2026 OSCE Ministerial Council in Lugano: Swiss federal funding for security costs
Bern, 12.08.2026 — The annual OSCE Ministerial Council will take place in Lugano on 3 and 4 December 2026. A few weeks before Switzerland’s term as OSCE Chair comes to an end, the meeting will bring together numerous foreign ministers from around the world. To ensure security of the event and its participants, extensive measures will be put in place. At its meeting on 12 August 2026, the Federal Council decided to classify the conference as an extraordinary event. Federal funding will therefore be provided to cover most of the security costs incurred by the Canton of Ticino authorities.
Switzerland is chairing the OSCE in 2026. With 57 participating states in Europe, North America and Central Asia, the OSCE is the world's largest regional security organisation. By assuming the chair for 2026, Switzerland is sending a message of dialogue and cooperation, and demonstrating its commitment to peace, security and stability in Europe and around the world. Later this year, towards the end of Switzerland's current term, the 33rd OSCE Ministerial Council will meet in Lugano.
The federal government is obliged to ensure the security of persons who enjoy special protection under international law and Swiss law. At its meeting on 12 August 2026, the Federal Council decided to classify the conference as an extraordinary event in accordance with the Federal Act on Measures to Safeguard Internal Security. Based on this classification, the Federal Council has decided that the federal government will cover 80% of the security costs incurred by the Canton of Ticino authorities in fulfilling the Swiss Confederation's protection mandate. This decision has been taken following a request from the Canton of Ticino.
The Ministerial Council is the OSCE's most important decision-making and governing body. The meeting in Lugano will be the political highlight of Switzerland's 2026 OSCE Chairpersonship, bringing to a close the preceding thematic conferences – combating antisemitism (SG), anticipating technologies (GE), the origins and future of the OSCE (BE), de-escalation in cyberspace (ZG) – and the entire year of the chairpersonship.
The meeting will formalise and strengthen multilateral cooperation, bringing together high-level delegations from the 57 OSCE participating states and the 11 OSCE ‘partners for cooperation’ from Asia and the Mediterranean, including numerous foreign ministers and international organisations (UN, NATO, EU, Council of Europe).
Request for intercantonal police operation
The Ticino cantonal police force is taking the necessary security measures with the support of police forces from other cantons. To this end, the Ticino force has submitted a request for an intercantonal police operation.
The situation is being assessed on an ongoing basis so the security arrangements can be adapted as necessary in close cooperation with the Federal Office of Police, the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security and the Federal Intelligence Service.