Switzerland plans 269-million franc rescue package to combat Trump cuts

The Swiss government has announced plans to give a quarter of a billion francs to international institutions in Geneva. Following the scrapping of United States funding, lawmakers fear the city’s global organisations will be forced to close or move abroad.

Federal Council announces rescue fund for International Geneva

In a statement, the Federal Council announced a financial package worth 269 million francs, which will be given to international institutions based in Geneva. These subsidies will be paid out gradually between 2025 and 2029, and also include a moratorium on certain real estate loans taken out by global organisations.

The government wrote that it wanted to “strengthen Geneva's role – and thus Switzerland's – as a centre of multilateralism”. “Geneva's humanitarian tradition, particularly the protection of international law, should be further promoted,” they added.

US cuts put international organisations on financial knife-edge

Though the Federal Council only spoke of “payment suspensions by individual member states”, the measures are seen as a response to cuts to foreign aid spending made by the United States government. Under President Donald Trump, the US has heavily reduced and in most cases outright scrapped its funding for international organisations, charities and NGOs.

This has had a profound impact on Geneva - home of several large United Nations agencies such as the World Health Organisation, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Movement and CERN, among around 750 other organisations and NGOs. 26 percent of all United Nations funding comes from the United States, and in some cases, like the Global Fund and UNAIDS, American aid makes up 40 percent of the budget.

International organisations provide billions for Swiss economy

According to reporting from March 2025, up to 30.000 workers in Geneva could lose their jobs because of the US cuts. The Federal Council itself conceded that many organisations in the city are facing “serious liquidity shortages” and that they are “being forced to drastically cut their budgets, reduce staff, or even consider relocating abroad”. In the past, the Qatari capital Doha has put forward plans to replace Geneva as host of UN organisations.

With the funding, the government hopes to preserve the “unique ecosystem” around Geneva, which “not only fosters the creation of international norms, but also the development of innovative solutions to global challenges – from humanitarian issues and human rights to global health, trade and the environment, disarmament, and science.” As to whether the bailout is worth it, official estimates suggest that international organisations provide a 4 billion franc boost to the Swiss economy every year.