Multilateral relations

The main task of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to ensure the stability of the international financial and monetary system. Switzerland has an important voice in the IMF and is a reliable partner in initiatives to maintain global financial stability. As a constituency leader, it is permanently represented in the IMF Ministerial Committee and Executive Board, where it plays an active role. The IMF's almost universal membership with 190 countries gives it a high degree of legitimacy as a multilateral player.

Financial markets are globally interconnected and regulatory issues are becoming increasingly complex. Consequently, international cooperation is of crucial importance for financial market stability. The Financial Stability Board (FSB), which is hosted by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel, plays a key role in this regard.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is conceived as a leading international body for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. It has issued 40 recommendations and regularly checks whether member states have implemented them into their national law.

The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes (Global Forum) ensures that the international standards regarding transparency and the exchange of information for tax purposes are complied with and are implemented in a uniform manner internationally. Switzerland ist a member of the Global Forum.

The Inclusive Framework on BEPS (Inclusive Framework) is the supreme technical and political authority for handling the BEPS project recommendations and the continuation of related work. It now includes more than 140 states and territories.

As an informal forum for the twenty most important industrialised and emerging countries, the G20 has given crucial boosts to coordinated reforms at a global level since its first summit of heads of state and heads of government. Key questions on the global financial and economic system are addressed in the Finance Track.

Working partys and Forum

With its 193 member states, the United Nations Organization (UN) is of global importance on many issues. Since joining the UN in September 2002, Switzerland has been an active and innovative member. Membership offers Switzerland the opportunity to participate in the search for solutions to global problems and to accept its share of responsibility for exerting a positive influence on world affairs.

Switzerland supports the Platform within the framework of its work at the OECD and makes direct financial contributions.

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, international efforts to develop a uniform global identification system for financial market participants, i.e. a legal entity identifier (LEI), were stepped up. As a unique global identification number, the LEI allows not just authorities but also financial market participants to reliably identify contracting parties in financial market transactions. The LEI thus helps to identify risks in the financial sector at an earlier stage and promote financial stability.