Search

Sierra Leone's tourism assets include its beaches, tropical environment and scenery, the diversity of its wildlife, and its cultural heritage. (...)

The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs (MoTCA) is responsible for policy formulation for tourism and culture. Its objectives are to promote sustainable tourism as a means of economic growth and socio-cultural integration, and to promote the country as a friendly tourist destination. (...)

Switzerland attaches high importance to reduction of discrepancies in the level of development between nations, promotion of the further integration of developing countries into the global economy, and the need to make economic development more sustainable. The Government also takes seriously the concerns among the public about negative consequences of globalisation and structural changes in the economy. In this context, Switzerland strongly supports the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and measures that contribute to socially and environmentally viable economic growth.

Until 2015, the Government's Growth Agenda was based on seven pillars:
(...)
• Promoting sustainability and an efficient use of natural resources.

(...) The internalisation of the environmental costs of energy consumption and a more efficient use of traffic infrastructure are further priorities of the 2016-2019 Growth Agenda.

Switzerland's trade policy aims to promote and secure open markets while contributing to sustainable development. It is anchored in the multilateral trading system of the WTO and complemented by a broad range of preferential arrangements with the EU and other partner countries.

As set out in the latest Growth Agenda adopted by the Government in June 2016, Switzerland will continue to focus on strengthening the productivity and competiveness of its economy, with further liberalisation of international trade and investment as an important component. At the same time, Switzerland is seeking to mitigate negative effects of economic growth, notably by placing a greater emphasis on sustainability and coherence between global policies.

Where agreement among all WTO members is not achievable, plurilateral initiatives can be a valuable alternative, particularly if benefits are multilateralized. In this respect, Switzerland hopes that the negotiations on an Environmental Goods Agreement will be concluded in the near future, thereby contributing to achievement of environmental goals set out at multilateral level.

Switzerland also supports UNCTAD's activities in, inter alia, the areas of trade and investment. Analysis, consensus-building and technical assistance by UNCTAD play an important role in helping developing countries better integrate into the global economy, and measure progress towards the UN Agenda 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Consolidation and further development of these close relations in fields of common interest has continued to be a priority of the Government. Since Croatia's accession to the EU in 2013, the bilateral framework between Switzerland and the EU has been extended to that member state. Negotiations on institutional aspects of the bilateral relationship have been conducted since mid-2014. Further topics under negotiation include the electricity market, food safety and emissions trading. With respect to the movement of persons, and as referred to above, new constitutional provisions on immigration, adopted in February 2014 in a popular vote, were implemented by Parliament in December 2016 in a manner that does not affect the existing agreements with the EU.