Security policy
Swiss security policy is aimed at safeguarding the freedom of action, self-determination and integrity of Switzerland and its inhabitants, protecting their vital resources against direct and indirect threats and dangers and contributing to peace and stability beyond our borders.
The instruments for implementing Swiss security policy include its foreign policy, the armed forces, the civil protection system, its intelligence service and police, its economic policy, customs administration and civilian service. All these entities help to prevent, ward off and overcome threats and dangers to Switzerland.
The State Secretariat for Security Policy
- manages politically sensitive projects such as the elaboration of the security policy report and reports to parliament on the achievement of goals by the armed forces;
- seeks to ensure that in their projects, procurements and missions, the armed forces and armasuisse take account of the political directives of the Head of the DDPS, domestic political realities and foreign policy considerations;
- organises, prepares, manages and evaluates the international contacts of the Head of the DDPS and informs other departments on the international relations of the DDPS and the armed forces;
- is the point of contact for requests from other departments for assistance involving DDPS resources and provides the Head of the DDPS with the security and defence policy assessment on such requests;
- represents the interests of the DDPS and the armed forces at inter-departmental level with regard to war material export, military and civilian peace promotion, but also in preparing reports on Switzerland's foreign or integration policy;
- coordinates the commitment of the DDPS to the Geneva centres and the ETH Centre for Security Studies and it organises the preparation of dispatches to parliament to secure the related general credits;
- is the point of contact for security policy issues, not only from within the Department but also from outside, e.g. for associations and universities. It encourages public debate on security policy.
Further information
Index
Supplementary Report to the report on security policy of 2021 on the consequences of the war in Ukraine
The Federal Council therefore intends to focus Switzerland's security and defence policy more consistently than before on international cooperation while maintaining neutrality.
Security Policy Report 2021
The 2021 Security Policy Report outlines the interests and objectives that Switzerland pursues with its security policy. A supplementary report shows the consequences of the war in Ukraine for Switzerland.
Influence Activities and Disinformation
With growing uncertainty in Europe and global power-political tensions, the threat of influence operations, which include disinformation, has increased. A report by the Federal Council sets out the extent to which Switzerland is affected by influence activities in the information space, which characteristics of Switzerland are relevant in this context and what additional measures the Federal Council intends to take to counter these threats.