The background report on commodities prepared under the aegis of three government departments (FDFA, FDF, EAER) highlights the economic importance of the commodities industry for Switzerland. The report shows that Switzerland already does a great deal to safeguard its competitiveness and its integrity as a business location, including the commodity trading sector. A set of targeted recommendations should further improve conditions and reduce various risks including those to reputation.

At its meeting today, the Federal Council appointed as ambassador René Weber, the future Head of the Markets Division in the State Secretariat for International Financial Matters (SIF). Mr. Weber will take up his duties in SIF on 1 July 2013.

The Federal Council has appointed the members of the Federal Media Commission. 13 representatives from various areas of the Swiss media sector will take a seat on the Commission. In the process, the Federal Council ensured appropriate gender and language region representation. The Media Commission is chaired by Professor Otfried Jarren of Zurich University, appointed by the Federal Council in November 2012. The new Media Commission members will take up their duties in summer 2013.

Today, the Federal Council nominated Daniel Heller as the Swiss Executive Director to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington. On 1 July 2013, Mr. Heller will succeed René Weber, the Head of the Markets Division in the State Secretariat for International Financial Matters (SIF). Election by the Governors of the constituency led by Switzerland is required for Mr. Heller's definitive appointment.

The Federal Council pledged today a Headquarters contribution of CHF 70 million to the ICRC for the current year. This support will be provided from the framework credit of Switzerland’s humanitarian aid.

Switzerland will continue its support for the poorest countries of Asia through its development cooperation. The Federal Council ruled on March 27 to pledge CHF 48 million to the Asian Development Fund over the next four years. The fund supports the poorest developing countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Since the 25th March 2013, the Federal Office for Migration has also been applying the 48-hour procedure to asylum seekers from Kosovo and Georgia. Rapid repatriation can be carried out to both countries of origin. In August 2012, the Federal Office for Migration carried out accelerated asylum procedures (48-hour procedure) for people from visa-exempt European countries for the first time. Since then, asylum applications from the nations concerned have declined significantly.

Now that the judgments in the Tinner case have become legally binding, the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) has implemented the Federal Council's decision and destroyed copies of documents that the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland discovered in its archives at the end of 2008. The files comprise 58 pages containing information on the manufacture of nuclear weapons, together with other documents with information on uranium enrichment. The originals were destroyed with other documents back in 2007 on instructions from the Federal Council.

The 16th Swiss Film Award was held on the evening of 23 March in the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, Geneva. This gala event, which was also streamed live for the first time on www.schweizerfilmpreis.ch, honoured outstanding Swiss cinematic achievements over the last year. Three films dominated this year’s awards. Sister won in the Best Fiction Film and Best Screenplay categories. More than Honey took the Best Documentary Film and Best Film Score awards, while Hiver Nomade won the Best Cinematography Award as well as the Special Award of the Academy. The 2013 Best Actress/Actor awards went to Sibylle Brunner, Kacey Mottet Klein and Antonio Buil. All winners received a “Quartz” trophy, designed by French artist and sculptor, Jean Mauboulès.

(FSO) - In their desire to have children, 6350 couples underwent in-vitro fertilisation in 2011. Approximately 10,800 treatment cycles were started. These treatments resulted in 2350 pregnancies which led to 1715 births with 2006 live newborns. These findings are from the Assisted Reproductive Technology Statistics just published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).