Legal protection for people and the environment has not kept pace with economic globalisation. There are deplorable working conditions in clothing factories in Asia and in Eastern Europe, child labour in cocoa production plants in West Africa and deadly...

On 28 June 2017, the Federal Council submitted a draft bill for consultation that will serve as a basis for the establishment of a national human rights institution (NHRI). This bill governs repeating basic funding and regulates sponsorship and...

There is no legal basis in Switzerland for the special treatment of asylum seekers who are persecuted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. But according to Art. 3 Para. 1 of the Asylum Act (AsylA) refugees are defined as people who face...

Art. 11 of the Swiss Federal Constitution states that children have the right to special protection of their integrity. This requirement is supported by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that was signed by Switzerland almost 20 years ago. Yet in...

The panel of experts for the supervision of the UN covenant on civil and political rights, the Human Rights Committee (HRC), published its recommendations in its fourth periodic review of Switzerland. The main topics were the implementation of civil...

In July 2017, the Service for Combating Racism (SCRA) published its online legal guide on issues of racial discrimination which provides a great overview of how to combat discrimination in various areas such as working life and neighbourhood issues. It is...

On 28 June 2017, the Federal Council presented the Swiss state report on the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council. The Federal Council issued a media release stating “the report gives an overview of the...

Since Art. 20 of the Asylum Act (AsylA) was cancelled in September 2012, it is no longer possible to apply for asylum at Swiss embassies abroad. Only requests for humanitarian visas will be processed according to the Ordinance on Entry and the Granting of...