3.4. Leveraging Swiss soft power for a more peaceful and stable world The commitment to sustainable development, peace and security and a rules-based international order will remain a priority for Swiss foreign policy. The need for international action is great, and Switzerland has much to offer. Guided by its comprehensive understanding of security, it makes high-quality contributions geared towards the long term and pursues a complementary foreign and security policy. By working towards a more peaceful and stable world, Switzerland is investing in its own prosperity, security and independence. This commitment gives its foreign policy greater impact and resonance. Switzerland’s engagement builds networks and goodwill for Swiss interests in other areas. Switzerland can create and shape more here than in other foreign policy fields, and is seen as a credible and reliable partner in international cooperation. However, domestic political expectations mean that Switzerland needs to act in a more focused and efficient way in the future. For this reason, its efforts to promote a more peaceful and stable world must have stronger backing within society and dovetail more with its domestic policy concerns. In addition, individual instruments must be adapted in accordance with the global changes underway. The vision Swiss foreign policy in 2028 will leverage its core strengths to build a more peaceful and stable world. Development cooperation will be focused, with a broad domestic support base, and will attach strategic importance to reducing migratory pressure. Switzerland will help to foster economic development in close cooperation with the private sector and other partners. It will create jobs and improve prospects in target countries, relay Swiss know-how on governance, education and environmental issues, and find innovative solutions to reduce poverty. Swiss expertise in peacebuilding will be much sought after in 2028. Peacebuilding will be backed by a clear strategy, broad-based political support and attractive packages 27 2028 Foreign Policy Vision of good offices. Switzerland will be able to respond quickly and flexibly to requests for its good offices. Important peace negotiations will take place in Switzerland or with Switzerland as an intermediary. Peacebuilding efforts and development cooperation will be closely coordinated. In 2028, Switzerland will adopt effective initiatives promoting results-oriented multilateralism in order to bolster the rules-based international order. It will work, both offline and online, to foster respect for international law and human rights. Switzerland will set international benchmarks by involving companies in the promotion of human rights and the development of global standards. International Geneva will be a leading and innovative centre of governance, a place that shapes the digital transformation. The following building blocks will help to create a sustainable policy combining development cooperation, peacebuilding and security, as well as commitment to a rules-based international order: 3.4.1. The profile of development cooperation sharpened and anchored domestically In many ways, development cooperation is a major component of Swiss foreign policy, accounting for over half of the FDFA’s budget. Thanks to a strong international presence, it is an important element in Switzerland’s external relations, and projects the country’s values and image around the world. Properly deployed, it can achieve greater strategic impact than many other instruments. For a globalised economy such as Switzerland’s, sustainable development is a necessity. Precisely because of its relative weight, development cooperation, more than other instruments, needs political backing within Switzerland. Measures will take time to implement, but they will make Swiss development cooperation more agile in its implementation of the 2030 Agenda.