For the first time in its history, Switzerland holds a seat on the UN Security Council for two years as a non-permanent member. This mandate, which runs until the end of the year, will culminate in a second presidency in the autumn. The FAC-N delegation will visit the Swiss Mission to the UN in New York to gain an insight into how the body works and the processes involved in developing the positions taken by Switzerland on the Security Council. This will also provide an opportunity, particularly for new members of the Committee, to gain a better understanding of the role of Parliament and that played by the FAC in these processes. The delegation would also like to find out more about the ongoing UN reform processes, particularly regarding the Security Council and the veto, and will hold talks with various organisations active in this field.
This year will also see US presidential and congressional elections whose outcome will have an impact on Switzerland's international relations and foreign policy. The delegation will keep abreast of the latest developments on the ground courtesy of the Swiss embassy in Washington. The delegation will also meet with representatives from the World Bank and the IMF. Discussions will focus on the reform of these institutions and on the implementation of the Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST), which enables the IMF to grant loans to support macroeconomic reforms and longer-term structural measures, particularly aimed at mitigating climate change and preventing and combating pandemics. In 2023, Parliament approved a contribution of CHF 750 million to the RST, in the form of a guarantee to the Swiss National Bank as part of a loan to the IMF.
On the economic front, US-Swiss trade relations are close and growing stronger every year, to the extent that the USA was Switzerland's second-largest trading partner after Germany in 2022, with considerable potential for further growth. Economic stimulus measures and massive infrastructure investments (notably the Inflation Reduction Act and the Green Deal) should give the US economy a further boost in the months and years ahead. The delegation is keen to find out about these developments at first hand as their repercussions will be felt as far afield as Europe and Switzerland. Throughout the trip, the delegation will be meeting representatives from Swiss companies based in the US and academic institutions.
Each year the Foreign Affairs Committees send a delegation abroad on a fact-finding mission. This year the delegation is led by Committee president, National Council member Laurent Wehrli (FDP/VD), accompanied by National Council members Claudia Friedl (SP/SG), Corina Gredig (GLP/ZH) and Monika Rüegger (SVP/OW), Roland Büchel (SVP/SG), Niklaus-Samuel Gugger (EVP/ZH), Fabian Molina (SP/ZH), Erich Vontobel (EDU/ZH) and Nicolas Walder (Greens/GE).