The Federal Council
Bern, 04.09.2024 – Bern, 04.09.2024 – The Federal Council has appointed Jacques Gerber as the Delegate of the Federal Council for Ukraine at its meeting on September 4, 2024. The former State Councillor of the Canton of Jura will take over the preparation and management of the Federal Council’s joint “Country Program Ukraine.” The 51-year-old Jacques Gerber will assume his new office on January 1, 2025.
Jacques Gerber is currently the State Councillor of the Canton of Jura. The PhD agronomist began his career at the Institute for Economic and Regional Research at the University of Neuchâtel and at the Institute for Agricultural Economics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich). In 2003, he moved to the Federal Office for Agriculture in Bern, where he served as the OECD responsible officer, personal assistant to the Deputy Director, and finally as Deputy Director of the Markets and International Department. In 2008, Jacques Gerber was appointed head of the Environmental Office of the Canton of Jura. In 2015, he was elected to the government of the Canton of Jura, where he took over the Department of Economic Affairs and Health. Jacques Gerber also serves as Vice President of the Conference of Cantonal Governments.
Consolidation of Ukrainian Aid within the Federal Administration
On April 10, the Federal Council instructed the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA), in collaboration with the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (WBF), to establish a project organization for managing the “Country Program Ukraine.” The “Country Program Ukraine” aims to facilitate a unified implementation of aid to Ukraine. The project organization will be led by the Federal Council’s delegate for Ukraine, Jacques Gerber, and will leverage existing processes and expertise from three administrative units:
– the Directorate for Development and Cooperation (DEZA) of the EDA,
– the Department of Peace and Human Rights (AFM) in the Secretariat of the EDA, and
– the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the WBF.
The offices of SECO, DEZA, and AFM responsible for Ukraine will be functionally subordinate to the delegate for all activities related to the preparation and implementation of the “Country Program Ukraine.” This enables clear leadership and implementation across the administrative units. In his new role, Jacques Gerber will report to the head of the EDA and the head of the WBF. Organizationally, the position is attached to the EDA’s General Secretariat. To facilitate his new role, Jacques Gerber will be awarded the title of Ambassador.
The Federal Council plans to support Ukraine and the region with 5 billion Swiss francs over the next twelve years (until 2036), with 1.5 billion Swiss francs allocated for the period from 2025 to 2028. On June 26, 2024, the Federal Council reaffirmed that the Swiss private sector should play a central role in the reconstruction of Ukraine. With an impulse program of 500 million Swiss francs over four years, the Federal Council aims to create incentives for Swiss companies to make private investments in the reconstruction of Ukraine. Swissness should be made visible in this context. Additionally, when Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland are trained as skilled workers, they can later assist Ukraine in its reconstruction with their expertise. The financial resources for this come from the 1.5 billion Swiss francs allocated for Ukraine in the 2025-2028 international cooperation strategy: one billion for classical IZA activities and 500 million for the impulse program.
Long-term Support for Ukraine
Switzerland has been supporting Ukraine in its reform efforts since the 1990s. Since the onset of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, the federal government has significantly increased its support on both diplomatic and humanitarian levels. It is particularly committed to the economic development and longer-term reconstruction of the country. Through its support, the federal government contributes to stability in Europe and the reduction of migration flows. The support indirectly strengthens the security, prosperity, and independence of Switzerland. Since February 2022, the federal government has spent approximately 3.7 billion Swiss francs for the war-affected Ukrainian population – both in Ukraine and in Switzerland.
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