Franz Perrez appointed head of the FDFA's Directorate of International Law
Bern, 15.02.2023 - At its meeting on 15 February 2023, the Federal Council appointed Franz Perrez as head of the Directorate of International Law at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Mr Perrez (56) will take up his post on 1 July 2023, succeeding Corinne Cicéron Bühler, who has been appointed ambassador to the Netherlands. Mr Perrez currently heads the International Affairs Division at the Federal Office for the Environment.
Franz Perrez was appointed Switzerland's ambassador for the environment in 2010. In this capacity, he has headed the Swiss delegations to international environmental and climate negotiations for the past 13 years, while concurrently serving as head of the International Affairs Division at the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN).
After studying law in Bern and Paris, Mr Perrez worked at the FDFA's Directorate of International Law from 1993 to 1995. He went on to study at New York University, where he gained a Master of Laws focusing on international law and completed a PhD thesis on the topic of sovereignty as a principle of cooperation. On returning to Switzerland, he took up a position at the WTO Division of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, before joining the FOEN in 2001.
Extensive experience
Mr Perrez has proven expertise in international law. As chief negotiator for the Swiss delegations, he has represented Switzerland's global environmental policy in international forums, most recently at the Climate Change Conference held in Sharm El-Sheik in November 2022. Through his work within and outside Switzerland, he has built strong networks around the world and within the Federal Administration. As the new head of the Directorate of International Law, he is responsible for negotiating and implementing international treaties and ensuring that Switzerland's strategic rights are respected abroad. As a member of the FDFA senior management, Mr Perrez is also jointly responsible for the FDFA's strategic approach and advises the Federal Council, Switzerland's representations abroad and other Federal Administration offices on international law issues.
Address for enquiries
For further information:
FDFA Communication
Tel. +41 58 462 31 53
Tel. Press service +41 460 55 55
kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Documents
Publisher
The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
