Council of the Swiss Abroad

The Swiss Abroad (ASR) acts by its own account as a "Parliament of the Fifth Switzerland", of the concerns of the Swiss abroad takes -Gemeinschaften and this represents the Swiss public and the authorities. The ASR meets twice a year - once in spring in Bern and once in August as part of the Congress of the Swiss Abroad - at different locations in Switzerland for a full-day session. The perspective and position of the Swiss Abroad on current issues are developed in discussions and important issues of policy on the Swiss Abroad are discussed.

composition

The council is composed of delegates from the Swiss communities abroad on the one hand and representatives of the institutions active in the service of Fifth Switzerland and representatives of Swiss public life on the other. It consists of at least three fifths of foreign members and at least one quarter of domestic members. The foreign members represent the Swiss communities around the world according to their numerical strength. They are elected every four years by the Swiss associations recognized by the Organization of the Swiss Abroad or their umbrella organizations. The domestic members are elected by the council on the proposal of the executive committee. These are personalities from politics, business and culture who have the necessary skills and channels to deal with the concerns of their fellow citizens abroad and to represent them effectively.

The business is prepared by the Executive Board and the Secretariat for the Swiss Abroad and submitted to the Council for debate. The board also monitors the implementation of the council's resolutions and ensures the continuity of work between the council meetings. It usually holds three to four full-day meetings per year.

Task and purpose

The organization promotes the dialogue between the Swiss at home and abroad and their integration into Swiss public life. It supports decision-making in the political process and, through its work, maintains equal opportunities for the Swiss abroad compared to the Swiss at home, for example with regard to good training, securing the AHV / IV or various civil rights such as voting and electing despite living abroad. The OSR thus makes a very important contribution to maintaining Swiss identity, especially for Swiss citizens who live abroad.

effect

Some important achievements in favor of the Fifth Switzerland have been achieved with substantial assistance from the ASR. These are among others:

Anchoring the status of the Swiss Abroad in the Federal Constitution (Article 40)
Preservation of the voluntary AHV / IV when emigrating
Securing the livelihood of individual Swiss abroad through the solidarity fund
Civil rights revisions in favor of the Fifth Switzerland
Regular information for the Swiss abroad through the "Swiss Review" magazine
Promotion of the training of young Swiss abroad
Introduction of voting rights by post
Significant increase in the presence of the Swiss abroad in the Swiss public

relevance

The issue of the Swiss abroad is becoming more and more important in the course of the increasing, also international mobility of the Swiss (e.g. due to the existing free movement of persons agreements with the EU and the increasing internationalization of the world). Living and working abroad is increasingly becoming a great opportunity for Swiss citizens. Nevertheless, it is important that certain rights and obligations remain in place for the Swiss abroad in their home country, for example a functioning pension scheme when they return to Switzerland or the same opportunities for education in Switzerland as the Swiss at home.

Volunteering

The ASR lives above all from the commitment of the members who travel to the meetings in Switzerland twice a year at their own expense for the cause of the Fifth Switzerland. The members are compensated for their engagement in the council with a common lunch and have the possibility to cover the travel expenses a small daily allowance of max. 160.- CHF per year and per member. However, not all of the Council members take advantage of this offer because the focus is not on compensation but on improving the situation of the Swiss abroad. In order to integrate the Swiss abroad and to represent their concerns in the Swiss public, they are prepared to undertake the effort to travel to Switzerland twice a year at their own expense and thus give the OSR credibility and bring about improvements for the Swiss abroad .

Web links

Individual evidence