chaschun da sia elecziun sco president da la Confederaziun. Il text original pluriling è vegnì translatà en rumantsch.

As Switzerland presides over the Second Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the time is right to give voice to victims.

Switzerland fights vigorously against cluster munitions. Unfortunately, these weapons, which cause significant humanitarian damage, are still in use today. Like some hundred other states parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Switzerland is committed to halting their proliferation and promotes the universalisation of the Convention.

In the run-up to International Mine Awareness Day on 4 April, the FDFA has published its 2020 annual report on Switzerland's mine action strategy. Switzerland is one of the ten largest donors to humanitarian demining efforts worldwide and is strengthening the capacity of local demining teams, providing assistance to victims, and promoting existing international conventions.

The UN's Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) enters into force on 22 January 2021. Switzerland has not yet ratified the treaty, which was negotiated without the nuclear powers and their allies, but will reexamine its position at a later date. In the meantime, it will continue working actively and on a number of fronts to support arms control and nuclear disarmament, which are priorities of Swiss foreign policy.

Xavier Mertz was the first Swiss polar explorer to set foot in Antarctica in 1911, but his drive to explore the region came at a bitter price. Although polar exploration today is less dramatic, it is even more urgent than ever before. To mark Swiss Polar Day, the head of the FDFA's Prosperity and Sustainability Division, Stefan Estermann, talks about the role Swiss polar research has to play and how Switzerland is stepping up its commitment to scientific diplomacy.

The establishment of CERN in Geneva in 1954 played its own part in the reconstruction of post-Second World War Europe. The man behind the initiative was Professor Herwig Schopper. Now, at the age of 97, this wise man is still a champion of peace and scientific development and is working on the creation of new institutes in different strategic regions of the world.

New technologies are becoming increasingly important to foreign policy: what opportunities does digitalisation bring and which aspects need to be regulated? International Geneva provides a platform for Switzerland in promoting dialogue between the scientific and diplomatic communities. The Federal Council seeks to strengthen Geneva's role as a digital governance hub and has now appointed Ambassador Alexandre Fasel as the first special representative for science diplomacy in Geneva.

The FDFA supports the ETH Zurich in the production of affordable ventilators in the Ukraine. On June 30, 2020, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis and the Ukrainian Ambassador to Switzerland, Artem Rybchenko, signed an agreement to provide start-up funding for an ETH project that will make such ventilators affordable for newly industrialized (NIC) and developing countries.