Monitoring and reporting
The Service for Combating Racism (SCRA) systematically observes and analyses the social cohesion situation in Switzerland. It produces regular reports on racial discrimination and efforts to overcome it.
The SCRA’s Report on discrimination in Switzerland (PDF, 2 MB, 26.11.2019) is published every two years and:
- provides an overview of the available data
- analyses long-term trends in racist attitudes
- documents the measures taken in all spheres of life
Antisemitism
A 2021 legal analysis addresses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. The report examines the legal implications of the definition on the domestic and foreign policy. The expert opinion was commissioned by the working group that prepared the Federal Council's report in fulfillment of Council of States member Paul Rechsteiner's postulate 19.3942 «Antisemitism definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)».
A second analysis commissioned by the working group evaluates the policy against antisemitism at federal, cantonal and municipal level and recommends further measures for a consistent effort against racism and antisemitism:
Evaluation of policy against antisemitism (Interface) (in German (PDF, 541 kB, 03.06.2021) / French (PDF, 492 kB, 03.06.2021) / Italian (PDF, 494 kB, 03.06.2021))
The two reports form the basis for the report answering to the postulate regarding the working definition of antisemitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) (PDF, 582 kB, 09.08.2021) adopted by the Federal Council in June 2021.
The Service for Combating Racism SCRA last updated its report on federal measures against antisemitism in 2017: Report on measures against antisemitism (PDF, 447 kB, 14.12.2018)
Anti-black racism
The SCRA commissioned a group of researchers led by the Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies (SFM) to investigate the individual, institutional and structural dimensions of anti-black racism in Switzerland. Based on the experiences and knowledge of those affected and experts in the field, the exploratory qualitative study identifies the key issues at present and delivers an assessment of the need for further action and research.
- Study on anti-black racism, SFM 2017 (in French/German)
- Anti-Black racism. Legal research on the phenomenon, challenges and need for action, ZHAW 2017 (in French/German/Italian)
- In-depth module «Black people in Switzerland», FSO 2018
- Symposium on anti-black racism (PDF, 1011 kB, 05.09.2019): report, SFM 2018)
Collection of racism-related group data in national statistics: review of Switzerland's practice, based on international and national legal and statistical requirements
The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and in-depth agreements such as the International Convention on All Forms of Racial Discrimination, as well as European constitutions and laws, all call for the equal treatment of citizens, regardless of sex, age, disability, descent, origin, ethnicity, race or skin colour. But how can we identify equal treatment and discrimination on these grounds? What role does data collection for official statistics and research play? What are the international standards and what is the practice in European countries and in Switzerland? What conclusions and recommendations can be derived from this?
These questions are at the heart of this report. The report focuses on the characteristics of origin, ethnicity and race. These aspects have become much more important as a result of the increased intermixing of European societies, caused by mobility, migration and cultural change.
Last modification 09.08.2021
