Bern, 30.09.2026 - On 30 September, the 17th bilateral meeting between the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation and the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space took place in Bern. During the meeting, State Secretary Martina Hirayama and State Secretary Marcus Pleyer signed a letter of intent to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in research and innovation. More: Switzerland and Germany strengthen their cooperation in research and innovation

An Egyptian death mask dating from the second century BC has been returned from Switzerland to Egypt. It had been seized in Switzerland as part of criminal proceedings. Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider presented an ancient burial mask to the Egyptian Ambassador on Tuesday. This handover, which took place during a ceremony at the Beatrice von Wattenwyl House in Bern, is intended to underline Switzerland’s commitment to combating the illegal transfer of cultural property, the Federal Office of Culture said.

Parliament has approved the EFTA free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries. Following the Senate, the House of Representatives has also approved a compromise under which the agricultural sector will receive half a billion Swiss francs in support. The final say is likely to rest with the people. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives approved the agreement by 118 votes to 66, with 10 abstentions.

Berne, 25.09.2026 - On 25 September, the Federal Council took the decision to harmonise and clarify financial provisions in four sanctions ordinances implementing UN sanctions relating to the financing of terrorism and proliferation. Furthermore, international organisations will henceforth benefit from an exemption from the reporting and authorisation requirements for certain transactions under the Iran Ordinance. More: FC – Federal Council clarifies its sanctions ordinances

The Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) agreed at its meeting on 25 September to a request from the Russian Federation for the establishment of a panel to review the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) Package and alleged export subsidy under the EU scheme for trading greenhouse gas emission allowances. News item ⟶

Le Prix de la Société suisse de droit international (SSDI) est décerné chaque année à la meilleure thèse de doctorat ou d’habilitation dans le domaine du droit international public, du droit international privé, du droit européen ou du droit comparé. Nous vous serions très reconnaissants de bien vouloir transmettre cette communication aux lauréats potentiels ! Toutes les informations se trouvent ici :

Berne, 18.09.2026 — La Suisse continuera de s’engager à l’avenir en faveur d’une production plus durable de cacao et de café dans les pays partenaires. Lors de sa séance du 18 septembre 2016, le Conseil fédéral a décidé d’octroyer une aide financière d’un montant total de 22 millions de francs à la Plateforme suisse du cacao durable (SWISSCO) et à la Plateforme suisse de café durable (SSCP) pour la période 2026-2030.

Berne, 18.09.2026 - La Suisse continuera de s’engager à l’avenir en faveur d’une production plus durable de cacao et de café dans les pays partenaires. Lors de sa séance du 18 septembre 2016, le Conseil fédéral a décidé d’octroyer une aide financière d’un montant total de 22 millions de francs à la Plateforme suisse du cacao durable (SWISSCO) et à la Plateforme suisse de café durable (SSCP) pour la période 2026-2030. Source : CF – Partenariats avec le secteur privé pour une production durable de cacao et de café

Le ou la doctorant·e travaillera au sein du NCCR CLIM+, la première communauté de recherche suisse entièrement interdisciplinaire consacrée aux enjeux liés aux extrêmes climatiques. Les candidatures doivent être soumises au plus tard le 30 septembre 2026. Postuler ici.

The Max Planck Society and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law (MPIL) in Heidelberg invite nominations, including self-nominations, for a Director who will lead a research department at the Institute and contribute to the Institute’s mission. The MPIL is looking for a highly creative and visionary Director who will complement, enrich and further develop the research agenda and profile of the MPIL in a spirit of collaboration.

Berne, 09.09.2026 - The Federal Council has banned the purchase and import of gold originating in Sudan. The sale to Sudan of certain goods used in gold mining and gold extraction is also prohibited. In so doing, the Federal Council is aligning itself with the EU’s equivalent sanctions. The measures will come into force on 10 September. Source: FC – Federal Council joins EU sanctions against trade in gold from Sudan

Communiqué de presse | 09.09.2026   Berne, 09.09.2026 - Le 9 septembre 2026, le Conseil fédéral a pris connaissance des résultats de la procédure de consultation relative à l’accord sur le changement climatique, le commerce et la durabilité. La consultation fait apparaître un large soutien en faveur de l’accord et de sa ratification. Source: CF – Accord sur le changement climatique, le commerce et la durabilité : clôture de la procédure de consultation

Libya’s rival factions signed a draft agreement charting a path to elections within two years, leaving the permanent constitution to be drafted by the newly elected parliament. The deal gives the House of Representatives and High Council of State one month to ratify it domestically. If either body fails to do so, the parties intend to seek its adoption as a constitutional document through broader national mechanisms backed by the UN Security Council, a fallback that raises questions about the document’s domestic legal authority if it bypasses Libya’s own legislative bodies.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on Monday stated that countries have a legal obligation to consider comprehensive reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and the continuing harm caused by racialized chattel slavery. In a general recommendation, the Committee said that the historical harms associated with the trafficking and enslavement of Africans continue to manifest via systemic racial discrimination and other forms of inequality.

The General Court of the European Union upheld the European Commission’s decision not to review its own rules on how much greenhouse gas each EU country is allowed to emit. Two civil society groups had argued the Commission’s climate targets were not ambitious enough, but the Court said the Commission only implements targets set by lawmakers and it cannot be asked to overrule them. The ruling matters because it closes off one of the few legal routes citizens had to challenge whether the EU’s climate goals are strong enough.

À l'occasion de son 60e anniversaire, l'Association suisse pour le droit européen (ASDE) a le plaisir de vous convier à la conférence-débat qu'elle organise, le 30 septembre 2026, à la Maison des Cantons à Berne (Speichergasse 6, 3011 Berne). La conférence-débat, qui sera bilingue français-allemand (sans traduction) portera sur le thème « Bilatérales III : la souveraineté suisse en péril ?

In a monumental win for Pakistan, a panel for the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on Monday held that India must honor a nearly 70-year-old water treaty with Pakistan. The court said that the treaty remained legally binding and that no party could unilaterally suspend or terminate it. The PCA ruled that India must halt the construction of the Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant and prohibited India from concreting the dam above a certain level.

The nation of Vanuatu on Monday filed an application with the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) against France, requesting that the court affirm its sovereignty over disputed islands in the South Pacific region and establish new boundaries between Vanuatu and the French territory of New Caledonia. Vanuatu is a cluster of roughly 80 islands and 300,000 residents, located about 300 miles northeast of New Caledonia.

Communiqué de presse | 02.09.2026   CF – Le Conseil fédéral approuve le message sur l’accord de protection des investissements avec l’Arabie saoudite Berne, 02.09.2026 - Le Conseil fédéral a adopté le 2 septembre 2026 le message à l’intention des Chambres fédérales concernant le nouvel accord de promotion et de protection réciproque des investissements conclu entre la Suisse et l’Arabie saoudite. Il comble le vide juridique créé par la dénonciation par l’Arabie saoudite de l’accord précédent. Source: CF – Le Conseil fédéral approuve le message sur l’accord de protection des investissements avec l’Arabie saoudite

Communiqué de presse | 02.09.2026   Berne, 02.09.2026 - Le 1er octobre prochain marquera la date de l’entrée en vigueur de l’accord de libre-échange conclu entre l’Association européenne de libre-échange (Suisse, Islande, Liechtenstein, Norvège) et la République du Kosovo. Le Conseil fédéral a arrêté le 2 septembre 2026 les modifications d’ordonnances nécessaires pour mettre en œuvre les concessions tarifaires convenues au titre de l’accord.   SOurce: CF – Entrée en vigueur de l’accord de libre-échange avec le Kosovo le 1er octobre 2026

UN experts on Friday urged member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to implement more stringent measures to safeguard the future of the Court after the latest string of sanctions by the United States targeting senior court officials, emphasizing that such sanctions threaten justice and only serve to embolden the perpetrators of atrocities. In commenting on the importance of collective action to ensure that the future of the Court and the rights of survivors of the most heinous crimes of humanity remain intact, the experts stated:

The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Türkiye’s detention of Mehmet Osman Kavala since 2017 is unlawful in nature, finding that the country’s government has deprived him of his rights to free speech, peaceful assembly, fair trial, and liberty. A majority judges criticized the Turkish domestic courts for not “even attempting to establish” the causal link between the acts of violence during the 2013…

Refugees from Afghanistan can again be returned to their country after the Swiss Federal Administrative Court ruled repatriations possible under “favourable individual circumstances”. The court made the ruling as it dismissed an appeal against repatriation from a young Afghan man. The judges in St Gallen carried out a reassessment of the situation in Afghanistan. The landmark ruling said that while repatriations should remain restricted, some are now possible under certain favourable individual circumstances.