A/HRC/53/12 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its forty-second session from 23 January to 3 February 2023. The review of Switzerland was held at the 9th meeting, on 27 January 2023. The delegation of Switzerland was headed by the State Secretary, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Livia Leu. At its 15th meeting, held on 1 February 2023, the Working Group adopted the report on Switzerland. 2. On 11 January 2023, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Switzerland: Belgium, Kyrgyzstan and Malawi. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of Switzerland: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a);1 (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b); 2 (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c). 3 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Panama, Portugal, on behalf of Group of Friends on national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to Switzerland through the troika. These questions are available on the website of the universal periodic review. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The Swiss delegation stated that the preparatory work for the drafting of the report had been carried out in close consultation with the cantons and non-governmental organizations. 6. With regard to the commitments made during the third cycle of the universal periodic review, Switzerland had ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), which had entered into force for the country in 2018. Switzerland had also ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), which had also entered into force in 2018. The parliamentary discussions concerning the ratification of the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) were ongoing. 7. Switzerland recognized the need to set up a national human rights institution. The legal foundation for the establishment of this institution had been approved by the Federal Council on 13 December 2019 and had been adopted by the parliament, with some amendments, on 1 October 2021. Since April 2022, a working group has been laying the groundwork for the establishment of the institution, which was to be set up in 2023. 8. Switzerland was firmly committed to promoting gender equality, as demonstrated by its national strategy – the Equality Strategy 2030 – which had been adopted in 2021 and is applicable to both cantons and municipalities. Under the Constitution, men and women were entitled to equal pay for work of equal value. The figures showed that there was still progress to be made in that regard. An amendment had therefore been made to the Gender Equality Act that had entered into force in 2020. Furthermore, Switzerland had recently strengthened 1 2 3 2 A/HRC/WG.6/42/CHE/1. A/HRC/WG.6/42/CHE/2. A/HRC/WG.6/42/CHE/3. GE.23-03429