The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA; ; ; ; ), so named since 1979, is one of the seven Departments of the Swiss government federal administration of Switzerland, and corresponds in its range of tasks to the ministry of foreign affairs in other countries. The department is always headed by one of the members of the Swiss Federal Council. Since 1 November 2017, the department is headed by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis.

Mission

The mission of the FDFA is to safeguard Switzerland's interests abroad and its relations with other countries, as stipulated in Art. 54, para. 1 of the Swiss Federal Constitution. The subsequent paragraph further outlines the parameters by which Swiss foreign policy is to be conducted:

<blockquote>The Confederation shall ensure that the independence of Switzerland and its welfare is safeguarded; it shall in particular assist in the alleviation of need and poverty in the world and promote respect for human rights and democracy, the peaceful co-existence of peoples as well as the conservation of natural resources. With Switzerland's accession to the League of Nations in the aftermath of the First World War, the FPD's responsibilities were further expanded and in particular as Geneva was transformed into a major hub for international diplomacy, marked in particular by the construction of the Palais des Nations in to serve as headquarters for the League in that city.

Following the Second World War, in which Switzerland remained neutral, the orientation of Swiss foreign policy adjusted to the new paradigms of the Cold War. Switzerland did not join the newly created United Nations, which succeeded the League of Nations. The reason for this refusal was that it was impossible to obtain explicit recognition from the organisation of its status as a neutral country. In 1961, specific structures were created within the FDP for the administration of official development assistance and for fostering relations with other countries in Europe and, in particular, the various European cooperation organisations that emerged in that period, such as the European Coal and Steel Community.

Former Names

  • 1848–1887: Federal Political Department
  • 1888–1895: Federal Department of the Exterior
  • 1896–1978: Federal Political Department

Organization

  • General Secretariat
  • Presence Switzerland
  • State Secretariat
  • Presidential Affairs and Protocol
  • Crisis Management Centre
  • Directorate of Political Affairs
  • Europe, Central Asia, Council of Europe, OSCE Division
  • Middle East and North Africa Division
  • Subsaharan Africa and Francophonie Division
  • Asia and the Pacific Division
  • Americas Division
  • United Nations and International Organisations
  • Human Security Division
  • Sectoral Foreign Policy Division
  • Division for Security Policy
  • Directorate of European Affairs, DEA
  • Directorate of Corporate Resources (DR)
  • Consular Directorate CD
  • Directorate of International Law DIL
  • Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

List of heads of department

See also

  • Foreign relations of Switzerland
  • Protecting power

Full-time positions since 2001

<div align="center">Raw data</div>

Sources:<br /><br />

References

  • www.eda.admin.ch
  • Swiss embassies and representations abroad
  • Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland
  • FDFA Publications
  • FDFA on Social Media
  • The Swiss Confederation a brief guide