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Speech given by Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) - check against delivery

Ambassadors newly accredited to Switzerland present credentials

How can the 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) be effectively advanced in Switzerland? This question was the focus of an event held in Bern on 9 June 2026, organised by the FDFA's Prosperity and Sustainability Division, which included representatives from the cantons, communes, business, academia, civil society and the federal government. They had all contributed to Switzerland's country report on the 2030 Agenda, which was adopted by the Federal Council on 13 May 2026.

A study commissioned by the Federal Office for Gender Equality (FOGE) from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that women in Switzerland have less trust in public institutions than men. Whilst Switzerland enjoys a high level of trust in its institutions by international standards, it also has one of the widest gender gaps.

Switzerland is faced with an urgent question: where will the electricity come from in winter if nuclear power plants are taken off the grid and consumption increases due to heat pumps and electromobility? A recent report by Axpo paints a serious picture and outlines two possible scenarios. Wind and gas or new nuclear power plants. In an interview with SATW, Nathalie Casas, Head of the Department of Energy, Mobility and Environment at Empa and new member of SATW, analyses the findings. She concludes: "All technologies have their challenges. If you decide against one technology, you have to decide in favour of another.

The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) is publishing the prevention bulletin 2026/1 aviation.Prevention bulletins contain useful information in accordance with Art. 56 OSITI for the prevention of accidents and serious incidents. They were obtained as part of preliminary investigations into incidents for which an investigation is not opened for reasons of efficiency. The Prevention Bulletins are compiled in chronological order and include those incidents for which a preliminary investigation was completed by the end of the respective quarter. The information does not claim to be complete, is anonymised and is designed to contribute to the safety awareness of the public concerned.The German versions of the prevention bulletins are the originals and therefore authoritative.

Market sector activities across the Swiss economy posted contrasting results in the 1st quarter 2026. Turnover fell by 2.6% compared with the same quarter of the previous year while employment in these same market sector activities rose by 0.5% (total employment +0.5%).

The Swiss Confederation is offering a bond on a public tender system on 10.06.2026: 0.875%, maturity 24.06.2041 (new bond).

The Basel Convention in the area of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) governs the import and export of hazardous waste and its environmentally sound disposal. As part of an international parallel audit with the audit offices of Germany and Austria, the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) examined implementation in Switzerland. The three audit offices are expected to assess the situation in Germany and Austria in a joint report at the end of 2026.

The Confederation is involved in the ordering and financing of regional passenger transport (RPT). Transports Publics Fribourgeois (TPF) is the largest passenger transport company in the canton of Fribourg. In 2025, the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) audited the subsidies paid to TPF. The aim was to assess whether the RPT subsidies awarded in the 2024 financial year were used legally and appropriately. The audit focused on the cost accounting model, the legal use of the RPT division's profits, and the TPF group's funding arrangements.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis received the foreign minister of Panama, Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, in Bern. The two ministers had bilateral talks and a working lunch together. They reviewed bilateral relations as well as major regional and international topics. The meeting was also marked by the inauguration of the new Panamanian embassy in Switzerland.

Speech given by Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) - check against delivery