Annex Interests and values: The core mission of Switzerland’s foreign policy is to promote the country’s interests and values, which are two inextricably linked sides of the same coin and are based on the Federal Constitution. International cooperation: International cooperation comprises the activities of humanitarian aid, development cooperation and peacebuilding (see ‘Peacebuilding’) and human security. International Geneva: Geneva is the heart of the multilateral system and the location of the UN’s European headquarters. Thirty-eight international organisations, programmes and funds, as well as 179 states and 750 NGOs are represented there. International Geneva provides 45,000 jobs and contributes more than 11% to the GDP of the canton (1% of Swiss GDP). Around 3,300 international conferences are held in Geneva every year, the main themes of which are: 1) peace, security, disarmament; 2) humanitarian aid and international humanitarian law, human rights, migration; 3) labour, economy, trade, science, telecommunications; 4) health; 5) the environment and sustainable development. International humanitarian law: International humanitarian law governs the conduct of hostilities and protects the victims of armed conflicts. It applies in all international and non-international armed conflicts, regardless of the legitimacy or cause of the use of force. International law: International law is the result of collaboration between states and regulates how they coexist. It underpins peace and security and aims to ensure the protection and well-being of persons. International law comprises different areas, such as the prohibition of the use of force, protection of individuals during wars and conflicts (see international humanitarian law), prevention and prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, transnational organised crime and terrorism. It also regulates other areas, such as the environment, trade, development, telecommunications and transport. On account of the sovereignty of states, international law only applies for each state insofar as it has agreed to adopt certain international obligations. This excludes mandatory international law, which comprises basic standards that no state may override, such as the prohibition of genocide. Irregular migration: Movement of persons that takes place outside the laws, regulations, or international agreements governing the entry into or exit from the state of origin, transit or destination. Multilateralism: Multilateralism is when issues of public interest are discussed and negotiated between more than two states (cf. ‘Bilateralism’). International organisations and bodies such as the UN, the OSCE and the Council of Europe are platforms for such discussions. Multilateralism allows Switzerland to achieve leverage through alliances and thus increase its influence. Neutrality: Switzerland’s rights and obligations as a neutral state are derived from international law (see ‘International law’). The core of these obligations involves Switzerland not being allowed to offer military support in the event of an inter-state conflict. At national level, neutrality is mentioned in the Federal Constitution as an instrument to safeguard Switzerland’s independence. The neutrality policy ensures the effectiveness and credibility of Switzerland’s neutrality. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs): Any private, non-profit organisation that operates at local, national or international level to pursue common goals and ideals with no significant state-controlled involvement or representation. NGOs are part of civil society (see ‘Civil society’). Official development assistance (ODA): The OECD defines ODA as “all flows to developing countries and territories on the OECD list and to multilateral development organisations that: (1) are provided by official agencies; (2) are administered with the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries as their main objective; and (3) are concessional in character”. 42 Annex Peacebuilding: Civilian peacebuilding includes contributions to the prevention, mitigation and resolution of violent conflicts, in particular through confidence-building, mediation and the promotion of international humanitarian law and human rights (see ‘Facilitation and mediation’, ‘International humanitarian law’ and ‘Human rights’). Post-conflict peacebuilding activities comprise a range of activities, including dealing with the past, contributions to promoting democratic processes and elections, and strengthening human rights. Peacebuilding creates and reinforces the framework conditions necessary for sustainable development. It comprises both civilian and military measures. Principles: Switzerland’s foreign policy is guided in particular by the constitutional principles of freedom, the rule of law, equality of opportunity, and sustainability. Regarding implementation, the key principles are universality, multilateralism and neutrality. Protecting power: A protecting power comes into effect when a state breaks off diplomatic and/or consular relations with another state. If all the parties involved agree, the protecting power takes on the functions agreed with the sending state, grants protection to citizens of that state and/or represents its interests in the host state. Protecting power mandates allow states to maintain low-level relations. At the end of 2019, Switzerland had seven protecting power mandates: it represents Iran in Egypt, the United States in Iran, Georgia in Russia, Russia in Georgia, Iran in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia in Iran and Iran in Canada. Refugees: A refugee is someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol regulate the status of refugees. The principle of non-refoulement is particularly important. It forbids a country receiving refugees to expel or return (‘refouler’) them to a territory where their life or freedom would be threatened. Rule of law: The rule of law refers to the supremacy of law over the rule of might. At national level, the fundamental objective of the rule of law is to safeguard the primacy of the law at all levels of government and to protect the associated freedom of citizens. In terms of foreign policy, the rule of law is crucial to international peace and security, economic and social progress, development and the protection of rights and human freedoms. It is primarily achieved by strengthening international law, which guarantees political stability and the reliability of international relations (see ‘International law’). Science diplomacy: This terms refers to, for example, the use of scientific collaboration between states to address common problems and to develop international partnerships. At the interface between science, technology and foreign policy, articulating issues and objectives from a scientific perspective can support confidence-building and stimulate both bilateral and multilateral discussions. Soft law: The term soft law is used to denote a multitude of different international instruments. What they all have in common is that they are not legally binding (soft) but that they prescribe a certain conduct (law). Unlike international law, soft law in no way constitutes international legal obligations, which is why states cannot be made legally accountable if it is breached (see ‘International law’). Sustainability: Switzerland promotes sustainable development on the basis of the Federal Constitution. It uses the definition formulated by the Brundtland Commission in 1987 as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. The principle was substantiated in the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda in 2015 (see ‘2030 Agenda’). Sustainable finance: Sustainable finance refers to any form of financial service integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into business or investment decisions.