News

A narwhal tale with a twist

The University of St Gallen published in August a new periodic Use Assessment Study of the EasyGov electronic platform on behalf of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The results clearly show that EasyGov saves Swiss SMEs a considerable amount of time and money.

On 17 August 2026 the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER has amended annexes 12, 13 and 14 of the ordinance on measures against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The entries relating to six individuals have been removed, the entry relating to one entity has been amended, and two individuals and one entity have been added to the annexes. The measures come into force on 18 August 2026 at 11 p.m.

In the 2nd quarter 2026, the number of employed persons in Switzerland rose by 0.8% year-on-year. The unemployment rate as defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) rose from 4.6% to 4.9% in Switzerland, whereas in the EU it remained at 5.9%. These are some of the results of the Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS) conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

The third Rhone correction is the largest flood protection project in Switzerland. It is aimed at protecting over 100,000 people from flood events and prevent damage worth up to CHF 10 billion. This once-in-a-generation project will cost CHF 3.6 billion, and was given the go-ahead in 2016. It involves around 870 hectares of land, including arable land for which the compensation has not yet been clarified in the Valais. The canton of Valais undertook a project revision in 2024. The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) examined whether the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) had taken the risks to and interests of the Confederation into account. It concluded that the FOEN actively exercises its supervision and has reduced financial risks to the Confederation since 2022 by suspending payments for pre-funded services. The SFAO also examined whether the FOEN had implemented past recommendations. This was the case for three of the four recommendations, while the recommendation on subsidy refunds was not implemented.

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 14.08.2026 the Federal Department of Economic Affairs EAER has amended annexes 2 and 14a to the ordinance. In this context, one entity was removed from Annex 14a, and the entries concerning 610 individuals and entities were amended in Annex 2. The measures come into force at 11 pm on 17.08.2026.

Diplomats and scientists from Switzerland and Africa came together today at the University of Bern for a workshop entitled ‘Science Diplomacy in Practice’. The workshop was organised by the FDFA and the Universities of Bern and Basel with the aim of strengthening synergies between research, innovation, and diplomacy. Participants praised the breadth of existing initiatives and discussed new ways to more closely link the scientific community with Swiss and African diplomatic networks.

This year's annual Swiss Ambassadors' Conference is being held in Bern from 17 to 21 August. Its theme is ‘Global disorder: Switzerland in Europe and the world’. The Swiss-EU package is one of the priority topics at the 2026 event. Discussions will also centre on the international situation, Switzerland's scope of action on foreign policy, and relations with key partners. With these issues in mind, as part of the Conference Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will receive German Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul for an open forum with the Swiss diplomatic corps.

Ansprache von Bundespräsident Guy Parmelin, Vorsteher des Eidgenössischen Departements für Wirtschaft, Bildung und Forschung anlässlich der Eröffnung des Lucerne Festivals 2026, Luzern am Freitag, 14. August 2026

Improve, connect, understand: Data and statistics in the age of artificial intelligence

On 15 August 2026, Switzerland will take part in the celebrations marking the 975th anniversary of Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra monastery complex through the Federal Council delegate for Ukraine, Jacques Gerber. To mark the anniversary, Switzerland is announcing a contribution of CHF 600,000 to prepare for the cave monastery's restoration following damage sustained in a Russian air strike in June 2026 – and to protect it from further damage.