# Liechtenstein - United States Department of State

- Liechtenstein HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Liechtenstein				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Liechtenstein																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																																																		f. Transnational Repression																																																																											g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																											h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																									Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption in Government																															Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																															Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in the Principality of Liechtenstein during the year.There were no credible reports of significant human rights abuses.The government had mechanisms in place to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings, during the year.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										The constitution and law prohibited such practices, and there were no credible reports government officials employed them.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						There were no significant reports regarding prison or detention center conditions that raised human rights concerns.Pursuant to bilateral treaties with Austria and Switzerland, the country’s authorities accommodated its long-term prisoners in Austria and confined prisoners undergoing release procedures in detention centers in Switzerland and Austria.Abusive Physical Conditions:  Individuals undergoing pretrial detention or awaiting deportation and extradition were held in the country’s only prison, which had a 20-bed capacity.  According to the Liechtenstein Human Rights Association (LHRA), juveniles facing long-term imprisonment in Austrian facilities experienced limited contact with family who were far away.Administration:  There were no significant reports regarding prison or detention center conditions that raised human rights concerns.Independent Monitoring:  The government permitted monitoring by independent nongovernmental observers, including local human rights groups, media, and the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture.  The committee last visited the country in 2016.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution and law prohibited arbitrary arrest and detention and provided for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of their arrest or detention in court.  The government generally observed these requirements.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						Persons were not detained without judicial authorization.  According to the law, every detainee was required to be informed of the reasons for the detention at the time of detention or immediately thereafter.  Within 48 hours of arrest, police were required to bring suspects before an examining magistrate, who had to either file formal charges or order the suspect’s release.  Authorities respected this right.  The law permitted the release of suspects on personal recognizance or bail unless the examining magistrate had reason to believe the suspect represented a danger to society or would not appear for trial.  Alternatives to bail included supervision by a probation officer and restrictions on movement.  The law granted suspects the right to a lawyer of their own choosing during pretrial detention, and the government provided lawyers at its own expense to indigent persons.  During the investigative detention, authorities could monitor visits to prevent tampering with evidence.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution and law provided for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence and impartiality.																Trial Procedures						The constitution and law provided for the right to a fair and public trial, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.																										f. Transnational Repression										Not applicable.																																				g. Property Seizure and Restitution										Not applicable.																																				h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution and law prohibited such actions, and there were no reports the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution and law provided for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right.  An independent media, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for media members.The law prohibited public insults, including via electronic means, directed against an individual’s race, language, ethnicity, religion, world view, gender, disability, age, and sexual orientation, with a possible prison sentence of up to two years.Libel/Slander Laws:  The law prohibited the disparagement of religious teachings.  Anyone who publicly disparaged a person or a thing that was the object of worship of a church or religious society established within the country or a religious doctrine, custom, or institution of such a church or a legally permissible institution in a manner that “is likely to give rise to justifiable annoyance” was liable to imprisonment not exceeding six months or a heavy fine.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no credible reports the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution and law provided for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The law provided for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees or asylum seekers, as well as other persons of concern.Access to Asylum:  The law provided for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government had established a system for providing protection to refugees.  The law allowed asylum seekers under deportation orders to be granted an appeal hearing if requested within five days after the decision.  The law permitted persons from safe countries of origin who were ruled to be ineligible for asylum to be processed for denial of asylum within a maximum of seven days.  A total of 77 applications for asylum and protection were recorded in 2022.The LHRA expressed concern that the law did not contain hardship provisions for family reunification, especially for children.  There were no reports of family separations among asylum seekers or refugees.Temporary Protection:  In March 2022, the government introduced protection status “S” for refugees fleeing Ukraine due to Russia’s full-scale invasion; 507 refugees from Ukraine applied for protection, and 385 of them were granted protection status “S.”  The government provided subsidiary and humanitarian protection to individuals who may not qualify as refugees, and 12 persons remained in the country during 2022 under this protection.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																						The constitution and law provided citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage.																										Elections and Political Participation										Abuses or Irregularities in Recent Elections:  The country held its most recent parliamentary elections in 2021.  National elections were widely reported to be fair and free of abuses and irregularities.Participation of Women and Members of Marginalized or Vulnerable Groups:  As a hereditary monarchy, the country’s line of succession was restricted to male descendants of the country’s princely family.  In 2020, the Women’s Network, an umbrella organization of women’s nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the country, criticized the male line of succession as undermining the constitution’s principles.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption in Government												    																						The law provided criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively.  There were no reports of government corruption.																											Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																						A variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction to monitor or investigate human rights conditions or cases and publish their findings.  On May 9, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Hasler presented a national report to the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on the nation’s fourth Universal Periodic Review.  The government reported it engaged with NGOs as part of the process.Government officials were cooperative and responsive to the views of human rights groups and supported them financially.																											Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence:  Rape of a person, regardless of gender, including spousal rape, was a criminal offense.  Penalties for rape and sexual violence varied between six months’ and 15 years’ imprisonment, depending on the degree of violence and humiliation of the survivor, and between 10 years and lifetime in prison if the victim was killed.  The penalties for rape of a person, regardless of gender, were the same.  The government effectively prosecuted individuals accused of such crimes.The law prohibited all forms of domestic violence and provided for restraining orders against violent family members and non-familiar living partners.  Police could prohibit an abuser from returning to the survivor’s home where the violence was committed.  Penalties for domestic violence ranged from fines to lifetime imprisonment if the victim was killed.  According to the law, those who immigrated to the country and who had been married to a citizen for less than five years were required to prove their survivor status or sufficient integration into the country’s society to avoid losing their marriage-based residence permits, in the event of a divorce.  The government enforced the law effectively.Discrimination:  The law provided the same legal status and rights for women as for men, including under family, religious, personal status, and nationality laws as well as laws related to labor, property, inheritance, employment, access to credit, and owning or managing businesses or property.  The government’s enforcement of labor contract, equal opportunity, and discrimination law was not entirely effective.  In October 2021 the Department for Equal Opportunity published a new guideline on gender-sensitive language and received an increase in human resources.  Violations of the labor law could result in the award of compensation to a prospective or dismissed employee equal to at least three months’ salary in the case of gender discrimination.  According to the Office of Statistics, women earned a median income 15 percent less than that of men.  The wage gap between women and men rose with increasing age.  NGOs also reported Muslim women with headscarves faced difficulty with being hired for jobs.Reproductive Rights:  There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.The government provided access to sexual and reproductive health services for survivors of sexual violence.  Safe, effective, and affordable methods of family planning or contraception were available, and information was easily accessible.  Emergency contraception and postexposure prophylaxis was available as part of clinical management of rape.  Abortion was only legal if the life of the mother was in danger, if the child was a result of rape, or if the mother was underage.  Parental authorization or notification was required in cases where the mother was underage.  Health care for the management of complications arising from abortion was available in all cases.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										The law prohibited acts of discrimination based on racist, xenophobic, or other reasons, with violators subject to up to two years of imprisonment.  The law explicitly covered acts of spreading hatred or calls for violence against members of racial, ethnic, or religious minority groups.  The government generally enforced the law effectively.The LHRA reported that wearing a headscarf still led to discrimination in the labor market, which was not punishable under the law against discrimination.  While acts of discrimination in the public sphere were covered by the criminal code, the private sphere, which included employment, housing, and education, had no protection against discrimination.The government did not condone or carry out violence or discrimination against members of racial, ethnic, or religious minority groups.																																				Children										Child Abuse:  The law protected children against sexual exploitation and sexual and child abuse, including inside the family, and this was enforced effectively by the government.  The law stipulated a reporting obligation for the Office of Social Services if it learned of or suspected sexual abuse of children and adolescents.  There was an Ombudsman Office for Children and Young People.  The Victims Assistance Office, which specialized in assistance and support for individuals who had been affected directly in their physical, psychological, or sexual integrity, also aided children.  An interdisciplinary Expert Group against the Sexual Abuse of Children and Young People facilitated the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage:  The legal minimum age of marriage for both girls and boys was 18, and this was effectively enforced by the government.Sexual Exploitation of Children:  The law prohibited the commercial sexual exploitation of children, sale, and grooming, including child sex trafficking.  Penalties for the sexual exploitation of children ranged from one to 10 years’ imprisonment.  Possession or distribution of child pornography was a criminal offense, with penalties including up to three years in prison.  Authorities effectively enforced these prohibitions.  The law set the minimum age for consensual sex at 14.Under an agreement with the government, the Institute for Social Services’ section for child protection in Dornbirn, Austria, provided counseling for survivors of sexual abuse in the country.																																				Antisemitism										The Jewish community consisted of fewer than 25 individuals.  This year there was one conviction for subversive associations and the offense of discrimination, including the distribution of antisemitic ideology online.For further information on incidents in the country of antisemitism, whether or not those incidents were motivated by religion, and for reporting on the ability of Jews to exercise freedom of religion or belief, please see the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  http://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				Trafficking in Persons										There were no confirmed reports during the year that traffickers exploited domestic or foreign victims in the country or that traffickers exploited victims from abroad.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization:  No laws criminalized consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, cross-dressing, or other sexual or gender characteristic-related behaviors.  Seemingly neutral laws, such as laws covering debauchery, immorality, loitering, or other activities were not disproportionally applied to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons.Violence and Harassment:  There were no reports of violence or harassment against LGBTQI+ individuals.Discrimination:  The law prohibited discrimination by state and nonstate actors based on gender and sexual orientation or sex characteristics.  The law recognized LGBTQI+ individuals, couples, and their families, particularly with respect to essential goods and services such as housing, employment, and access to government services such as health care.  It also prohibited debasement, slander, and incitement to hate based on an individual’s gender and sexual orientation and prohibited the refusal of public or governmental services based on an individual’s gender and sexual orientation.  The government generally enforced the law.  LHRA reported that this law could not be invoked in case of access to work, education, and housing as they legally belonged to the private sphere, which was not protected by the law against discrimination.  The constitution granted equality before the law to all citizens, but there was no legal precedent addressing whether it would provide protection in a discrimination case.  Citizens also had the option to bring a case to the European Court of Human Rights.  While there were no reports of social or employment discrimination, LHRA noted online hate speech was a concern.In May 2022, the Austrian Health ministry eliminated additional restrictions on blood donation applied to LGBTQI+ donors, which also applied to Liechtenstein where blood donations were carried out by the Austrian Red Cross.Same-sex couples gained the right to adoption on June 1.  While same-sex partnerships were legal, same-sex marriage was not permitted.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition:  Legal gender recognition, including non-assignment or registering a third gender, was not available.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices:  There were no reports of so-called conversion therapy being practiced, but it was legally permitted.  Involuntary medical or psychological practices were punishable under criminal law.There were no reports of surgeries being performed on nonconsenting intersex adult persons.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly:  There were no laws or other restrictions on individuals speaking or media reporting on LGBTQI+ matters, on the ability of LGBTQI+ individuals to assemble in public or private or to form associations, or on the ability of LGBTQI+ organizations to legally register or convene events.																																				Persons with Disabilities										There were laws and programs requiring that persons with disabilities had access to education, employment, public buildings, information, health services, the judicial system, transport, and communications, but enforcement and implementation was not entirely effective.  Government information and communication on disability concerns was provided in accessible format.  Civil society organizations noted that persons with disabilities were well taken care of but lacked opportunities to participate in society and were not sufficiently integrated into the labor market and education systems.The law mandated that public kindergartens and schools, as well as public transportation systems built after 2006, be accessible to persons with disabilities.  Children with disabilities were able to attend public schools or a segregated school established by the country’s remedial center.  The Liechtenstein Association for Persons with Disabilities noted that there was still a shortage of barrier-free, affordable housing for families with children with disabilities.The law required public buildings constructed before 2002 to be barrier free by 2019 and public buildings constructed between 2002 and 2007 to be barrier free by 2027.  NGOs reported that the 2019 deadline was not met, and many old public buildings still lacked the necessary renovations.  One cause was that renovations on historic buildings were subject to strict building codes.  The law did not contain a penalty for noncompliance, but noncompliant building owners could be sued.The law prohibited discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental disabilities.  There were no reports of laws or government actions or inactions limiting the rights of persons with disabilities to participate in civic life.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The law provided for the rights of all workers to form and join independent unions of their choice and to bargain collectively.  The law provided for freedom of assembly but was silent on the right to strike.  The law neither prohibited antiunion discrimination nor required reinstatement of workers fired for union activity.The government adequately enforced applicable laws, and the government and employers respected freedom of association and collective bargaining in practice.  Penalties in the form of fines were commensurate with those for similar crimes, and inspection was sufficient to enforce compliance.  Penalties were regularly applied against violators.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										See the Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										The law prohibited all of the worst forms of child labor and set the minimum age for employment at 16, with exceptions for limited employment of children from age 14 to 16.  Children from age 14 to 16 could engage in certain categories of light work, but those of compulsory school age (through age 15) could work no more than nine hours per week during the school year and 35 hours per week during school vacations.  Children younger than 15 could be employed for the purposes of cultural, artistic, athletic, and advertising events.  Working hours for youths from age 15 to 18 were not to exceed 40 hours a week.  The law prohibited children younger than 17 from working overtime and prohibited children through age 18 from engaging in night work or Sunday shifts.  The law stipulated that an employer was required to consider the health of children and provide them a proper moral environment within the workplace.  The law also stipulated that employers could not overexert children and that employers were required to protect the child from “negative influences” within the workplace.The Office for Worker Safety of the Department of National Economy effectively enforced child labor laws and devoted adequate resources and oversight to child labor policies.  Legal penalties were commensurate with those for similar crimes, and inspections by trained inspectors were adequate to enforce compliance.There were no confirmed reports of the worst forms of child labor.																																				d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																														e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws:  The law did not provide for a national minimum wage, but minimum wages were set annually in a wage and protocol agreement.  The Liechtenstein Workers Association, a labor union, negotiated voluntary collective bargaining agreements with the Chamber of Commerce on a sector-by-sector basis.The law set the maximum workweek at 45 hours for professional workers, employees of industrial firms, and sales personnel and 48 hours for other workers.  Separate provisions applied to children.  Overtime could not exceed an average workweek of 48 hours over a period of four consecutive months.  Some exceptions to overtime limits were authorized, for example, in the area of medical treatment.In 2020 the Liechtenstein Institute published a study on employment relationships in the private home-care sector, where work was often performed by migrant women.  The study made no allegations of compulsory labor but noted that employment relationships in home care were subject to the Labor Protection Act, the General Civil Code, and the standard employment contract for domestic workers but not the Labor Law.  The LHRA, the women’s resource and counseling NGO Infra, and the labor union Liechtenstein Workers Association have called for parliament to bring home care under the jurisdiction of national labor law.Occupational Safety and Health:  The law set occupational safety and health (OSH) standards that were appropriate for the main industries in the country.  The labor standards also covered the thousands of workers who commuted daily from neighboring countries.  There were additional safeguards for youths, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and employees with children.  OSH experts proactively identified unsafe conditions and workers could remove themselves from situations that endangered health or safety without jeopardy to their employment.  There were no media reports of major industrial accidents that caused the death or serious injury of workers.Infra noted the working conditions of domestic workers and nurses employed in private homes were not subject to inspections or official labor contracts, as they were legally self-employed.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement:  The Office of Labor Inspection, a part of the Department of National Economy, effectively enforced minimum wage, overtime, and OSH laws.  Penalties for violations were commensurate with those for similar crimes and penalties were regularly applied against violators.  Wages exceeded the poverty level.  The agency had two labor inspectors authorized to make unannounced inspections and levy sanctions to enforce the law effectively.  Data regarding the size and enforcement of the informal sector was unavailable.																																				    							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Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																				f. Transnational Repression																																																						g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																						h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																						c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																							Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption in Government																Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Children																																																						Antisemitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																								Liechtenstein
- Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Meeting with Liechtenstein Foreign Minister Hasler HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases&#8230;Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Meeting with Liechtenstein Foreign Minister Hasler				hide		if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}																										Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Meeting with Liechtenstein Foreign Minister Hasler																																		Readout																														March 13, 2024																																							The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell met with Liechtenstein Minister for Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport Dominique Hasler today in Washington, D.C. Deputy Secretary Campbell and Foreign Minister Hasler discussed the robust U.S.-Liechtenstein bilateral relationship, reinforcing support for Ukraine, and Liechtenstein’s presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. The Deputy Secretary thanked Liechtenstein for its principled stand on human rights, investment security, and the rules-based international order.						Tags																					Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																								Deputy Secretary of State																								Liechtenstein																								Office of the Spokesperson
- Liechtenstein’s National Day Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateOn behalf of the United States of America, I send my most heartfelt congratulations as Liechtenstein marks its National Day.Our partnership is based on our shared commitment to freedom, advancing human rights, and economic prosperity. We commend your efforts in the pursuit of a safer economic arena including by combating illegal banking activities, as well as your support for Ukrainian refugees.Happy National Day, and I look forward to our continued cooperation as we work towards our mutual goals in the year ahead.
- Liechtenstein HomeReportsOffice of International Religious Freedom2022 Report on International Religious Freedom&#8230;Liechtenstein				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Liechtenstein																																					Office of International Religious Freedom																																																																																							Download Report																																																																																	 In this section										/																							Executive Summary																																													Executive Summary																															Section I. Religious Demography																																																																																		Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																																									Legal Framework																																																																											Government Practices																																																																																	Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																																																		Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																																																																								Executive Summary				The constitution stipulates everyone is free to choose his or her faith. It makes the state responsible for “protecting the religious...interests of the people” and establishes Roman Catholicism as the state religion. The constitution stipulates individuals may practice other religious faiths within the bounds of morality and public order. There are criminal penalties for public incitement to hatred toward a religious group, religious discrimination, or disparagement of any religion.The government’s proposed constitutional amendment to grant complete equality of religions and to formally separate church and state remained pending at year’s end. Parliament accepted the amendment in a first reading in December 2021, but the government took no further action on it during 2022. On January 27, Minister of Infrastructure and Justice Graziella Marok-Wachter held a hybrid event to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day; her remarks focused on how to confront contemporary antisemitism. The government did not make progress on the “Equality for Muslims” petition filed in 2021 by the Islamic Community of the Principality of Liechtenstein (IGFL), one of the country’s three Islamic associations, which called for the establishment of an Islamic cemetery and an additional Muslim prayer room in the country. According to the Liechtenstein Human Rights Association (LHRA), reluctance from potential landlords, the limited availability of suitable properties, and unaffordable rent costs prevented the IGFL from establishing a cemetery and another prayer room in the country during the year. As a result, the IGFL continued to meet in Sevelen, a Swiss town close to Liechtenstein’s capital, Vaduz.According to the Liechtenstein Institute, a scientific research center and academic institution, Muslims continued to face discrimination in society, particularly Muslim women who wore a headscarf when applying for jobs or housing. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), some religious groups in every municipality continued to open their facilities to other denominations and faiths upon request.The U.S. embassy in Bern, Switzerland, which is responsible for diplomatic relations with the country, continued to encourage the promotion of religious freedom in discussions with the government, the LHRA, and NGOs. With the LHRA and NGOs, embassy staff also discussed establishing a second Islamic prayer room and an Islamic cemetery in the country.																														Section I.													 Religious Demography												    																																															The U.S. government estimates the total population at 39,700 (midyear 2022).  According to the 2020 census, religious group membership is as follows:  70 percent Roman Catholic, 8 percent Protestant Reformed, 6 percent Muslim, 10 percent with no religious affiliation, 4 percent choosing not to respond, and approximately 2 percent belonging to other religions.Christian religious groups apart from the Catholic Church are organized in associations.  They are:  the Reformed Church Liechtenstein, Reformed-Lutheran Church in the Principality of Liechtenstein, Free Evangelical Church Schaan, and Christian-Orthodox Religious Community in the Principality of Liechtenstein.  Immigrants, who comprise approximately one-third of the country’s population, come mainly from Switzerland and Austria and belong predominantly to the same religious groups as native-born citizens.  According to the Liechtenstein Institute, a majority of Muslims are Sunni, predominantly immigrants and descendants of immigrants from Turkey, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia.  Muslims are organized in three associations:  the Turkish-Islamic Community of the Principality of Liechtenstein; Turkish-Islamic Cultural Association; and IGFL.  The Jewish community consists of around 30 individuals, with a Jewish association existing since 2020.																																					Section II.													 Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																																Legal Framework										The constitution states that all persons shall have the freedom to choose their faith, and the state shall be responsible for ‘‘protecting the religious...interests of the people.” The constitution specifies Roman Catholicism as the state religion, which “shall enjoy full protection from the state.” The constitution stipulates other religious denominations may practice their beliefs and hold religious services “within the bounds of morality and public order.”The state and municipalities provide the Catholic Church with some benefits that vary by municipality, including financial support and state maintenance of buildings and grounds owned by the church. Priests are employees of the municipalities. The Protestant Reformed Church and the Reformed-Lutheran Church also receive financial support from the state and municipalities, although significantly less than does the Catholic Church, while Islamic associations do not receive any subsidies.There is no law requiring the registration of religious groups. Religious groups other than the Catholic Church may organize themselves as associations, which the commercial registry administers and which gives associations the rights of a legal entities, such as owning property and entering into contracts. Religious groups other than the Catholic Church must register to receive government funding for activities such as providing religious education in schools or offering language courses for foreigners. To register in the commercial registry, as an association, a religious group must follow the same procedures as a non-religious group: it must submit an official letter of application to the Office for Justice within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Justice that includes the organization’s name, purpose, board members, and head office location, as well as a memorandum of association based on local law, a trademark certification, and a copy of the organization’s statutes. All religious groups registered on the commercial registry are exempt from certain taxes.The law prohibits the slaughter of animals without anesthetization, making kosher and halal slaughter illegal. Importation of such meat is legal.The criminal code prohibits any form of public incitement to hatred or discrimination against, or disparagement of, any religion or its adherents by spoken, written, visual, or electronic means. The criminal code also prohibits the denial, trivialization, and justification of genocide and other crimes against humanity by spoken, written, visual, or electronic means. Penalties may include a prison sentence of up to two years. The criminal code prohibits refusing service to a person or group of persons based on religious affiliation as well as membership in any association that aims to promote discrimination against a person or persons based on religious affiliation.The law requires the inclusion of religious education in the primary and secondary public school curriculum. Students can choose, but they must attend Catholic classes, Protestant Reformed religious classes, or a secular class called “Ethics and Religions.” Should parents of Catholic or Protestant Reformed students wish for them to attend the class on ethics instead, they can do so with an application to the school leadership. The law also grants the Office of Education, which is part of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Education, and Sports, the right to organize and finance Islamic education as an elective in public primary schools. Catholic, Protestant Reformed, and Muslim groups provide the teachers for religious instruction, and the Office of Education pays some or all of their salaries. The Catholic Church determines the Catholic curriculum, with supervision from the Office of Education. Other religious groups registered as associations may provide teachers for optional religious classes if there is a demand for them and may apply for partial funding of the teachers’ salaries from the government’s integration budget, a fund dedicated to supporting projects that enable immigrants to integrate into society.To receive residency permits, foreign religious workers must have completed theological studies, command a basic level of German, belong to a “nationally known” religious group (the law does not define “nationally known”), and be sponsored by a resident clergy member of the same religious group.The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.																																				Government Practices										The government’s proposed constitutional amendment to grant complete equality of religions and to formally separate church and state remained pending at year’s end. Parliament accepted the amendment in a first reading in December 2021, but the government did not make progress on the legislation during 2022. When he took office in 2021, Prime Minister Daniel Risch pledged to solve during the 2021-2025 legislative period the issue of separation of religion and state, specifically in the areas of state funding for religious communities and the design of denominational religious education in schools, which varied among religious communities.The government continued to promote religious pluralism and enhance its support for religious equality. For example, in October, it hosted an integration dialogue that brought together representatives of different faiths to discuss topics that included religious freedom.The government did not make progress on an “Equality for Muslims” petition filed by the IGFL in 2021 that called for the establishment of a dedicated Islamic cemetery and an additional prayer room in the country. In 2021, parliament received the petition favorably and referred it to the Council of Ministers, the country’s highest political body. Media and the LHRA reported that efforts to build another prayer room, an Islamic cemetery, and a community house with a prayer room remained pending without apparent government action on the IGFL petition. The LHRA said that while reluctance from potential property owners and local authorities remained a problem, there were few available properties suitable for prayer rooms, and property costs were very high. All religious groups, including Muslims, were able to bury their dead in the country’s five cemeteries, which the municipalities owned. Municipal cemeteries, however, did not meet the Muslim requirements of having a room for ritual washings or graves directed towards Mecca.Public schools continued to include Holocaust education as part of their curriculum.Funding for religious institutions continued to derive mainly from the municipalities. Municipalities continued to provide the Catholic and Protestant Reformed Churches annual subsidies in proportion to their population in the municipalities. The MFA stated that municipalities allocated funding for specific purposes, such as paying the rent for places of worship, and the MFA remained in regular contact with religious representatives regarding funding. The Liechtenstein Institute noted that while taxes helped to finance Catholic and Protestant Reformed Churches, Muslim associations did not receive any funding from the state or municipalities. The MFA said that except for the Catholic Church, religious communities were defined as private associations and could apply for state funding. According to the MFA, state support for the three Islamic religious associations was tied to the condition that they establish a joint umbrella organization, which did not take place by year’s end. The government did not require the same condition for the two reformed church communities.The government immigration and passport office continued to issue five-year residency permits to religious workers instead of visas. Religious workers from Schengen-area member countries did not require permits or visas.On January 27, during a hybrid event on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Minister Marok-Wachter emphasized publicly the importance of a lasting culture of remembrance to counter contemporary antisemitism.																																					Section III.													 Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																															The Turkish-Islamic Community of the Principality Liechtenstein continued to operate the one mosque in the country, in leased space in Triesen.  Lacking its own facilities in the country, the IGFL used facilities in Sevelen, a short drive away in neighboring Switzerland, as a mosque and prayer room.The Jewish community, consisting of around 30 individuals, met at a synagogue in neighboring Switzerland.According to the MFA, some religious groups in every municipality opened their facilities to other denominations and faiths upon request.  For example, the Catholic Church in Schaan continued to make its facilities available to the Christian Orthodox community, which did not have a facility of its own, to hold an Orthodox Easter Sunday service.  According to the MFA, there was no centralized information on whether and how particular religious groups allowed other faiths to use their places of worship.According to the LHRA, Muslims continued to face discrimination in society, particularly Muslim women in the labor force who wore headscarves, especially in academia, where the LHRA said they were considered foreigners and were met with distrust.  The LHRA also reported Muslim women wearing headscarves encountered discrimination in applying for jobs and housing, such as renting an apartment.																																					Section IV.													 U.S. Government Policy and Engagement												    																																															Embassy staff continued to encourage the promotion of religious freedom in conversations with the MFA’s specialist for human rights and international law.With the LHRA and NGOs, embassy staff also continued to discuss the impact of the lack of formal separation between religion and state, Muslim proposals to create an Islamic cemetery and prayer rooms, and the extent of societal discrimination against Muslims.																																				    							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Religious Demography																																																	Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																							Legal Framework																																																						Government Practices																																																			Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																	Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																							Tags																					Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																								Liechtenstein																								Office of International Religious Freedom																																Religious Freedom
- Liechtenstein HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Liechtenstein				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: 																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																								Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies																																																								Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																																																																		f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																									Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																																																		Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																																																		Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				The Principality of Liechtenstein is a multiparty constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government. Prince Hans Adam II is the official head of state, although Hereditary Prince Alois performs the day-to-day duties of head of state, exercising the rights of office on behalf of the reigning prince. The unicameral parliament (Landtag) nominates, and the monarch appoints, members of the government. Five ministers, two from the Progressive Citizens’ Party and three from the Patriotic Union Party, formed a coalition government following free and fair parliamentary elections in February 2021.The national police maintain internal security and report to the Department of Civil Defense. The country does not have an army. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. There were no reports of abuses committed by members of the national police.There were no reports of significant human rights abuses.The government had mechanisms in place to identify and punish officials who may commit human rights abuses or engage in corruption.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										The constitution and law prohibit such practices, and there were no reports that government officials employed them.  There were no reports of impunity in the security forces.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						There were no significant reports regarding prison or detention center conditions that raised human rights concerns.Pursuant to bilateral treaties with Austria and Switzerland, the country’s authorities accommodated its long-term prisoners in Austria and confined prisoners undergoing release procedures in detention centers in Switzerland and Austria.Abusive Physical Conditions:  Individuals undergoing pretrial detention or awaiting deportation and extradition continued to be held in the country’s only prison, which had a 20-bed capacity.  Since the facility served as a short-term prison, authorities asserted they could not always separate different categories of detainees.  Women detainees had their own section with four beds.  Due to lack of space and the generally low number of juvenile detainees, authorities usually accommodated juveniles in the women’s ward.  According to the Liechtenstein Human Rights Association (LHRA), some juveniles faced long-term imprisonment in Austrian facilities far away from their families or were held in Austrian prisons with adults.  In 2021 offenses committed by juveniles decreased from 84 to 25.Administration:  Authorities conducted investigations of credible allegations of mistreatment.Independent Monitoring:  The government permitted monitoring by independent nongovernmental observers, including local human rights groups, media, and the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture, among others.  The committee last visited the country in 2016.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention and provide for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court.  The government generally observed these requirements.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						Police detain a suspect based on an arrest warrant issued by the national court.  According to the law, every detainee must be informed of the reasons for the detention at the time of detention or immediately thereafter.  Within 48 hours of arrest, police must bring suspects before an examining magistrate, who must either file formal charges or order the suspect’s release.  Authorities respected this right.  The law permits the release of suspects on personal recognizance or bail unless the examining magistrate has reason to believe the suspect represents a danger to society or would not appear for trial.  Alternatives to bail include supervision by a probation officer and restrictions on movement.  The law grants suspects the right to a lawyer of their own choosing during pretrial detention, and the government provided lawyers at its own expense to indigent persons.  During the investigative detention, authorities may monitor visits to prevent tampering with evidence.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence and impartiality.																Trial Procedures						The constitution and law provide for the right to a fair and public trial, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.						Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies						Individuals and organizations may seek civil remedies for human rights abuses through domestic courts.  Individuals and organizations may appeal adverse domestic decisions involving alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights to the European Court of Human Rights.						Property Seizure and Restitution						In 2001 an independent commission of historians examined the country’s role during World War II.  The commission examined all remaining archives of banks, fiduciaries, attorneys, governmental agencies, and art collections for evidence of stolen assets.  The commission found no evidence that looted Jewish holdings entered the country or were in 2001 held in the country.  According to the World Jewish Restitution Organization Claims Conference there were no claims of this kind by survivors.The government has no laws in place specifically regulating resolution of Holocaust-era claims, but general laws and mechanisms to claim stolen cultural goods exist.The Department of State’s Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act report to Congress, released publicly in July 2020, can be found on the Department’s website..																										f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution and law prohibit such actions, and there were no reports that the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution and law provide for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right.  An independent media, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for members of the media.Freedom of Expression:  The law prohibits public insults, including via electronic means, directed against an individual’s race, language, ethnicity, religion, world view, gender, disability, age, and sexual orientation, with a possible prison sentence of up to two years for violations.  In 2021, five infractions against this law on discrimination were registered, of which four were resolved in that authorities were able to successfully close the case.  There was no information on any prosecutions or penalties for these infractions.Libel/Slander Laws:  The law prohibits the disparagement of religious teachings.  Anyone who publicly disparages a person or a thing that is the object of worship of a church or religious society established within the country or a religious doctrine, custom, or institution of such a church or a legally permissible institution in a manner that “is likely to give rise to justifiable annoyance” is liable to imprisonment not exceeding six months or a heavy fine.  In 2021 there were three convictions under these laws based on two criminal complaints from 2020 and one from 2021.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no credible reports that the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution and law provide for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The law provides for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees or asylum seekers, as well as other persons of concern.Access to Asylum: The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. The law allows asylum seekers under deportation orders to be granted an appeal hearing if requested within five days after the decision. The law permits persons from safe countries of origin who are ruled to be ineligible for asylum to be processed for denial of asylum within a maximum of seven days.The LHRA expressed concern that the law does not contain hardship provisions for family reunification, especially for children. There were no reports of family separations among asylum seekers or refugees.Safe Country of Origin/Transit: Persons originating from a safe country were not eligible for asylum and were deported. Individuals that had passed through safe countries could apply for asylum if they had not previously applied for asylum in another country under the Dublin accords.Freedom of Movement: In some cases, authorities detained unsuccessful asylum applicants pending their deportation. In 2020 there were seven cases of detention of unsuccessful asylum applicants prior to their deportation.Temporary Protection: The government also provided subsidiary and humanitarian protection to individuals who may not qualify as refugees and provided this protection to 21 persons during 2021.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																																																Elections and Political Participation										Recent Elections: In February 2021 the country held parliamentary elections. There were no reports of irregularities.Participation of Women and Members of Minority Groups: No laws limit the participation of women or members of minority groups in the political process, and they did participate.As a hereditary monarchy, the country’s line of succession is restricted to male descendants of the country’s princely family. In 2020 the Women’s Network, an umbrella organization of women’s nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the country, criticized the male line of succession as undermining the constitution’s principles.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government												    																																															The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively.  There were no reports of government corruption during the year.																																					Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																																															A variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases.  The government reported it engaged with NGOs as part of the Universal Periodic Review process.Government officials were cooperative and responsive to the views of human rights groups and supported them financially.																																					Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence: Rape of a person, regardless of gender, including spousal rape, is a criminal offense. Penalties for rape and sexual violence vary between six months’ and 15 years’ imprisonment, depending on the degree of violence and humiliation of the survivor, and between 10 years and lifetime imprisonment if the victim is killed. The penalties for rapes of a person, regardless of gender, are the same. The government effectively prosecuted individuals accused of such crimes.The law prohibits all forms of domestic violence and provides for restraining orders against violent family members. Police may prohibit an abuser from returning to the survivor’s home where the violence was committed. Penalties for domestic violence range from fines to lifetime imprisonment if the victim is killed. According to the law, those who immigrated to the country and who have been married to a citizen for less than five years are required to prove their survivor status or sufficient integration into the country’s society to avoid losing their marriage-based residence permits. The government enforced the law effectively.In 2021 there were 101 police interventions registered under the law against spousal abuse, 27 of which led to criminal charges. Witnesses’ willingness to testify in abuse cases sometimes limited efforts to prosecute cases.In 2021 the country’s women’s shelter, Frauenhaus, assisted 10 women affected by domestic violence. Frauenhaus provided counseling in 57 cases related to spousal violence. The women’s resource and counseling NGO Infra was contacted 20 times regarding gender-based violence. The Association for Male Questions counseled five men (one perpetrator and three survivors) on spousal violence and received three men in its shelter.Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment of a person, regardless of gender, is illegal and punishable by up to six months in prison or a fine, and the government effectively enforced these prohibitions. Stalking is a criminal offense. The government also considers bullying, including pressure, harassment, or blackmail tactics in the workplace, to be a crime. In 2020 the national police recorded eight cases of sexual harassment, and the NGO Infra assisted survivors in five cases of sexual harassment.Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.The government provided access to sexual and reproductive health services for survivors of sexual violence. Safe, effective, and affordable methods of family planning or contraception were available, and information was easily accessible. Emergency contraception was available as part of clinical management of rape. Abortion is only legal if the life of the mother is in danger, if the child is a result of rape or if the mother was underage. Health care for the management of complications arising from abortion was available in all cases.Discrimination: The law provides the same legal status and rights for women as for men, including under family, religious, personal status, and nationality laws as well as laws related to labor, property, inheritance, employment, access to credit, and owning or managing businesses or property. The government’s enforcement of labor contract, equal opportunity, and discrimination law was not entirely effective. The LHRA received two complaints of gender-based discrimination in 2021. The Department for Equal Opportunity published a new guideline on gender-sensitive language and received an increase in human resources.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										The law prohibits acts of discrimination based on racist, xenophobic, or other reasons, with violators subject to up to two years of imprisonment. The law explicitly covers acts of spreading hatred or calls for violence against members of racial, ethnic, or religious minority groups. The government generally enforced the law effectively.There were eight criminal complaints regarding discrimination, one conviction in a case of racially motivated discrimination and two convictions based on Holocaust denial in 2021. The LHRA reported that wearing a headscarf still led to discrimination in the labor market, which is not punishable under the law against discrimination. While acts of discrimination in the public sphere are covered by the criminal code, the private sphere, which includes employment, housing, and education, has no protection against discrimination.The government did not condone or carry out violence or discrimination against members of racial, ethnic, or religious minority groups.																																				Children										Birth Registration: Citizenship is derived at birth from a child’s parents. Either parent may convey citizenship. A child born in the country to stateless parents may acquire citizenship after five years of residence. All children are registered at birth and birth registration was provided on a nondiscriminatory basis.Child Abuse: The law protects children against sexual exploitation and sexual and child abuse, including inside the family. The law stipulates a reporting obligation for the Office of Social Services if it learns of or suspects sexual abuse of children and adolescents. There is an Ombudsman Office for Children and Young People. The Victims Assistance Office, which specializes in assistance and support for individuals who have been affected directly in their physical, psychological, or sexual integrity, also aided children. An interdisciplinary Expert Group against the Sexual Abuse of Children and Young People facilitated the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. In 2021 the country’s only women’s shelter, Frauenhaus, assisted six children.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The legal minimum age of marriage for both girls and boys is 18 years.Sexual Exploitation of Children: The law prohibits the commercial sexual exploitation of minors, sale, and grooming, including child sex trafficking. Penalties for the sexual exploitation of minors range from one to 10 years’ imprisonment. Possession or distribution of child pornography is a criminal offense, with penalties including up to three years in prison. Authorities effectively enforced these prohibitions. In 2021 police recorded three cases of child sexual abuse of minors. The law sets the minimum age for consensual sex at 14.Under an agreement with the government, the Institute for Social Services’ section for child protection in Dornbirn, Austria, provided counseling for survivors of sexual abuse in the country.																																				Antisemitism										The Jewish community consisted of fewer than 20 individuals. Antisemitic conspiracy theories were voiced in social media and during street protests against COVID-19 restrictions. During the year there were two convictions for antisemitic acts.																																				Trafficking in Persons										There were no confirmed reports during the year that traffickers exploited domestic or foreign victims in the country or that traffickers exploited domestic or foreign victims from the country abroad.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization: No laws criminalize consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults.Violence against LGBTQI+ Persons: There were no reports of violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) individuals.Discrimination: The law prohibits discrimination by state and nonstate actors, based on gender and sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics and recognizes LGBTQI+ individuals, couples, and their families, particularly with respect to essential goods and services such as housing, employment, and access to government services such as healthcare. It also prohibits debasement, slander, and incitement to hate based on an individual’s gender and sexual orientation and prohibits the refusal of public or governmental services based on an individual’s gender and sexual orientation. The government generally enforced the law. The LHRA reported that this law may not be invoked in case of access to work, education, and housing as they legally belonged to the private sphere which was not protected by the law against discrimination. The constitution grants equality before the law to all citizens, but there is no legal precedent whether it would provide protection in a discrimination case. Citizens also had the option to bring a case to the European Court of Human Rights. The country’s LGBTQI+ community made two formal complaints during the year of abuse or discrimination, including against persons with HIV and AIDS. In May, the ban on access to fertility medicine and adoption of stepchildren by same-sex partners living in a registered partnership was lifted. Same-sex marriage is not permitted.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition: Legal gender recognition, including nonassignment or registering a third gender, is not available.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices Specifically Targeting LGBTQI+ Individuals: There were no reports of so-called conversion therapy being practiced, but it was legally permitted. Involuntary medical or psychological practices are punishable under criminal law.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly: There were no reports of undue restrictions on the freedom of expression, association, or peaceful assembly.																																				Persons with Disabilities										The government’s implementation of laws and programs requiring that persons with disabilities readily had access to education, employment, public buildings, information, health services, the judicial system, transport, and communications was not entirely effective. Government information and communication on disability concerns was provided in accessible format. According to the LHRA and the Liechtenstein Association for Persons with Disabilities (LAPD), there was some improvement in comparison with previous years. The revised Social Services Law came into force in September 2021. It required the government to inform clients of social institutions of measures taken and to evaluate restrictions on movement. Civil society organizations noted that persons with disabilities were well taken care of but lacked opportunities to participate in society and were not sufficiently integrated into the labor market and education systems.As of September 2021, all websites and mobile applications of governmental offices must be adapted to the needs of disabled persons. Websites must be adapted within two years, mobile applications within 2.5 years. The Office for Social Services is responsible for surveilling the adaptation process and is required to publish a report every three years.The law mandates that public kindergartens and schools as well as public transportation systems built after 2006 must be accessible to persons with disabilities. Children with disabilities were able to attend public schools or a segregated school established by the country’s remedial center. The LAPD noted that there was still a shortage of barrier-free, affordable housing for families with children with disabilities.The law requires public buildings constructed before 2002 to be barrier free by 2019 and public buildings constructed between 2002 and 2007 to be barrier free by 2027. NGOs reported that the 2019 deadline was not met, and many old public buildings still lacked the necessary renovations. One cause was that renovations on historic buildings were subject to strict building codes. The law does not contain a penalty for noncompliance, but noncompliant building owners can be sued.The law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental disabilities. There were no reports of laws or government actions or inactions limiting the rights of persons with disabilities to participate in civic life.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The law provides for the rights of all workers to form and join independent unions of their choice and to bargain collectively. The law provides for freedom of assembly but is silent on the right to strike. The law neither prohibits antiunion discrimination nor requires reinstatement of workers fired for union activity.The government adequately enforced applicable laws, and the government and employers respected freedom of association and collective bargaining in practice. Penalties in the form of fines were commensurate with those for similar crimes, and inspection was sufficient to enforce compliance. Penalties were regularly applied against violators.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										The law prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labor. The government effectively enforced the law. The LHRA reported no incidents involving forced or compulsory labor, including incidents involving children.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										The law prohibits the worst forms of child labor and sets the minimum age for employment at 16, with exceptions for limited employment of children between the ages of 14 and 16. Children between the ages of 14 and 16 may engage in certain categories of light work, but those of compulsory school age (through age 15) may work no more than nine hours per week during the school year and 35 hours per week during school vacations. Children younger than 15 may be employed for the purposes of cultural, artistic, athletic, and advertising events. Working hours for youths between the ages of 15 and 18 are not to exceed 40 hours a week. The law prohibits children younger than 17 from working overtime and prohibits children through age 18 from engaging in night work or Sunday shifts. The law stipulates that an employer must consider the health of minors and provide them a proper moral environment within the workplace. The law also stipulates that employers may not overexert minors and that employers must protect the child from “negative influences” within the workplace.The Office for Worker Safety of the Department of National Economy effectively enforced child labor laws and devoted adequate resources and oversight to child labor policies. Legal penalties were commensurate with those for similar crimes, and inspections by trained inspectors were adequate to enforce compliance. There were no confirmed reports of the worst forms of child labor, nor of any violations of the prohibition on child labor or minimum working age during the year.																																				d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation										The law prohibits employment discrimination based on gender and disability. The law does not specifically prohibit employment discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, color, ethnicity, age, gender identity, HIV and AIDS, or refugee status. Violations may result in the award of compensation to a prospective or dismissed employee equal to at least three months’ salary in the case of gender discrimination, and unspecified civil damages in the case of discrimination against persons with disabilities.The government generally enforced the law effectively. The country’s labor inspectorate was sufficient to enforce compliance. There were no reports of violations. Penalties for violations were commensurate with penalties related to civil rights. According to statements by the Liechtenstein Institute and the LAPD, women, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ individuals experienced discrimination in the labor market. In 2018 the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) expressed concerns that members of the LGBTQI+ community encountered prejudice and employment discrimination. The country followed the ECRI’s recommendation to commission a study on issues experienced by LGBTQI+ persons. NGOs reported Muslim women with headscarves facing difficulty with being accepted for jobs.According to the 2021 Human Rights Report of the Liechtenstein Institute, women in the country earned a median income 14.7 percent lower than that of men. The wage gap between women and men rose with increasing age. Only part of this wage difference could be explained objectively. According to the Liechtenstein Employees&#8217; Association (LANV), two-fifths of it could not be explained and was therefore discriminatory. The government noted the employment rate for women of 69 percent in 2019 was significantly lower in the country than in most European countries. The Women’s Network also noted a difference between men and women persisted in professional promotions.																																				e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws: The law does not provide for a national minimum wage. The Liechtenstein Workers Association, a labor union, negotiates voluntary collective bargaining agreements with the Chamber of Commerce on a sector-by-sector basis. Minimum wages are reset annually in a wage and protocol agreement. Collective bargaining and wage agreements were effectively enforced, and wages exceeded the poverty level.The law sets the maximum workweek at 45 hours for professional workers, employees of industrial firms, and sales personnel and 48 hours for other workers. Separate provisions apply to minors (see section 7.c.). Overtime may not exceed an average workweek of 48 hours over a period of four consecutive months. Some exceptions to overtime limits were authorized, for example, in the area of medical treatment.In 2020 the Liechtenstein Institute published a study on employment relationships in the private home-care sector, where work was often performed by migrant women. The study made no allegations of compulsory labor but noted that employment relationships in home care are not subject to the Labor Law, but only to the Labor Protection Act, the General Civil Code, and the standard employment contract for domestic workers. The LHRA, the women’s resource and counseling NGO Infra, and the labor union Liechtenstein Workers Association have called for parliament to bring home care under the jurisdiction of national labor law.Occupational Safety and Health: The law sets occupational safety and health (OSH) standards that were appropriate for the main industries in the country. The labor standards also cover the thousands of workers who commute daily from neighboring countries. There are additional safeguards for youths, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and employees with children. Responsibility for identifying unsafe situations remained with OSH experts, not with workers. There were no media reports of major industrial accidents that caused the death or serious injury of workers.Infra noted the working conditions of domestic workers and nurses employed in private homes were not subject to inspections or official labor contracts, as they are legally self-employed.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement: The Office of Labor Inspection, a part of the Department of National Economy, effectively enforced minimum wage, overtime, and OSH laws. Penalties for violations were commensurate with those for similar crimes and penalties were regularly applied against violators. The agency had two labor inspectors authorized to make unannounced inspections and levy sanctions to enforce the law effectively.The Office of Labor Inspection effectively enforced labor laws on working conditions. It carried out 235 inspections in 2021, down from 297 in 2020, largely due to COVID-19 mitigation measures. Twenty-nine inspections resulted in recommendations to employers regarding health and safety measures or regulations governing working hours. The Labor Inspectorate issued 21 reports to the National Police based on investigations of workplace accidents. Penalties were commensurate with those for similar violations.																																				    							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Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																												Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies																																												Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																																				f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																						c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																							Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																	Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																	Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Children																																																						Antisemitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																								Liechtenstein
- Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Liechtenstein Foreign Minister Hasler Office of the SpokespersonThe following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met today with Liechtenstein Foreign Minister Dominique Hasler in Washington, D.C. They discussed the multiple waves of missile attacks that Russia perpetrated on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure. They also spoke about Liechtenstein’s priorities for its chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in November 2023. The Deputy Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed ways in which the United States and Liechtenstein can continue to partner to promote shared values and strengthen multilateral coordination.
- Liechtenstein’s National Day Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateOn behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Liechtenstein and wish you the best as you celebrate your National Day.Our countries also mark our 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, a strong partnership built on a shared commitments to the rule of law, protection of human rights, and economic prosperity. We appreciate Liechtenstein’s efforts to support Ukrainian refugees, hold Russia accountable for its brutal war on Ukraine, and counter money laundering. We also deeply value Liechtenstein’s commitment to multilateralism and good governance.I look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnership in the year ahead.
- Switzerland and Liechtenstein HomeReportsBureau of Economic and Business Affairs2022 Investment Climate Statements&#8230;Switzerland and Liechtenstein				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Investment Climate Statements: Switzerland and Liechtenstein																																																																																												 In this section										/																							Executive Summary																																													Executive Summary																															1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																																									Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																																											Business Facilitation																																																																											Outward Investment																																																																																	2. Bilateral Investment and Taxation Treaties																																																																																		3. Legal Regime																																																									Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																																											International Regulatory Considerations																																																																											Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																																											Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Competition and Antitrust Laws																																																																											Expropriation and Compensation																																																																											Dispute Settlement																																																																			ICSID Convention and New York Convention																																																								Investor-State Dispute Settlement																																																								International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts																																																																																																																		Bankruptcy Regulations																																																																																	4. Industrial Policies																																																									Investment Incentives																																																																											Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																																											Performance and Data Localization Requirements																																																																																	5. Protection of Property Rights																																																									Real Property																																																																											Intellectual Property Rights																																																																																	6. Financial Sector																																																									Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																																											Money and Banking System																																																																											Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																																			Foreign Exchange																																																								Remittance Policies																																																																																																																		Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																																																	7. State-Owned Enterprises																																																																												Privatization Program																																																																																	8. Responsible Business Conduct																																																																												Additional Resources																																																																											Climate Issues																																																																																	9. Corruption																																																																												Resources to Report Corruption																																																																																	10. Political and Security Environment																																																																																		11. Labor Policies and Practices																																																																																		12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs																																																																																		13. Foreign Direct Investment Statistics																																																																																		14. Contact for More Information																																																																																																								Executive Summary				Switzerland is welcoming to international investors, with a positive overall investment climate. The Swiss federal government enacts laws and regulations governing corporate structure, the financial system, and immigration, and concludes international trade and investment treaties. However, Switzerland’s 26 cantons (analogous to U.S. states) and largest municipalities have significant independence to shape investment policies locally, including incentives to attract investment. This federal approach has helped the Swiss maintain long-term economic and political stability, a transparent legal system, extensive and reliable infrastructure, efficient capital markets, and an excellent quality of life for the country’s 8.6 million inhabitants. Many U.S. firms base their European or regional headquarters in Switzerland, drawn to the country’s modest corporate tax rates, productive and multilingual workforce, and well-maintained infrastructure and transportation networks. U.S. companies also choose Switzerland as a gateway to markets in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Furthermore, U.S. companies select Switzerland because of favorable and less restrictive labor laws compared to other European locations as well as availability of a skilled workforce.In 2019, the World Economic Forum rated Switzerland the world’s fifth most competitive economy. This high ranking reflects the country’s sound institutional environment and high levels of technological and scientific research and development. With very few exceptions, Switzerland welcomes foreign investment, accords national treatment, and does not impose, facilitate, or allow barriers to trade. According to the OECD, Swiss public administration ranks high globally in output efficiency and enjoys the highest public confidence of any national government in the OECD. The country’s competitive economy and openness to investment brought Switzerland’s cumulative inward direct investment to USD 1.4 trillion in 2020 (latest available figures) according to the Swiss National Bank, although nearly half of this amount is invested in regional hubs or headquarters that further invest in other countries.In order to address international criticism of tax incentives provided by Swiss cantons, the Federal Act on Tax Reform and Swiss Pension System Financing (TRAF) entered into force on January 1, 2020. TRAF obliges cantons to offer the same corporate tax rates to both Swiss and foreign companies, while allowing cantons to continue to set their own cantonal tax rates and offer incentives for corporate investment. These can be deductions or preferential tax treatment for certain types of income (such as for patents), or expenses (such as for research and development). Switzerland joined the Statement of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS) in July 2021. It intends to implement the BEPS effective minimum corporate tax rate of 15 percent by January 2024, after a referendum to amend the Swiss constitution.Personal income and corporate tax rates vary widely across Switzerland’s cantons. Effective corporate tax rates ranged between 11.85 and 21.04 percent in 2021, according to KPMG. In Zurich, for example, the combined effective corporate tax rate (including municipal, cantonal, and federal taxes),was 19.7 percent in 2021. The United States and Switzerland have a bilateral tax treaty.Key sectors that have attracted significant investments in Switzerland include information technology, precision engineering, scientific instruments, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, and machine building. Switzerland hosts a significant number of startups. A new “blockchain act” came fully into force in August 2021, which is expected to benefit Switzerland’s already sizeable ecosystem for companies in blockchain and distributed ledger technologies.There are no “forced localization” laws designed to require foreign investors to use domestic content in goods or technology (e.g., data storage within Switzerland). Switzerland follows strict privacy laws and certain personal data may not be collected in Switzerland.Switzerland is a highly innovative economy with strong overall intellectual property protection. Switzerland enforces intellectual property rights linked to patents and trademarks effectively, and new amendments to the country’s Copyright Act to strengthen copyright enforcement on the internet came into force in April 2020.There are some investment restrictions in areas under state monopolies, including certain types of public transportation, telecommunications, postal services, alcohol and spirits, aerospace and defense, certain types of insurance and banking services, and the trade in salt. The Swiss agricultural sector remains protected and heavily subsidized.LiechtensteinLiechtenstein’s investment conditions are identical in most key aspects to those in Switzerland, due to its integration into the Swiss economy. The two countries form a customs union, and Swiss authorities are responsible for implementing import and export regulations.Both Liechtenstein and Switzerland are members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA, which also includes Iceland and Norway). EFTA is an intergovernmental trade organization and  free trade area  that operates in parallel with the  European Union  (EU). Liechtenstein participates in the EU single market through the European Economic Area (EEA), unlike Switzerland, which has opted for a set of bilateral agreements with the EU instead.Liechtenstein has a stable and open economy employing 40,328 people in 2020 (latest figures available), exceeding its domestic population of 39,055 and requiring a substantial number of foreign workers. In 2020, 70.6 percent of the Liechtenstein workforce were foreigners, mainly Swiss, Austrians and Germans, most of whom commute daily to Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein was granted an exception to the EU’s Free Movement of People Agreement, enabling the country not to grant residence permits to its workers.Liechtenstein is one of the world’s wealthiest countries. Liechtenstein’s gross domestic product per capita amounted to USD 162,558 in 2019 (latest data available). According to the  Liechtenstein Statistical Yearbook , the services sector, particularly in finance, accounts for 63 percent of Liechtenstein’s jobs, followed by the manufacturing sector (particularly mechanical engineering, machine tools, precision instruments, and dental products), which employs 36 percent of the workforce. Agriculture accounts for less than one percent of the country’s employment.Liechtenstein’s corporate tax rate, at 12.5 percent, is one of the lowest in Europe. Capital gains, inheritance, and gift taxes have been abolished. The Embassy has no recorded complaints from U.S. investors stemming from market restrictions in Liechtenstein. The United States and Liechtenstein do not have a bilateral income tax treaty.Table 1: Key Metrics and Rankings – SwitzerlandMeasureYearIndex/RankWebsite AddressTI Corruption Perceptions Index20217 of 180http://www.transparency.org/research/cpi/overviewGlobal Innovation Index20211 of 129https://www.globalinnovationindex.org/analysis-indicatorU.S. FDI in partner country ($M USD, historical stock positions)2020USD 211,936https://apps.bea.gov/international/factsheet/World Bank GNI per capita2020USD 82,620http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD																																					1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment						    																																																Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment										With the exception of its agricultural sector, foreign investment into Switzerland is generally not hampered by significant barriers, with no reported discrimination against foreign investors or foreign-owned investments. Incidents of trade discrimination do exist, for example with regards to agricultural goods such as bovine genetics products.A Swiss government-affiliated non-profit organization, Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), has a nationwide mandate to attract foreign business to Switzerland on behalf of the Swiss Confederation. S-GE promotes Switzerland as an economic hub and fosters exports, imports, and investments. Some city and cantonal governments offer access to an ombudsman, who may address a wide variety of issues involving individuals and the government, but does not focus exclusively on investment issues.																																				Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment										Foreign and domestic enterprises may freely establish, acquire, and dispose of interests in business enterprises in Switzerland. In August 2021, the Swiss government released a broad framework for a future foreign direct investment (FDI) screening regime. A draft bill is expected to be issued for public consultation in 2022. The bill is expected to focus on any mergers or acquisitions by foreign interests, but with a particular focus on foreign state-owned or state-related investors, regardless of the sector involved. For foreign private-sector investors, no list has been published indicating any specific sectors that would be subject to mandatory reporting and approval.There are some investment restrictions in areas under state monopolies, including certain types of public transportation, postal services, alcohol and spirits, aerospace and defense, certain types of insurance and banking services, and the trade in salt. Restrictions (in the form of domicile requirements) also exist in air and maritime transport, hydroelectric and nuclear power, operation of oil and gas pipelines, and the transportation of explosive materials. Additionally, the following legal restrictions apply within Switzerland:Corporate boards: A company registered in Switzerland must be represented by at least one person domiciled in Switzerland. This can be either a member of the board of directors or a member of the executive board (article 718 para. 4 of the Code of Obligations). Foreign-controlled companies often meet this requirement by nominating Swiss directors. However, the manager of a company need not be a Swiss citizen, and company shares may be controlled by foreigners. Further, since January 1, 2021, larger publicly listed companies headquartered in Switzerland must fill at least 30 percent of their board positions with women. Companies have five years to meet this requirement, otherwise they will be required to state the reasons and outline planned remediation measures in their compensation report to shareholders. The establishment of a commercial presence by persons or enterprises without legal status under Swiss law requires a cantonal establishment authorization. These requirements do not generally pose a major hardship or impediment for U.S. investors.Hostile takeovers: Swiss corporate equity can be issued in the form of either registered shares (in the name of the holder) or bearer shares. Provided the shares are not listed on a stock exchange, Swiss companies may, in their articles of incorporation, impose certain restrictions on the transfer of registered shares to prevent hostile takeovers by foreign or domestic companies (article 685a of the Code of Obligations). Hostile takeovers can also be annulled by public companies under certain circumstances. The company must cite in its statutes significant justification (relevant to the survival, conduct, and purpose of its business) to prevent or hinder a takeover by a foreign entity. Furthermore, public corporations may limit the number of registered shares that can be held by any shareholder to a percentage of the issued registered stock. Under the public takeover provisions of the 2015 Federal Act on Financial Market Infrastructures and Market Conduct in Securities and Derivatives Trading and its 2019 amendments, a formal notification is required when an investor purchases more than three percent of a Swiss company’s shares. An “opt-out” clause is available for firms that do not want to be taken over by a hostile bidder, but such opt-outs must be approved by a super-majority of shareholders and must take place well in advance of any takeover attempt.Banking: Those wishing to establish banking operations in Switzerland must obtain prior approval from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), a largely independent agency administered under the Swiss Federal Department of Finance. FINMA promotes confidence in financial markets and works to protect customers, creditors, and investors. FINMA approval of bank operations is generally granted if the following conditions are met: reciprocity on the part of the foreign state; the foreign bank’s name must not give the impression that the bank is Swiss; the bank must adhere to Swiss monetary and credit policy; and a majority of the bank’s management must have their permanent residence in Switzerland. Otherwise, foreign banks are subject to the same regulatory requirements as domestic banks.Banks organized under Swiss law must inform FINMA before they open a branch, subsidiary, or representation abroad. Foreign or domestic investors must inform FINMA before acquiring or disposing of a qualified majority of shares of a bank organized under Swiss law. If exceptional temporary capital outflows threaten monetary policy, the Swiss National Bank, the country’s independent central bank, may require other institutions to seek approval before selling foreign bonds or other financial instruments.Insurance: A federal ordinance requires the placement of all risks physically situated in Switzerland with companies located in the country. Therefore, it is necessary for foreign insurers wishing to provide liability coverage in Switzerland to establish a subsidiary or branch in-country.U.S. investors have not identified any specific restrictions that create market access challenges for foreign investors.Other Investment Policy ReviewsThe World Trade Organization’s (WTO) September 2017 Trade Policy Review of Switzerland and Liechtenstein includes investment information. Other reports containing elements referring to the investment climate in Switzerland include the OECD Economic Survey of January 2022.Link to the WTO report: https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp_rep_e.htm#bycountry Link to the OECD reports / papers:  https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/oecd-economic-surveys-switzerland-2019_7e6fd372-en 																																				Business Facilitation										The Swiss government-affiliated non-profit organization Switzerland Global Enterprise (SGE) has a mandate to attract foreign business to Switzerland on behalf of the Swiss Confederation. SGE promotes Switzerland as an economic hub and fosters exports, imports, and investments. Larger regional offices include the Greater Geneva-Berne Area (which covers large parts of Western Switzerland), the Greater Zurich Area, and the Basel Area. Cantonal and regional Chambers of Commerce provide similar support. Each canton has a business promotion office dedicated to helping facilitate real estate location, beneficial tax arrangements, and employee recruitment plans. These regional and cantonal investment promotion agencies do not require a minimum investment or job-creation threshold in order to provide assistance. However, these offices generally focus resources on attracting medium-sized or larger entities with the potential to create higher numbers of jobs in their region.References:The Swiss government’s online portal (“easygov”) is Switzerland’s online registration website and includes links to the main local interlocutors for business related questions:  https://www.easygov.swiss/easygov/#/ Switzerland Global Enterprise connects companies with potential host regions:  https://www.s-ge.com/en/investment-promotion Some of the larger promotion offices are:Greater Geneva-Bern Area:  https://www.ggba-switzerland.ch/en/ Greater Zürich Area:  https://www.greaterzuricharea.com/en Basel Area:  https://www.baselarea.swiss/ Switzerland has a dual system for granting work permits and allowing foreigners to create their own companies in Switzerland. Employees who are citizens of the EU/EFTA area can benefit from the EU Free Movement of Persons Agreement. Permits for people from countries outside the EU/EFTA area, such as U.S. citizens, are restricted to highly qualified personnel. U.S. citizens who want to become self-employed in Switzerland must meet Swiss labor market requirements. The criteria for admittance, which usually do not create unusual hindrances for U.S. persons, are contained in:The Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (unofficial English translation):  https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/20020232/index.html Decree on Admittance, Residence and Employment (VZAE) (available in German, French, Italian):  https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/20070993/index.html Setting up a company in Switzerland requires registration at the relevant cantonal Commercial Registry. The cost for registering a company can range considerably, from a few hundred Swiss francs in the case of sole proprietorships or joint partnerships, to higher registration costs for limited liability companies or corporations. A list of Swiss federal fees generally applied for small and medium-sized companies is available at https://www.kmu.admin.ch/kmu/en/home/concrete-know-how/setting-up-sme/starting-business/commercial-register%20/registration-costs.html. However, additional cantonal fees can add significantly to total registration costs, and Public Notary fees may also be necessary, which can also vary considerably by canton.Other steps/procedures for registration include: 1) placing paid-in capital in an escrow account with a bank; 2) drafting articles of association in the presence of a notary public; 3) filing a deed certifying the articles of association with the local commercial register to obtain a legal entity registration; 4) paying the stamp tax at a post office or bank after receiving an assessment by mail; 5) registering for VAT; and 6) enrolling employees in the social insurance system (federal and cantonal authorities).																																				Outward Investment										While Switzerland does not explicitly promote or incentivize outward investment, Switzerland’s export promotion agency Switzerland Global Enterprise facilitates overseas market entry for Swiss companies through its Swiss Business Hubs in several countries, including the United States. Switzerland does not restrict domestic investors from investing abroad.																																												2. Bilateral Investment and Taxation Treaties						    																																															The United States and Switzerland do not have a bilateral investment agreement (BIT) but signed a bilateral Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement on May 25, 2006. This agreement is the primary mechanism for discussions on trade and investment issues between the United States and Switzerland. Switzerland has concluded numerous investment protection treaties with developing and emerging market economies. A total of 127 BITs and 37 relevant Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with investment commitments are in force. See the UNCTAD Investment Policy Hub for a full listing of BITs:  https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/international-investment-agreements Currently, Switzerland (or the EFTA) is in various stages of discussions regarding FTAs with India, Malaysia, MERCOSUR, Moldova, and Vietnam. Negotiations with Algeria, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan customs unions, and Thailand are currently suspended.Switzerland concluded an Income Tax Treaty with the United States in 1996. A 2009 Protocol to this Treaty entered into force in September 2019 after ratification by the U.S. Senate. The protocol allows greater information exchange to bolster tax compliance and combat tax evasion. Details are accessible on the website of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service:  https://www.irs.gov/businesses/international-businesses/switzerland-tax-treaty-documents .Switzerland is a member of the OECD Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). In January 2022, the Swiss Federal Council decided on the basic procedural and material elements for the national implementation of the global minimum tax rate as agreed by 137 of the 141 member jurisdictions in the Inclusive Framework, which include all OECD, G20 and European Union Member States. Due to the ambitious timeline set forth by the OECD, Switzerland plans to introduce these rules by a constitutional amendment, which will require a popular vote expected to take place in June 2023. Based on that vote, the Federal Council intends to then issue a temporary ordinance to implement the minimum tax rate as of January 1, 2024. Thereafter, a law will be prepared through the regular legislative process. This unusual approach is intended to ensure timely implementation and to provide legal certainty to the respective corporations. Swiss cantons will also be permitted to enact policies and incentives designed to ensure that Switzerland remains an attractive business location.																																												3. Legal Regime						    																																																Transparency of the Regulatory System										The Swiss government uses transparent policies and effective laws to foster a competitive investment climate. Proposed laws and regulations are open for three-month public comment from interested parties, interest groups, cantons, and cities before being discussed within the bicameral parliament or promulgated by the appropriate regulatory authority. Authorities take comments into account carefully, particularly since proposals may be subject to optional or automatic referenda that allow Swiss voters to reject or accept the proposals. Only in rare instances – such as the case of the extension of a moratorium until 2025 on planting GMO crops – are regulations reviewed on the basis of political or customer preferences rather than solely on the basis of scientific analysis.																																				International Regulatory Considerations										Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. However, Switzerland adopts many EU standards in line with a series of agreements with the EU.The WTO concluded in 2017 that Switzerland has regularly notified its draft technical regulations, ordinances, and conformity assessment procedures to the WTO TBT Committee. Switzerland has been a signatory to the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) since 2015.																																				Legal System and Judicial Independence										Swiss civil law is codified in the Swiss Civil Code (which governs the status of individuals, family law, inheritance law, and property law) and in the Swiss Code of Obligations (which governs contracts, torts, commercial law, company law, law of checks and other payment instruments). Switzerland’s civil legal system is divided into public and private law. Public law governs the organization of the state, as well as the relationships between the state and private individuals or other entities, such as companies. Constitutional law, administrative law, tax law, criminal law, criminal procedure, public international law, civil procedure, debt enforcement, and bankruptcy law are sub-divisions of public law. Private law governs relationships among individuals or entities. Intellectual property law (copyright, patents, trademarks, etc.) is an area of private law. Labor is governed by both private and public law.All cantons have a high court, which includes a specialized commercial court in four cantons (Zurich, Bern, St. Gallen and Aargau). The organization of the judiciary differs by canton; smaller cantons have only one court, while larger cantons have multiple courts. Cantonal high court decisions can be appealed to the Swiss Supreme Court. The court system is independent, competent, and fair.Switzerland is party to a number of bilateral and multilateral treaties governing the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. The Lugano Convention, a multilateral treaty tying Switzerland to European legal conventions, entered into force in 2011 (replacing an older legal framework by the same name). A set of bilateral treaties is also in place to handle judgments of specific foreign courts. While no such agreement is in place between the United States and Switzerland, Switzerland operates under the New York Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Law, meaning local courts must enforce international arbitration awards under specific circumstances.																																				Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment										The major laws governing foreign investment in Switzerland are the Swiss Code of Obligations, the Lex Friedrich/Koller, Switzerland’s Securities Law, the Cartel Law and the Financial Market Infrastructure Act. There is currently no specific screening of foreign investment beyond a normal anti-trust review. However, Parliament instructed the Federal Council to prepare a foreign investment screening mechanism in March 2020. The Federal Council decided on the basic tenets of Switzerland’s future investment screening mechanism in August 2021, and a draft law is expected to go to Parliament in 2022, with the earliest potential date for entry into force in 2023. There are few sectoral or geographic incentives or restrictions; exceptions are described below in the section on performance requirements and incentives.There is no pronounced interference in the court system that should affect foreign investors.Useful websites:The Swiss Code of Obligations, including an unofficial English translation:  https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19110009/index.html Information on the acquisition of property in Switzerland by persons abroad:  https://www.bj.admin.ch/dam/data/bj/wirtschaft/grundstueckerwerb/lex-e.pdf The Federal Act on Financial Market Infrastructures and Market Conduct in Securities and Derivatives Trading (Unofficial English translation):  https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/20141779/index.html The Federal Act on Cartels and other Restraints of Competition including an unofficial English translation:  https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19950278/index.html Switzerland Global Enterprise provides a “handbook for investors” with the relevant laws:  https://www.s-ge.com/en/publication/handbook-investors/handbook-investors 																																				Competition and Antitrust Laws										The  Swiss Competition Commission  and the  Swiss Takeover Board  review competition-related concerns, and regularly decide on questions concerning mergers, market access, abuse of market position, and other matters affecting competitive advantage. In May and July 2021, the Competition Commission decided on cases involving collusive behavior in public and private tenders in the field of electrical installation and maintenance, and fined Ford Credit Switzerland for unlawful coordination of leasing conditions. The Competition Commission found an amicable conclusion with a German tobacco producer which colluded with several European partners distributors export pans to Switzerland.Decisions by the Swiss Competition Commission may be appealed to the Federal Administrative Court, those by the Swiss Takeover Board to the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).A revision to the Swiss Cartel Act came into force in January 2022, regarding the conduct of companies with relative market power, the freedom of powerful companies to set prices, and geo-blocking practices applies. Under the revised law, all Swiss competition law rules against the abuse of a dominant position will apply not only to dominant companies, but also to companies with relative market power. A new category of abusive pricing by dominant companies and companies with relative market power was also introduced. Further, the geo-blocking of Swiss customers in distance selling and e-commerce is now prohibited.																																				Expropriation and Compensation										There are no known cases of expropriation within Switzerland.																																				Dispute Settlement																										ICSID Convention and New York Convention						Switzerland has been a member of the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) since June 1968, and a member of the New York Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards since June 1965. Switzerland’s Federal Act on Private International Law (Art. 194) sets a minimum standard for the implementation of international arbitration awards in Switzerland.						Investor-State Dispute Settlement						Based on Switzerland’s membership in the New York Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, local courts are entitled to enforce international arbitration awards. According to a  database of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development  (UNCTAD), Switzerland was named as respondent party to an investment dispute in international arbitration for the first time in 2020. The case, Human Rights Defenders v. Switzerland, alleged damages arising from a Swiss decree forbidding the sale of real estate within five years of its purchase and other measures. The case was discontinued in January 2022 on administrative grounds, without substantive finding.						International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts						Swiss courts recognize and enforce foreign arbitral awards in the framework of the  Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards . Post has no knowledge of any investor disputes in Switzerland involving U.S. persons within the last 10 years.As business associations organized at the cantonal level, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, of Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano, Neuchâtel, and Zurich have established the Swiss Arbitration Centre. This entity offers dispute resolution based on Swiss Rules of International Arbitration and Swiss Rules of Commercial Mediation. According to the Swiss Arbitration Centre, 83 cases were submitted in 2020 (latest available data). In 2020, 80 percent of new cases involved international disputes, and 20 percent were Swiss domestic cases.																										Bankruptcy Regulations										Switzerland’s bankruptcy law, the  Federal Act on Debt Enforcement and Bankruptcy  of 11 April 1889 (in German, French and Italian), does not criminalize bankruptcy. Under the bankruptcy law, the same rights and obligations apply to foreign and Swiss contract holders. Swiss authorities provide information about Swiss residents and companies regarding debts registered with the debt collection register.The  Swiss Federal Statute on Private International Law  (PILS, Art. 166-175, in force since January 1, 1989) governs Swiss recognition of foreign insolvency proceedings, including bankruptcies, foreign composition, and arrangements. Swiss law requires reciprocity for recognition of foreign insolvency.																																												4. Industrial Policies						    																																																Investment Incentives										Many of Switzerland’s cantons make significant use of financial incentives to attract investment to their jurisdictions. Some of the more forward-leaning cantons have in the past waived taxes for new firms for up to ten years. However, after criticism by the OECD and European Union, the Federal Council proposed tax reform measures to create an internationally compliant, competitive tax system that became known as “Tax Reform and AHV Financing” (TRAF), which entered into force in January 2020. TRAF obliged Swiss cantons to offer the same corporate tax rates to both Swiss and foreign companies, while allowing cantons to continue to set their own cantonal rates and offer incentives for corporate investment. This can be deductions and preferential tax treatment for certain types of income, such as patents, or expenses, such as research and development.In its latest locational quality survey in 2021, Credit Suisse noted that many cantons offer attractive tax rates, and that the relative advantage of low corporate tax rates between cantons has declined. Under TRAF, effective tax rates of between 12 and 15 percent including municipal, cantonal and federal tax can be expected in most cantons, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. In Zurich, which is sometimes used as a reference point for corporate location tax calculations within Switzerland due to its role as a prominent business center, the combined effective corporate tax rate stood at 19.7% in 2021. The implementation of the OECD/G20 corporate global minimum tax rate of 15%, planned to come in force in Switzerland in January 2024, would decrease Switzerland’s relative tax advantage even further. The Swiss government estimates that 3,000-4,000 companies based in Switzerland would be affected, including 250 Swiss-owned companies. Although countries are likely to have some differences in how they calculate corporate profits, a number of Swiss cantons could come under pressure to raise their corporate tax rates once the measure comes into force. Personal income tax rates may also vary widely across the 26 cantons.Producers of renewable electricity (wind, solar, geothermal and biomass) may benefit from various subsidies, e.g. feed-in tariffs for electricity production, or investment subsidies covering a certain percentage of the investment costs. Large-scale hydropower plants may benefit from special subsidies and other support. Further subsidies are available for geothermal exploration projects, and for the improvement of energy efficiency and ecological rehabilitation. Subsidies for large-scale solar plants are under review in Parliament.																																				Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation										Switzerland’s free ports remain an important hub particularly for art works and collectibles from all over the world. The country has taken steps in recent years to strengthen anti-money laundering measures and minimize the risks of abuse in free ports, to ensure that processes are in line with international standards.																																				Performance and Data Localization Requirements										Switzerland does not mandate local employment, but the work of foreign nationals is subject to work permit regulations. Employees who are citizens of the EU/EFTA area can benefit from the EU Free Movement of Persons Agreement. Permits for people from countries outside the EU/EFTA area, such as U.S. citizens, are restricted to highly qualified personnel.There are no “forced localization” laws designed to require foreign investors to use domestic content in goods or technology (e.g. data storage within Switzerland). In a June 2017 court decision regarding a 2014 Federal Council decision to exclude a foreign competitor from bidding on services related to the government’s critical infrastructure, the court ruled in favor of the Swiss state-owned enterprise involved in the bid. U.S. companies have to date not voiced concerns.Switzerland follows strict privacy laws and certain data may not be collected in Switzerland, as it is deemed personal and “worthy of protection.” The collection of certain data may need to be registered at the office of the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner. Some foreign companies have located data centers in Switzerland due to the country’s strict privacy rules and neutrality. In April 2018, FINMA published an outsourcing circular clarifying regulations for data storage for the banking and insurance sector at:  https://www.finma.ch/en/documentation/circulars/ .On September 8, 2020, the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) of Switzerland issued an  opinion  concluding that the Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework does not provide an adequate level of protection for data transfers from Switzerland to the United States pursuant to Switzerland’s Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). Privacy Shield had provided a framework for companies in both countries since 2017 to comply with data protection requirements when transferring personal data from Switzerland to the United States in support of transatlantic commerce. The Swiss action followed a July 2020 judgment by the Court of Justice of the European Union declaring in the Schrems II case as “invalid” the European Commission’s Decision 2016/1250 of 12 July 2016 on the adequacy of the protection provided by the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. As a result of the FDPIC opinion, organizations wishing to rely on the Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield to transfer personal data from Switzerland to the United States should seek guidance from the FDPIC or legal counsel. Like the EU decision, the FDPIC left open the possibility of data transfers under the EU’s standard contractual clauses. The United States and the European Union announced in March 2022 that they had agreed in principle on a new Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework to foster trans-Atlantic data flows and address the concerns raised by the Court of Justice of the European Union.  The Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework will have a strong impact on a new U.S.-Swiss data privacy framework as well.																																												5. Protection of Property Rights						    																																																Real Property										Physical property rights are recognized and enforced within Switzerland. Restrictions on the  acquisition of real estate by persons  abroad are regulated in the Federal Law on the Acquisition of Real Property by Persons Abroad ( Permit Act ) and the Permit Ordinance. In general, persons abroad require a permit from the competent cantonal authority to acquire real estate. However, not all foreign nationals require a permit; the decisive factor is the nationality, and in some circumstances also the residence status of the foreign person. EU/EFTA nationals and cross-border commuters do not need a permit. Third-country nationals with a residence permit in Switzerland only need a permit for the purchase of second homes or properties for rent.U.S. citizens resident in Switzerland can face obstacles opening obtaining a mortgage. In Switzerland, mortgages may be contingent on whether or not the applicant can obtain a life insurance policy, but U.S. citizens have reported that insurance companies scrutinize applications involving U.S. citizens in great detail due to potential liabilities. This creates additional burdens on mortgage lenders, which may as a result refuse mortgages services to U.S. citizens or offer them at significantly higher rates.Squatting is considered trespassing according to Art. 186 of the Swiss Criminal Code. A partial revision of the Civil Code and the Code of Civil Procedure with the aim of improving the protection of property owners and facilitating expulsions in cases of unlawful squatting is ongoing. Substantial and procedural amendments to the law are pending Parliamentary review and approval.																																				Intellectual Property Rights										Switzerland is one of the world’s top countries for intellectual property rights (IPR) protection overall. It is ranked second in the world in the  2021 International Property Rights Index , and ninth in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s  2021 Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) report . The country’s strong protection for patents, trademarks, and trade secrets also helps Switzerland maintain high rankings in global competitiveness and innovation indices. Switzerland was again ranked  first worldwide for innovation  by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2021.A revision of the Swiss Copyright Act came into force on April 1, 2020, intending to address specific difficulties in Switzerland’s system of online copyright protection and provisions to facilitate civil and criminal enforcement, particularly regarding online infringement. It is now allowed to collect internet protocol (IP) addresses, and the revision also implemented a “take down and stay down” provision. The United States is monitoring the implementation, interpretation, and effectiveness of the newly enacted legislation. In addition, cable TV operators and broadcasters reached an agreement in May 2021 on a tariff for time-shifting services, which came into force on January 1, 2022.Federal customs authorities in Switzerland have the authority to seize counterfeit goods, upon request from the IPR holder or from related interest groups (e.g. professional associations). Goods can be seized for 10 days if there is reasonable suspicion that they are counterfeit. Provisional measures can also be obtained from a Swiss court to ensure evidence is not destroyed. If the destruction of goods is requested by an IPR holder, the owner of the goods can dispute that claim in writing within 10 days. The boom in online trade and tighter border controls during the health crisis have led to a major increase in the number of counterfeit goods seized by federal customs. In 2021, Swiss Customs conducted 5,959 interventions to seize counterfeit commercial goods, up 34 percent from the number of cases in 2020. After travel restrictions eased again, the number of items seized increased again to 33,285 in 2021 from 18,788 in 2020 , most of which were counterfeit bags and watches. In 2021, a total of 11,263 consignments of unauthorized pharmaceuticals were seized, the large majority of which were unauthorized erectile dysfunction medications.Detailed information is available on Swiss Customs website:  https://www.bazg.admin.ch/dam/bazg/en/dokumente/stab/jahreszahlen_2021.pdf.download.pdf/BAZG_Jahreszahlen_F_Z_2021_e.pdf For additional information about national laws and points of contact at local IP offices, please see WIPO’s country profiles at  https://www.wipo.int/directory/en/ .																																												6. Financial Sector						    																																																Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment										The Swiss government’s attitude toward foreign portfolio investment and market structures is positive, resulting in high global rankings by many indices.The SIX Swiss stock exchange based in Zurich is a significant international stock market based on market capitalization.																																				Money and Banking System										Switzerland is home to a sophisticated banking system that provides a high degree of service to both foreign and domestic entities. Switzerland also has an effective regulatory system that encourages and facilitates portfolio investment. The Swiss Bankers Association, which has nearly 300-member financial institutions, estimated that Switzerland’s banking sector managed assets amounting to approximately USD 8.4 trillion in 2020. Switzerland is the global market leader in cross-border private banking, accounting for a quarter of all cross-border assets under management worldwide. The largest banks, UBS and Credit Suisse, have total assets of approximately USD 1 trillion and USD 826 million, respectively, while Raiffeisen Switzerland holds about USD 260 billion and Zurich Cantonal Bank holds roughly USD 209 billion. Switzerland’s independent central bank is the Swiss National Bank (SNB).U.S. citizens who are resident in Switzerland may face difficulties in opening bank accounts at Swiss banks, as some banks seek to avoid the administrative costs of complying with additional regulatory and administrative procedures required for the accounts of U.S. persons under accepted disclosure rules. Many banks, especially smaller ones, assess that the additional compliance costs involved with U.S. citizens exceed the potential benefit they would receive from U.S. accountholder business. As a result, these banks offer limited or no services to U.S. citizens.U.S.-owned companies have also reported that Swiss banks treat them unequally as compared to companies owned by shareholders of other nationalities. One multinational corporation reported that its Swiss subsidiary has long held a corporate account in Switzerland, but the bank was unwilling to set up a business account for its U.S. parent company. In another case, a consortium of international citizens resident in Switzerland, including U.S. citizens, purchased a Swiss company, but reported that the Swiss company’s bank refused to maintain its corporate account as long as there were U.S. citizen shareholders.Several associations provide information about Swiss banks that offer services to U.S. clients. For more information, see the following page at the U.S. Embassy Bern website:  https://ch.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/living-in-ch/banking-resources/.In 2018, the Swiss government created a blockchain task force and endorsed a report on the legal framework for blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) in the financial sector, with the goal of creating favorable conditions for Switzerland to evolve as a leading location for fintech and DLT companies while maintaining anti-money laundering controls. The new “blockchain act,” consisting of company law reforms came into force in February 2021, while legislation on financial market infrastructure upgrades came into force in August 2021. This opens the doors to a fully regulated cryptocurrency and digital securities industry in Switzerland. There are now a wide range of companies in Switzerland that can create and list DLT-compatible digital securities. . In September 2021, for the first time a license was issued in Switzerland for infrastructure to facilitate the trading of digital securities in the form of tokens and their integrated settlement. SIX Digital Exchange AG was authorized to act as a central securities depository, and the associated company SDX Trading AG to act as a stock exchange.																																				Foreign Exchange and Remittances																										Foreign Exchange						In 2015, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) abandoned the Swiss franc’s euro peg (CHF 1.20 / EUR), starting a period of strengthening of the franc over time. Perceived as a “safe haven” currency, the franc often strengthens during times of economic downturn or crisis. As of March 2022, the franc traded at just over CHF 1.03 / EUR, and just over CHF 0.94 / USD.Since 2015, the SNB has attempted to limit the excessive strengthening of the franc by instituting a negative interest rate for commercial bank deposits at the SNB, currently set at -0.75 percent, while continuing an expansionary monetary policy through intervention in the foreign currency market.In December 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department concluded in its semi-annual Foreign Exchange Policies report that Switzerland had manipulated its currency under the terms of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 and the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015. However, subsequent U.S. Treasury reports in April and December 2021 did not find that Switzerland met all criteria used to determine currency manipulation. The SNB has assessed that the franc is “highly valued,” and has said it would maintain its current monetary and foreign exchanges policies as needed to stabilize the economy and prices. The strength of the franc lowers effective prices of imports to Switzerland, but also harms Swiss competitiveness as an export-oriented economy.						Remittance Policies						There are currently no restrictions on converting, repatriating, or transferring funds associated with an investment (including remittances of capital, earnings, loan repayments, lease payments, royalties) into a freely usable currency at the legal market clearing rate.																										Sovereign Wealth Funds										Switzerland does not have a sovereign wealth fund or an asset management bureau.																																												7. State-Owned Enterprises						    																																															The Swiss Confederation is the largest or sole shareholder in Switzerland’s five state-owned enterprises (SOEs), active in the areas of ground transportation (SBB), information and communication (Swiss Post, Swisscom), defense (RUAG, which was divided into two companies in January 2020 – see below), and aviation / air traffic control (Skyguide). These companies are typically responsible for “public function mandates,” but may also cover commercial activities (e.g., Swisscom in the area of telecommunications).These SOEs typically have commercial relationships with private industry. Private sector competitors can compete with the SOEs under the same terms and conditions with respect to access to markets, credit, and other business operations. Additional publicly owned enterprises are controlled by the cantons in the areas of energy, water supply, and a number of subsectors. SOEs and canton-owned companies may benefit from exclusive rights and privileges (some of which are listed in Table A 3.2 of the most recent WTO Trade Policy Review &#8211;  https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp455_e.htm ).Switzerland is a party to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). Some areas are partly or fully exempted from the GPA, such as the management of drinking water, energy, transportation, telecommunications, and defense. Private companies may encounter difficulties gaining business in these exempted sectors.																																				Privatization Program										In the aftermath of a 2016 cyberattack, the Federal Council reviewed Swiss defense and aerospace company RUAG’s structure in light of cybersecurity concerns for the Swiss military, and decided in June 2018 to split the company. RUAG was split into two holding companies as of January 1, 2020. A smaller company, MRO Switzerland, remains state-owned and provides essential technology and systems support to the Swiss military. A larger company, RUAG International, includes non-armaments aviation and aerospace businesses, and will be gradually fully privatized in the medium term, according to the Swiss government.																																												8. Responsible Business Conduct						    																																															The Swiss Confederation and Swiss companies are generally aware of the importance of pursuing due diligence to responsible business conduct (RBC) and demonstrating corporate social responsibility (CSR). In response to criticism from civil society about the business practices of Swiss companies abroad, the Swiss government commissioned a series of reports on the government’s role in ensuring CSR, particularly in the commodities sector, and in December 2016 published a national action plan in conjunction with its commitments under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ( https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-64884.html ). In June 2017, the Swiss government concluded that Switzerland promotes voluntary principles, such as the upholding of human rights standards, and also supports including mandatory CSR market incentives, such as minimum conditions for the protection of workers abroad, in forthcoming legislation. In January 2020, the Swiss government approved the  CSR Action Plan 2020-2023 , which covers sixteen measures – particularly promoting sustainability reporting and due diligence by companies, stakeholder dialogue, and the alignment of private section CSR instruments with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.The latest updates on corporate social responsibility are available on  https://www.seco.admin.ch/seco/en/home/Aussenwirtschaftspolitik_Wirtschaftliche_Zusammenarbeit/Wirtschaftsbeziehungen/Gesellschaftliche_Verantwortung_der_Unternehmen.html In November 2020, a referendum known as the “Responsible Business Initiative,” which would have placed new obligations on Swiss companies to protect human rights and the environment internationally, was narrowly rejected by Swiss voters. Instead, a proposal of Parliament came into force in January 2022, obliging covered companies to report on environmental and labor issues, human rights and the fight against corruption and to exercise due diligence with regard to conflict minerals and child labor. After a one-year transition period, the new reporting obligations will apply as of 2023, and companies will submit their first reports in2024. Also, Swiss companies involved in minerals extraction abroad are required to source all minerals in compliance with international labor standards and applicable environmental laws, and must report on measures to ensure their international activities do not involve or support child labor.In March 2021, Swiss voters approved a free trade agreement between Indonesia and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member. The agreement requires that any palm oil imported under preferential tariffs be produced sustainably. This is said to be the first-ever agreement of its type that links trade preferences to sustainable methods of production.Switzerland ranked 3rd out of 180 countries in the 2020 Yale University-based Environmental Performance Index (EPI).The Swiss government implements the OECD Due Diligence Guide for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict and High-Risk Areas. Switzerland is a member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and supports the Better Gold Initiative, which promotes responsible gold mining in Peru, Bolivia and Colombia. Switzerland’s Point of Contact for the OECD Guidelines at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) may be contacted at:  https://mneguidelines.oecd.org/ncps/switzerland.htm . Information about the Swiss Better Gold Association is available at:  https://www.swissbettergold.ch .Switzerland has signed a number of nonbinding agreements outlining best practices for corporations, including the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers. The latter was the result of a multi-stakeholder initiative launched by Switzerland.Switzerland is also a signatory state of the Montreux Document, a non-binding instrument on the obligations of states under international law with regard to the activities of private military and security companies.																																				Additional Resources										Department of StateCountry Reports on Human Rights Practices;Trafficking in Persons Report;Guidance on Implementing the &#8220;UN Guiding Principles&#8221; for Transactions Linked to Foreign Government End-Users for Products or Services with Surveillance Capabilities;U.S. National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; and;Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory Department of the TreasuryOFAC Recent ActionsDepartment of LaborFindings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor Report;List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor;Sweat &amp; Toil: Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking Around the World and;Comply Chain.																																				Climate Issues										In 2019, Switzerland set a 2050 target for net-zero emissions, and in January 2021 it adopted a corresponding Long-Term Climate Strategy, which sets out climate policy guidelines up to 2050 and establishes strategic targets for key sectors. The strategy presents development scenarios and strategic targets up to 2050 for the buildings, industry, transport, agricultural and food sectors, financial markets, aviation, and the waste industry. Additionally, in February 2020, Switzerland updated and enhanced its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to reflect the latest findings by the IPCC indicating a need to reduce global CO2 emissions by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, and to achieve full carbon neutrality by 2050 in order to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.In June 2021, the Swiss population rejected a revision of the country’s CO2 Act in a referendum. The revised Act aimed to further reduce CO2 output in Switzerland by at least 50% by 2030 in line with the commitments made under the Paris Climate Agreement. However, observers believe the Act was rejected because it relied strongly on new taxes on fossil fuels, which were argued to disproportionately affect residents of rural areas. The Federal Council introduced a new revision of the CO2 Act to parliament in December 2021, relying more on incentives investments rather than taxes.In August 2021, the Federal Council set the parameters for future binding disclosure requirements in line with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Public companies, banks, and insurance companies with 500 or more employees more than CHF 20 million (USD 2.13 million) in total assets, or more than CHF 40 million ($4.25 million) in turnover will be required to publicly report on all climate issues. A draft law should be prepared by mid-2022. The Swiss government also issued guidance that asset managers should publish their methodology and strategy for weighing climate and environmental risks when managing clients’ assets.Switzerland currently ranks 5 out of 34 countries in ITIF’s Global Energy Innovation Index, and 19 out of 76 countries in MIT’s Technology Review’s Green Future Index. Switzerland currently ranks 8 out of 29 European countries in the Global Green Growth Index of the Global Green Growth Institute.																																												9. Corruption						    																																															Switzerland is ranked 7th of 180 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2021, reflecting low perceptions of corruption in society. Under Swiss law, officials are not to accept anything that would “challenge their independence and capacity to act.” In case of non-compliance the law foresees criminal penalties, including imprisonment for up to five years, for official corruption, and the government generally implements these laws effectively. The bribery of public officials is governed by the Swiss Criminal Code (Art. 322), while the bribery of private individuals is governed by the Federal Law Against Unfair Competition. The law defines as granting an “undue advantage” either in exchange for a specific act, or in some cases for future behavior not related to a specific act. Some officials may receive small gifts valued at no more than CHF 200 or CHF 300 for an entire year, which are not seen as “undue.” However, officials in some fields, such as financial regulators, may receive no advantages at all. Transparency International has recommended that a maximum sum should be set at the federal level.Investigating and prosecuting government corruption is a federal responsibility. A majority of cantons require members of cantonal parliaments to disclose their interests. A joint working group comprising representatives of various federal government agencies works under the leadership of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to combat corruption. Some multinational companies have set up internal hotlines to enable staff to report problems anonymously.Switzerland ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2009. Swiss government experts believe this ratification did not result in significant domestic changes, since passive and active corruption of public servants was already considered a crime under the Swiss Criminal Code.A review by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in 2017 recommended the adoption of a code of ethics/conduct, together with awareness-raising measures, for members of the federal parliament, judges, and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to avoid conflict of interests. These measures needed to be accompanied by a reinforced monitoring of members of parliament’s compliance with their obligations. In March 2018, the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions recommended that Switzerland adopt an appropriate legal framework to protect private sector whistleblowers from discrimination and disciplinary action, to ensure that sanctions imposed for foreign bribery against natural and legal persons are effective, proportionate, and dissuasive, and to ensure broader and more systematic publication of concluded foreign bribery cases. The OECD Working Group positively highlighted Switzerland’s proactive policy on seizure and confiscation, its active involvement in mutual legal assistance, and its role as a promoter of cooperation in field of foreign bribery. Regarding detection, the OECD Working Group commended the key role played by the Swiss Financial Intelligence Unit (MROS) in detecting foreign bribery.A number of Swiss federal administrative authorities are involved in combating bribery. The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) deals with issues relating to the OECD Convention. The Federal Office of Justice deals with those relating to the Council of Europe Convention, while the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (MFA) deals with the UN Convention. The power to prosecute and judge corruption offenses is shared between the relevant Swiss canton and the federal government. For the federal government, the competent authorities are the Office of the Attorney General, the Federal Criminal Court, and the Federal Police. In the cantons, the relevant actors are the cantonal judicial authorities and the cantonal police forces.In 2001, Switzerland signed the Council of Europe’s Criminal Law Convention on Corruption. In 1997, Switzerland signed the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, which entered into force in 2000. Switzerland signed the UN Convention against Corruption in 2003. Switzerland ratified the UN Anticorruption Convention in 2009.In order to implement the Council of Europe convention, the Swiss parliament amended the Penal Code to make bribery of foreign public officials a federal offense (Title Nineteen “Bribery”); these amendments entered into force in 2000. In accordance with the revised 1997 OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, the Swiss parliament amended legislation as of 2001 on direct taxes of the Confederation, cantons, and townships to prohibit the tax deductibility of bribes.Switzerland maintains an effective legal and policy framework to combat domestic corruption. U.S. firms investing in Switzerland have not raised with the Embassy any corruption concerns in recent years.																																				Resources to Report Corruption										Government Agency Contact:Michel HuissoudDirectorSwiss Federal Audit OfficeMonbijoustrasse 453003 Bern / SwitzerlandPh. +41 58 463 10 35Messages can be submitted via  https://www.bkms-system.ch/bkwebanon/report/clientInfo?cin=5efk11 “Watchdog” Organization Contact:Martin HiltiExecutive DirectorTransparency International SwitzerlandSchanzeneckstrasse 25P.O. Box 85093001 Bern / SwitzerlandPh. +41 31 382 3550E-Mail: info@transparency.ch																																												10. Political and Security Environment						    																																															There is minimal risk from civil unrest in Switzerland. Protests do occur in Switzerland, but authorities carefully monitor protest activities. Urban areas regularly experience demonstrations, mostly on global trade and political issues, and some occasionally sparked by U.S. foreign policy. Protests held during the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) occasionally draw participants from several countries in Europe. Historically, demonstrations have been peaceful, with protestors registering for police permits. Protestors have blocked traffic; spray-painted areas with graffiti, and on rare occasions, clashed with police. Political extremist or anarchist groups sometimes instigate civil unrest. Right-wing activists have targeted refugees/asylum seekers/foreigners, and more recently have organized protests against COVID-19 restrictions. Meanwhile, left-wing activists (who historically have demonstrated a greater propensity toward violence) usually target organizations involved with globalization, alleged fascism, and alleged police repression. Swiss police have at their disposal tear gas and water cannons, which are rarely used.																																												11. Labor Policies and Practices						    																																															The Swiss labor force is highly educated and highly skilled. The Swiss economy is capital intensive and geared toward high value-added products and services. In 2021, 77.2 percent of the workforce was employed in services, 20.4 percent in manufacturing, and 2.4 percent in agriculture. Full-time work compared to part-time work is more prevalent among foreign workers than among Swiss workers: 40.4 percent of the Swiss population works part-time, compared to 27.8 percent of the foreign working population. Part-time work is three times more common among women than men. Wages in Switzerland are among the highest in the world. Switzerland continues to observe International Labor Organization (ILO) core conventions. Government regulations cover maximum work hours, minimum length of holidays, sick leave, compulsory military service, contract termination, and other requirements. There is no federal minimum wage law.Foreigners fill not only low-skilled, low-wage jobs, but also highly technical positions in the manufacturing and service industries. In 2021, foreigners account for 26.4 percent of Switzerland’s labor force estimated at about 4.7 million people. Many foreign nationals are long-time Swiss residents who have not applied for or been granted Swiss citizenship. Foreign seasonal workers take many lower-wage jobs in agriculture. Switzerland has one of the smallest informal economies in Europe, accounting for approximately 6% of GDP since 2016.In the wake of a 2014 referendum to impose limits on immigration, the government introduced a series of measures aimed at bringing traditionally underemployed groups into the labor market – women, older job seekers, refugees, and temporarily accepted asylum seekers. In 2018 the Federal Council implemented a parliamentary decision that companies in sectors with more than 5 percent unemployment provide information on job openings to government-run employment centers, which make the openings available to cross-border commuters and EU nationals as well.Trade union density – the percentage of the workforce represented by trade unions – is on the decline in Switzerland, according to OECD data. From over 20 percent in 2000, trade union density had fallen to 14.4 percent by 2018, according to the OECD (latest data available). Labor-management relations are generally constructive, with a general willingness on both sides to settle disputes by negotiation rather than labor action. According to the Federal Office of Statistics, some 581 collective agreements were in force in Switzerland in March 2018 (latest data available). Of these, approximately 64 percent concern the services sector, 34 percent the manufacturing sector, and one percent the agricultural sector; these are usually renewed without major difficulties. Trade unions continue to promote a wider coverage of collective agreements for the Swiss labor force. Although the number of workdays lost to strikes in Switzerland is among the lowest in the OECD, Swiss trade unions have encouraged workers to strike on several occasions in recent years. A general prohibition on strikes by Swiss public servants was repealed in 2000, although restrictions remain in place in a few cantons. The Federal Council may now only restrict or prohibit the right to strike where it affects the security of the state, external relations, or the supply of vital goods to the country.In difficult economic times, employers may temporarily shift full-time employees to part-time by registering with cantonal authorities and justifying reductions as necessary to business activities. This practice, known as Kurzarbeit (“short-time work”), allows for the government to make partial salary payments through the unemployment insurance fund. Employees can reject the shift to part-time work, but risk dismissal in that case. Kurzarbeit became widespread with the onset of the COVD-19 crisis and the temporary shutdown of wide segments of the Swiss economy in 2020. By October 2021 this was drastically reduced to 48,264 affected employees from 7,917 companies, compared to 1.91 million employees in May and 219,388 in October 2020. . The Swiss government has continued expanded financial support for the Kurzarbeit program throughout the pandemic.Switzerland’s average unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in 2020 under ILO Labor Force Survey methodology, while according to Swiss authorities registered unemployment in 2021 was 3.0 percent. Cantons bordering EU countries experience higher unemployment rates than Switzerland as a whole.																																												12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs						    																																															Switzerland does not currently have any DFC projects.																																												13. Foreign Direct Investment Statistics						    																																															The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC – formerly the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, OPIC) has no agreement with Switzerland. Switzerland is a member of the World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); the country has not signed a political risk insurance agreement with any Western European country or the United States.Table 2: Key Macroeconomic Data, U.S. FDI in Host Country/EconomyHost Country Statistical source*USG or international statistical sourceUSG or International Source of Data:BEA; IMF; Eurostat; UNCTAD, OtherEconomic DataYearAmountYearAmount Host Country Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ($M USD)2020$752,2482020$2,953,000www.worldbank.org/en/countryForeign Direct InvestmentHost Country Statistical source*USG or international statistical sourceUSG or international Source of data:BEA; IMF; Eurostat; UNCTAD, OtherU.S. FDI in partner country ($M USD, stock positions)2020$212b2020N/ABEA data available athttps://apps.bea.gov/international/factsheet/Host country’s FDI in the United States ($M USD, stock positions)2020$300b2020N/ABEA data available athttps://www.bea.gov/international/direct-investment-and-multinational-enterprises-comprehensive-dataTotal inbound stock of FDI as % host GDP205.5%51.6%UNCTAD data available athttps://unctad.org/topic/investment/world-investment-report  Average exchange rate for 2021: 1 USD = 0.912 CHFAverage exchange rate for 2020: 1 USD = 0.939 CHF* Source:  Federal Office of Statistics , Swiss National Bank**Significant statistical discrepancies are due to methodological differences in measuring foreign direct investment. Data most recent available. Swiss data based on ultimate beneficial ownership.Table 3: Sources and Destination of FDIDirect Investment from/in Counterpart Economy DataFrom Top Five Sources/To Top Five Destinations (2020) (US Dollars, Millions)Inward Direct InvestmentOutward Direct InvestmentTotal Inward4,626,452100%Total Outward6,152,301100%Japan647,71814%United States890,08614.4%Canada 490,769 10.6%The Netherlands843,95413.7%United Kingdom48687910.5%Luxembourg759,36012.3%The Netherlands48399110.4%Canada422,1606.8%Germany411,3088.8%Ireland390,2745.8%&#8220;0&#8221; reflects amounts rounded to +/- USD 500,000.																																												14. Contact for More Information						    																																															Theodore FisherEconomic/Commercial OfficerU.S. Embassy in Bern, Sulgeneckstrasse 19, 3003 Bern+41 31 357 7011Business-bern@state.gov																																				    							View report by:																				Albania											Algeria											Andorra											Angola											Antigua and Barbuda											Argentina											Armenia											Australia											Singapore											Austria											Azerbaijan											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Barbados											Belarus											Belgium											Belize											Benin											Bolivia											Bosnia and Herzegovina											Botswana											Brazil											Brunei											Bulgaria											Burkina Faso											Burma											Burundi											Cabo Verde											Cambodia											Cameroon											Canada											Chad											Chile											China											Colombia											Costa Rica											Côte d’Ivoire											Croatia											Cyprus											Czechia											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Denmark											Djibouti											Dominica											Dominica											Dominican Republic											Ecuador											Egypt											El Salvador											Equatorial Guinea											Eritrea											Estonia											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Fiji											Finland											France and Monaco											Gabon											Georgia											Germany											Ghana											Greece											Grenada											Guatemala											Guinea											Guyana											Haiti											Honduras											Hong Kong											Hungary											Iceland											India											Indonesia											Iraq											Ireland											Israel											Italy											Jamaica											Japan											Jordan											Kazakhstan											Kenya											Kosovo											Kuwait											Kyrgyz Republic											Laos											Latvia											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Lithuania											Luxembourg											Macau											Malawi											Maldives											Mali											Malta											Mauritania											Mauritius											Mexico											Micronesia											Moldova											Mongolia											Montenegro											Morocco											Mozambique											Namibia											Nepal											New Zealand											Nicaragua											Niger											Nigeria											North Macedonia											Norway											Oman											Pakistan											Palau											Panama											Papua New Guinea											Paraguay											Peru											Poland											Portugal											Qatar											Republic of the Congo											Romania											Rwanda											Saint Kitts and Nevis											Saint Lucia											Saint Vincent and the Grenadines											Samoa											Sao Tome and Principe											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Serbia											Sierra Leone											Seychelles											Slovakia											Slovenia											Somalia											South Africa											South Korea											South Sudan											Spain											Sri Lanka											Sudan											Suriname											Sweden											Switzerland and Liechtenstein											Taiwan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Thailand											The Bahamas											The Gambia											The Netherlands											The Philippines											Timor-Leste											Togo											Trinidad and Tobago											Tunisia											Turkey											Turkmenistan											Uganda											United Arab Emirates											United Kingdom											Uruguay											Uzbekistan											Vietnam											West Bank and Gaza											Zambia											Zimbabwe															Build A Custom Report																						On This Page				search													>																										Executive Summary																1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																							Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																						Business Facilitation																																																						Outward Investment																																																			2. Bilateral Investment and Taxation Treaties																																																	3. Legal Regime																																							Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																						International Regulatory Considerations																																																						Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																						Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Competition and Antitrust Laws																																																						Expropriation and Compensation																																																						Dispute Settlement																																																				ICSID Convention and New York Convention																																												Investor-State Dispute Settlement																																												International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts																																																																																				Bankruptcy Regulations																																																			4. Industrial Policies																																							Investment Incentives																																																						Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																						Performance and Data Localization Requirements																																																			5. Protection of Property Rights																																							Real Property																																																						Intellectual Property Rights																																																			6. Financial Sector																																							Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																						Money and Banking System																																																						Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																				Foreign Exchange																																												Remittance Policies																																																																																				Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																			7. State-Owned Enterprises																																																				Privatization Program																																																			8. Responsible Business Conduct																																																				Additional Resources																																																						Climate Issues																																																			9. Corruption																																																				Resources to Report Corruption																																																			10. Political and Security Environment																																																	11. Labor Policies and Practices																																																	12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs																																																	13. Foreign Direct Investment Statistics																																																	14. Contact for More Information																																																							Tags																					Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																								Liechtenstein																								Switzerland
- Liechtenstein HomeReportsOffice of International Religious Freedom2021 Report on International Religious Freedom&#8230;Liechtenstein				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2021 Report on International Religious Freedom: Liechtenstein																																					Office of International Religious Freedom																								June 2, 2022																																																																																			Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							Executive Summary																																													Executive Summary																															Section I. Religious Demography																																																																																		Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																																									Legal Framework																																																																											Government Practices																																																																																	Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																																																		Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																																																																								Executive Summary				The constitution stipulates everyone is free to choose his or her faith.  It makes the state responsible for “protecting the religious...interests of the people” and establishes Roman Catholicism as the state religion.  The constitution stipulates individuals may practice other religious faiths within the bounds of morality and public order.  There are criminal penalties for public incitement to hatred towards a religious group, religious discrimination, or “debasement” of any religion.  The Liechtenstein Human Rights Association (LHRA) continued to report the government took no additional steps toward separating religion and state in terms of financing religious communities and religious instruction in public schools.  Prime Minister Daniel Risch announced after his election in March his intent to revisit this issue during the current legislative session.  On January 27, government officials invited the entire population to attend virtually an event in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, hosted by former foreign minister Katrin Eggenberger.  According to an analysis conducted by the Swiss Competence Center for Human Rights in May 2020, the government promoted religious pluralism and enhanced support for religious equality through increased assistance in integrating immigrants of different faiths, including Muslims.According to the Liechtenstein Institute, Muslims continued to face discrimination in society, particularly Muslim women in the labor force who wore a headscarf, especially in academia.  The Muslim community reported it had problems constructing a second prayer room, creating an Islamic cemetery, and operating a prayer house, due in part to government inaction, but also due to the reluctance of private property owners.  Additionally, limited availability of available building plots and high property prices made finding a suitable location difficult.  As a result, the Islamic Community of Liechtenstein met in Sevelen, directly across the border in Switzerland.  The Islamic Community of Liechtenstein filed a petition in August calling for the establishment of an Islamic cemetery and a prayer room.  Parliament received the petition, called “Equality for Muslims,” favorably and referred it to the government for a final decision.  According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), religious groups in every municipality continued to open their chapels to other denominations and faiths upon request, including to Orthodox and Islamic groups.  For example, the Catholic church in Schaan continued to make its church available to the Christian Orthodox community to hold an Orthodox Easter Sunday service.The U.S. embassy in Bern, Switzerland, which is responsible for diplomatic relations with the country, continued to encourage the promotion of religious freedom in discussions with the MFA, focusing primarily on a second prayer room and Islamic cemetery.  Embassy staff also discussed religious freedom issues with the LHRA, such as what the organization saw as the extent of societal discrimination and the difficulties Muslims encountered in establishing religious houses of worship and cemeteries.																														Section I.													 Religious Demography												    																																															The U.S. government estimates the total population at 39,000 (midyear 2021).  According to the 2020 census, religious group membership is as follows:  70 percent Roman Catholic, 8 percent Protestant Reformed, 6 percent Muslim, and 10 percent with no religious affiliation.According to the Liechtenstein Institute, a majority of Muslims is Sunni, predominantly immigrants and descendants of immigrants from Turkey, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia.  Muslims are organized in three associations:  the Turkish-Islamic Community Liechtenstein; the Turkish-Islamic Cultural Association; and the Islamic Community Liechtenstein.  The Jewish community consists of fewer than 20 individuals.  Immigrants, who comprise approximately one-third of the country’s population, come mainly from Switzerland and Austria and belong predominantly to the same religious groups as native-born citizens.																																					Section II.													 Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																																Legal Framework										The constitution states that all persons shall have the freedom to choose their faith, and the state shall be responsible for ‘‘protecting the religious...interests of the people.”  The constitution specifies Roman Catholicism is the state religion, which “shall enjoy full protection from the state.”  The constitution stipulates other religious denominations may practice their beliefs and hold religious services “within the bounds of morality and public order.”The state and municipalities provide the Catholic Church with certain unique benefits that vary by municipality, including financial support and state maintenance of buildings and grounds owned by the Church.  Priests are employees of the municipalities.  The Protestant Reformed Church and the Reformed-Lutheran Church also receive financial support from the state and municipalities.There is no law requiring the registration of religious groups.  Religious groups other than the Catholic Church may organize themselves as private associations, which enables registration in the commercial registry.  Religious groups, however, must register to receive government funding for such activities as providing religious education in schools or executing projects to promote social integration of religious minorities, such as offering language courses for foreigners.  To register in the commercial registry, the association must submit an official letter of application to the Office Justice, within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Justice, to include the organization’s name, purpose, board members, and head office location, as well as a memorandum of association based on local law, a trademark certification, and a copy of the organization’s statutes.All religious groups are exempt from certain taxes.  The government has not indicated how it determines whether groups not registered in the commercial registry are religious groups entitled to the tax exemptions.The law prohibits the slaughter of animals without anesthetization, making kosher and halal slaughter illegal.  Importation of such meat is legal.The criminal code prohibits any form of public incitement to hatred or discrimination against, or disparagement of, any religion or its adherents by spoken, written, visual, or electronic means.  The criminal code also prohibits the denial, trivialization, and justification of genocide and other crimes against humanity by spoken, written, visual, or electronic means.  Penalties may include a prison sentence of up to two years.  The criminal code prohibits refusing service to a person or group of persons based on religious affiliation as well as membership in any association that aims to promote discrimination against a person or persons based on religious affiliation.The law requires the inclusion of religious education in the primary and secondary public school curriculum.  Catholic or Protestant Reformed religious education is compulsory in all primary schools.  Parents may request exemptions for their children, without providing a reason, from the Office of Education, which is part of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Education, and Sports.  Children exempted from religious education or who are neither Catholic nor Protestant must attend a class called “Ethics and Religions.”  The law also grants the Office of Education the right to organize and finance Islamic education as an elective in public primary schools.  Catholic, Protestant Reformed, and Muslim groups provide the teachers for religious instruction, and the Office of Education pays for some or all of their salaries.  The Catholic Church determines the Catholic curriculum, with minimal supervision from municipalities.  Other religious groups registered as associations may provide teachers for optional religious classes if there is a demand for them and may apply for partial funding of the teachers’ salaries from the government’s integration budget.At the secondary school level, parents and students may choose between a Catholic religious education course, which the government finances and the Catholic religious community organizes, and a general course in religion and culture taught from a sociological perspective.To receive residency permits, foreign religious workers must have completed theological studies, command a basic level of German, belong to a “nationally known” religious group (the law does not define “nationally known”), and be sponsored by a resident clergy member of the same religious group.The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.																																				Government Practices										Prime Minister Risch, who entered office on March 25, said he intended during the current legislative period ending in 2025 to revisit the issue of separation of religion and state, specifically in the areas of financing for religious communities and the design of denominational religious instruction, which varied among religious communities.  The most recent effort to change the legal framework concerning the relationship between religion and state occurred in 2012.  According to sources, the legislation did not enter into force because two of the country’s 11 municipalities could not agree with the Archdiocese of Vaduz on property rights, which prevented the conclusion of a concordat between the Catholic Church and the Holy See.According to an analysis published by the Swiss Competence Center for Human Rights in May 2020, the government promoted religious pluralism and enhanced support for religious equality through increased assistance in integrating immigrants of different faiths, including Muslims.  The center undertook the analysis at the government’s request.Media and the LHRA reported that efforts to build another prayer room, an Islamic cemetery, and a community house with a prayer room remained pending.  The LHRA said that while reluctance from potential property owners and local authorities remained a problem, another challenge was also the limited number of suitable properties.  In August, the Islamic Community of Liechtenstein filed a petition entitled “Equality for Muslims” with parliament, calling for an Islamic cemetery and a prayer room.  Parliament responded favorably and referred the petition to the government in September for a final decision.  The executive council, which includes the Prime Minister and four Ministers, is responsible for making the final decision.All religious groups, including Muslims, were able to bury their dead in cemeteries owned by municipalities.Public schools continued to include Holocaust education as part of their curriculum.  In January, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, sixth grade students at one secondary school attended a virtual tour of the former concentration camp Dachau.According to the MFA, 49 elementary school students attended Islamic religious education in the 2020-21 school year, compared with 42 students offered in the previous school year.Funding for religious institutions continued to derive mainly from the municipalities.  Municipalities provided the Catholic and Protestant Reformed Churches annual subsidies in proportion to their membership.  The MFA stated that municipalities allocated funding for specific purposes, such as paying the rent for places of worship, and it remained in regular contact with religious representatives regarding the funding.  The Liechtenstein Institute noted that while taxes helped to finance Catholic and Protestant churches, Muslim associations did not receive any funding from the state or municipalities.  The MFA noted that with the exception of the Catholic Church, religious communities are defined as private associations and may apply for state funding.  According to the MFA, state support for Islamic religious communities is tied to the condition that the communities establish a joint umbrella organization.  As no umbrella organization existed by year’s end, the three Muslim associations active in the country did not receive direct financial support from the government.The government immigration and passport office continued to issue residency permits to religious workers, valid for five years, instead of visas.  Religious workers from Schengen area member countries did not require permits or visas.On January 27, the government invited the entire population to attend a virtual event in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day hosted by former foreign minister Katrin Eggenberger.																																					Section III.													 Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																															There was one prayer room in the country, which was operated by the Turkish-Islamic Community of Liechtenstein in leased space in Triesen.  The Islamic Community of Liechtenstein used a prayer room in Sevelen, in neighboring Switzerland.  Members of the Islamic Community told media that the Muslim associations wanted to open a second prayer room and an Islamic burial site, but they were unable to obtain land and proper permits due in part to the reluctance of private property owners.According to the MFA, religious groups in every municipality opened their chapels to other denominations and faiths upon request, including to Orthodox and Islamic groups.  For example, the Catholic church in Schaan continued to make its facilities available to the Christian Orthodox community to hold an Orthodox Easter Sunday service.  According to the MFA, there was no centralized information on whether and how select religious groups allowed other faiths to use their places of worship.According to the Liechtenstein Institute, Muslims continued to face discrimination in society, particularly Muslim women in the labor force who wore a headscarf, especially in academia.  One Muslim woman reported that her landlord wanted to terminate the lease immediately upon discovering that she wore a headscarf.  The institute said societal discrimination persisted due to prejudices associating Muslims with ISIS or Islamic extremism.																																					Section IV.													 U.S. Government Policy and Engagement												    																																															Embassy staff continued to discuss ways to promote religious freedom with the MFA’s specialist for human rights and international law, focusing on access to religious education by different religious groups, particularly the Muslim community, and the establishment of religious infrastructure, such as Islamic burial sites and an additional prayer room.Embassy staff continued to discuss the effects on religious practices of the lack of separation between religion and state, an Islamic cemetery, and space for prayer rooms, as well as the extent of societal discrimination, with the Liechtenstein Institute and the LHRA.  During a September visit to the country, embassy staff discussed with the MFA and LHRA suggestions put forward by the Muslim community to the government to facilitate their religious practices in the country, such as the establishment of an Islamic cemetery and additional space for prayer rooms.																																				    							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Religious Demography																																																	Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																							Legal Framework																																																						Government Practices																																																			Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																	Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																							Tags																					Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																								Liechtenstein																								Office of International Religious Freedom																																Religious Freedom
- Liechtenstein HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Liechtenstein				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Liechtenstein																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																								Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies																																																								Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																																																																		f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																								Academic Freedom and Cultural Events																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons																																																																											f. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																																												Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																																																		Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																																																		Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Children																																																																											Anti-Semitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				The Principality of Liechtenstein is a multiparty constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government. Prince Hans Adam II is the official head of state, although Hereditary Prince Alois performs the day-to-day duties of head of state, exercising the rights of office on behalf of the reigning prince. The unicameral parliament (Landtag) nominates, and the monarch appoints, members of the government. Five ministers, two from the Progressive Citizens’ Party and three from the Patriotic Union Party, formed a coalition government following free and fair parliamentary elections on February 8.The national police maintain internal security and report to the Department of Civil Defense. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. There were no reports of abuses committed by members of the national police.There were no reports of significant human rights abuses.The government had mechanisms in place to identify and punish officials who may commit human rights abuses or engage in corruption.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment										The constitution and law prohibit such practices, and there were no reports that government officials employed them. There were no reports of impunity in the security forces.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						There were no significant reports regarding prison or detention center conditions that raised human rights concerns.Pursuant to bilateral treaties with Austria and Switzerland, the country’s authorities accommodated Liechtenstein long-term prisoners in Austria and confined prisoners undergoing release procedures in detention centers in Switzerland.Individuals undergoing pretrial detention or awaiting deportation and extradition continued to be held in the country’s only prison, which had a 20-bed capacity. Since the facility served as a short-term prison, authorities asserted they could not always separate different categories of detainees. Female detainees had their own section with four beds. Due to lack of space and the generally low number of juvenile detainees, authorities usually accommodated juveniles in the women’s ward. According to the Liechtenstein Human Rights Association (LHRA), some juveniles faced long-term imprisonment in Austrian facilities far away from their families or were held in Austrian prisons with adults. In 2020 offenses committed by juveniles increased, which raised the number of juveniles held in Austria during the year.Physical Conditions: There were no major concerns in the prison or asylum center regarding physical conditions or inmate abuse.Administration: Authorities conducted investigations of credible allegations of mistreatment.Independent Monitoring: The government permitted monitoring by independent nongovernmental observers, including local human rights groups, media, and the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), among others. The CPT last visited the country in 2016.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention and provide for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court. The government generally observed these requirements.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						Police detain a suspect based on an arrest warrant issued by the national court. According to the law, every detainee must be informed of the reasons for the detention at the time of detention or immediately thereafter. Within 48 hours of arrest, police must bring suspects before an examining magistrate, who must either file formal charges or order the suspect’s release. Authorities respected this right. The law permits the release of suspects on personal recognizance or bail unless the examining magistrate has reason to believe the suspect represents a danger to society or will not appear for trial. Alternatives to bail include supervision by a probation officer and restrictions on movement. The law grants suspects the right to a lawyer of their own choosing during pretrial detention, and the government provided lawyers at its own expense to indigent persons. During the investigative detention, authorities may monitor visits to prevent tampering with evidence.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence and impartiality.																Trial Procedures						The constitution and law provide for the right to a fair and public trial, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right. Defendants enjoy the presumption of innocence and the right to be informed promptly and in detail of charges. Trials were conducted in a fair and timely manner. Defendants have the right to be present at their trial.Defendants can communicate with an attorney of their choice, at public expense if the defendant is indigent. They and their lawyers are allotted adequate time and facilities to prepare a defense. Defendants have access to free interpretation as necessary from the moment they are charged through all appeals. Defendants may challenge witnesses and evidence, and present witnesses and evidence on their own behalf. They have the right not to testify or confess guilt. Convicted persons have the right to appeal, ultimately to the Supreme Court.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.						Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies						Individuals and organizations may seek civil remedies for human rights abuses through domestic courts. Individuals and organizations may appeal adverse domestic decisions involving alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights to the European Court of Human Rights.						Property Seizure and Restitution						In 2001 an independent commission of historians examined the country’s role during World War II. The commission examined all remaining archives of banks, fiduciaries, attorneys, governmental agencies, and art collections for evidence of stolen assets. The commission found no evidence that looted Jewish holdings entered the country or were in 2001 held in the country. According to the World Jewish Restitution Organization Claims Conference, during the year there were no claims of this kind by survivors.The government has no laws in place specifically regulating resolution of Holocaust-era claims, but general laws and mechanisms to claim stolen cultural goods exist.The Department of State’s Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act report to Congress, released publicly in July 2020, can be found on the Department’s website:  https://www.state.gov/reports/just-act-report-to-congress/.																										f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution and law prohibit such actions, and there were no reports that the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the press and Other Media										The constitution and law provide for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right. An independent media, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for members of the media.Freedom of Expression: The law prohibits public insults, including via electronic means, directed against an individual’s race, language, ethnicity, religion, world view, gender, disability, age, and sexual orientation, with a possible prison sentence of up to two years for violations. In 2020, nine infractions against this law on discrimination were registered, of which seven were resolved in that authorities were able to successfully close the case. There was no information on any prosecutions or penalties for these infractions.Libel/Slander Laws: The law prohibits the disparagement of religious teachings. Anyone who publicly disparages a person or a thing that is the object of worship of a church or religious society established within the country or a religious doctrine, custom, or institution of such a church or a legally permissible institution in a manner that “is likely to give rise to justifiable annoyance” is liable to imprisonment not exceeding six months or to a fine of up to 360 days’ pay. During the year there were no reports of enforcement or convictions under these provisions.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no credible reports that the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority.						Academic Freedom and Cultural Events						There were no government restrictions on academic freedom or cultural events.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution and law provide for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The law provides for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				e. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons										Not applicable.																																				f. Protection of Refugees										The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees or asylum seekers, as well as other persons of concern.Access to Asylum: The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. The law allows asylum seekers under deportation orders to be granted an appeal hearing if requested within five days after the decision. The law permits persons from safe countries of origin who are ruled to be ineligible for asylum to be processed for denial of asylum within a maximum of seven days.The LHRA expressed concern that the law does not contain hardship provisions for family reunification, especially for children. There were no reports of family separations among asylum seekers or refugees.Safe Country of Origin/Transit: Persons entering the country from another safe country, including other countries in the Schengen area, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Benin, and Ghana, among others, are not eligible for asylum and are deported.Freedom of Movement: In some cases authorities detained unsuccessful asylum applicants pending their deportation. In 2020 there were seven cases of detention of unsuccessful asylum applicants prior to their deportation.Temporary Protection: The government also provided subsidiary and humanitarian protection to individuals who may not qualify as refugees and provided it to 10 persons during 2020.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																																															The constitution and law provide citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage.																																				Elections and Political Participation										Recent Elections: On February 8, the country held parliamentary elections. There were no reports of irregularities.Participation of Women and Members of Minority Groups: No laws limit the participation of women or members of minority groups in the political process, and they did participate. During the year women’s representation in parliament increased. Seven women held seats in the 25-member parliament, compared with three in the previous legislative period. Three of the five ministers in the cabinet were women.As a hereditary monarchy, the country’s line of succession is restricted to male descendants of the country’s princely family. In 2020 the Women’s Network, an umbrella organization of women’s nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the country, criticized the male line of succession as undermining the constitution’s principles.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government												    																																															The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively. There were no reports of government corruption during the year.																																					Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																																															A variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases. In May, UNICEF published the results of a questionnaire and research on the rights of children in the country that it conducted between November 2019 and June 2020. UNICEF reported no government interference of any kind.Government officials were cooperative and responsive to the views of human rights groups.																																					Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence: Rape, including spousal rape, is a criminal offense. Penalties for rape and sexual violence vary between six months’ and 15 years’ imprisonment, depending on the degree of violence and humiliation of the victim, and between 10 years’ and lifetime imprisonment if the victim is killed. The penalties are the same for rapes of women and men. The government effectively prosecuted individuals accused of such crimes.The law prohibits all forms of domestic violence and provides for restraining orders against violent family members. Police may prohibit an abuser from returning to the victim’s home where the violence was committed. Penalties for domestic violence range from monetary fines to lifetime imprisonment if the victim is killed. According to the law, victims who migrated to the country and who have been married to a citizen for less than five years are required to prove their victim status or sufficient integration into the country’s society to avoid losing their marriage-based residence permits. The government enforced the law effectively.In 2020 there were 75 police interventions registered under the law against spousal abuse, 24 of which led to criminal charges. Witnesses’ willingness to testify in abuse cases sometimes limited efforts to prosecute cases.In 2020 the country’s only women’s shelter, Frauenhaus, assisted 10 women affected by domestic violence. Frauenhaus provided counseling in 51 cases related to spousal violence. The women’s resource and counseling NGO Infra was contacted 30 times regarding violence against women. The Association for Male Questions counseled four men (one perpetrator and three victims) on spousal violence and received three men in its shelter.Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment is illegal and punishable by up to six months in prison or a fine, and the government effectively enforced these prohibitions. Stalking is a criminal offense. The government also considers “mobbing,” including pressure, harassment, or blackmail tactics in the workplace, to be a crime. In 2019 the national police recorded three cases of sexual harassment, and Infra assisted survivors in 21 cases of sexual harassment.Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.The government provided access to sexual and reproductive health services for survivors of sexual violence. Emergency contraception was available as part of clinical management of rape.Discrimination: Women enjoy the same legal rights as men. The government’s enforcement of the labor contract and equal opportunity law was not entirely effective. According to the LHRA, the main problem was that victims do not bring potential cases of discrimination to court. A lack of judicial precedents also leaves it unclear what practices and policies companies should adopt to comply with the laws governing discrimination. According to the LHRA, the Department for Equal Opportunity continued to face decreases in human and financial resources that prevented it from being more visible to the public and raising awareness.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										The law prohibits acts of discrimination based on racist, xenophobic, or other reasons, with violators subject to up to two years of imprisonment. The law explicitly covers acts of spreading hatred or calls for violence against members of racial, ethnic, or religious minority groups. The government generally enforced the law effectively.There were no cases of racial or ethnic violence reported in 2020, but news reports indicated that non-Caucasians experienced being treated as a foreign element not belonging to the country and occasionally faced derogatory comments.Authorities did not divide the nine reported criminal cases involving discrimination in 2020 into subcategories; it was unclear how many of the cases involved discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or gender. The government did not condone or carry out violence or discrimination against members of racial, ethnic, or religious minority groups.																																				Children										Birth Registration: Citizenship is derived at birth from a child’s parents. Either parent may convey citizenship. A child born in the country to stateless parents may acquire citizenship after five years of residence. All children are registered at birth.Child Abuse: The law protects children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, including inside the family. The law stipulates a reporting obligation for the Office of Social Services if it learns of or suspects sexual abuse of children and adolescents. There is an Ombudsman Office for Children and Young People. The Victims Assistance Office, which specializes in assistance and support for individuals who have been affected directly in their physical, psychological, or sexual integrity, also aided children. An interdisciplinary Expert Group against the Sexual Abuse of Children and Young People facilitated the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. In 2020 the country’s only women’s shelter, Frauenhaus, assisted 10 children.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The legal minimum age of marriage for both girls and boys is 18 years.Sexual Exploitation of Children: The law prohibits the commercial sexual exploitation of minors. Penalties for the sexual exploitation of minors range from one to 10 years’ imprisonment. Possession or distribution of child pornography is a criminal offense, with penalties including up to three years in prison. Authorities effectively enforced these prohibitions. In 2020 the national police recorded six cases of child sexual abuse of minors. The law sets the minimum age for consensual sex at 14.Under an agreement with the government, the Institute for Social Services’ section for child protection in Dornbirn, Austria, provided counseling in potential cases of sexual abuse in the country. The LHRA anticipated the arrangement would result in a marked improvement in the quality of services available in the country in view of the institute’s expertise.International Child Abductions: The country is not a party to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. See the Department of State’s Annual Report on International Parental Child Abduction at  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/International-Parental-Child-Abduction/for-providers/legal-reports-and-data/reported-cases.html.																																				Anti-Semitism										The Jewish community consisted of fewer than 20 individuals. During the year there were no reports of anti-Semitic acts.																																				Trafficking in Persons										There were no confirmed reports during the year that Liechtenstein was a source, destination, or transit country for victims of human trafficking.																																				Persons with Disabilities										The government’s implementation of laws and programs to ensure that persons with disabilities readily had access to employment, buildings, information, health services, the judicial system, transport, and communications was not entirely effective. According to the LHRA and the Liechtenstein Association for Persons with Disabilities (LAPD), there was little improvement in comparison with previous years. In general, the government reacted positively and cooperatively to initiatives by NGOs but did not proactively engage to better the situation of persons with disabilities. For example, COVID-19 regulations and government press conferences were conducted without sign language interpreters. Following a LAPD initiative, the government positively reacted to provide interpreters. The LHRA and LAPD also noted that some government projects for persons with disabilities suffered setbacks due to COVID-19 contact restrictions.According to the LHRA, persons with disabilities were not sufficiently integrated into the labor market and education systems.The law mandates that public kindergartens and schools as well as public transportation systems built after 2006 must be accessible to persons with disabilities. Children with disabilities were able to attend public schools or a segregated school established by the country’s remedial center. According to the LAPD, there were marked improvements in barrier-free access to public kindergartens and schools. The association also noted that there was still a shortage of barrier-free, affordable housing for families with children with disabilities.The law requires public buildings constructed before 2002 to be barrier free by 2019 and public buildings constructed between 2002 and 2007 to be barrier free by 2027. NGOs reported that the former deadline was not met, and many old public buildings still lacked the necessary renovations. The law does not contain a penalty for noncompliance, but noncompliant building owners can be sued.The law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental disabilities. There were no reports of laws or government actions or inactions limiting the rights of persons with disabilities to participate in civic life.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity										The country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) community made no formal complaints during the year of abuse or discrimination, including against persons with HIV and AIDS. The LHRA noted, however, that the law does not provide for LGBTQI+ persons to change their civil status to reflect gender reassignment or changed gender identity. The LHRA stated there is also no possibility of indicating a third sex on official documents.The law prohibits discrimination by state and nonstate actors, based on gender and sexual orientation, particularly with respect to essential goods and services such as housing, employment, and access to government services such as healthcare. It also prohibits debasement, slander, and incitement to hate based on an individual’s gender and sexual orientation and prohibits the refusal of general services based on an individual’s gender and sexual orientation. The government generally enforced the law.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The law provides for the rights of all workers to form and join independent unions of their choice and to bargain collectively. The law provides for freedom of assembly but is silent on the right to strike. The law neither prohibits antiunion discrimination nor requires reinstatement of workers fired for union activity.The government adequately enforced applicable laws, and the government and employers respected freedom of association and collective bargaining in practice. Penalties in the form of fines were commensurate with those for similar crimes, and inspection was sufficient to enforce compliance.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										The law prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labor. Penalties for violations were criminal and commensurate with those for similar crimes. The government effectively enforced the law.The LHRA reported no incidents involving forced or compulsory labor, including incidents involving children. In 2020 the Liechtenstein Institute published a study on employment relationships in the private home-care sector, where work was often performed by migrant women. The study made no allegations of compulsory labor but noted that employment relationships in home care are not subject to a compulsory standard employment contract and that provisions such as maximum working hours may not be respected. The LHRA, the women’s resource and counseling NGO Infra, and the labor union Liechtenstein Workers Association have called for parliament to bring home care under the jurisdiction of national labor law.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										The law prohibits the worst forms of child labor and sets the minimum age for employment at 16, with exceptions for limited employment of children between the ages of 14 and 16. Children between the ages of 14 and 16 may engage in certain categories of light work, but those of compulsory school age (through age 15) may work no more than nine hours per week during the school year and 35 hours per week during school vacations. Children younger than 15 may be employed for the purposes of cultural, artistic, athletic, and advertising events. Working hours for youths between the ages of 15 and 18 are not to exceed 40 hours a week. The law prohibits children younger than 17 from working overtime and prohibits children through age 18 from engaging in night work or Sunday shifts. The law stipulates that an employer must consider the health of minors and provide them a proper moral environment within the workplace. The law also stipulates that employers may not overexert minors and that employers must protect the child from “negative influences” within the workplace.The Office for Worker Safety of the Department of National Economy effectively enforced child labor laws and devoted adequate resources and oversight to child labor policies. Legal penalties were commensurate with those for similar crimes, and inspections by trained inspectors were adequate to enforce compliance. The LHRA did not report any violations of the prohibition on child labor or minimum working age during the year.																																				d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation										The law prohibits employment discrimination based on gender and disability. The law does not specifically prohibit employment discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, color, ethnicity, age, gender identity, HIV/AIDS, or refugee status. Violations may result in the award of compensation to a prospective or dismissed employee equal to at least three months’ salary in the case of gender discrimination, and unspecified civil damages in the case of discrimination against persons with disabilities.The government generally enforced the law. The country’s labor inspectorate was sufficient to enforce compliance. Penalties were not commensurate with those for similar civil rights violations. According to statements by the Liechtenstein Institute and the LAPD, women, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ individuals experienced discrimination in the labor market. In 2018 the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance expressed concerns that members of the LGBTQI+ community encountered prejudice and employment discrimination.According to the 2020 Human Rights Report of the Liechtenstein Institute, women in the country earned a median income 15 percent lower than that of men. In its Agenda 2030 program, the government noted that a large part of the difference was explained by factors such as education level, and that the unexplained wage difference between genders was “very small.” The Women’s Network also noted a marked difference between men and women persisted in professional promotions; the government’s Agenda 2030 program noted that 5 percent of male employees held top-level management positions, but this was true for only 1 percent of female employees. A May 2020 analysis by the Swiss Center of Expertise on Human Rights found that immigrant workers experienced workplace discrimination, including based on gender, race, nationality, and religion.																																				e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws: The law does not provide for a national minimum wage. The Liechtenstein Workers Association, a labor union, negotiates voluntary collective bargaining agreements with the Chamber of Commerce on a sector-by-sector basis. Minimum wages are reset annually in a wage and protocol agreement. Collective bargaining and wage agreements were effectively enforced, and wages exceeded the poverty level.The law sets the maximum workweek at 45 hours for professional workers, employees of industrial firms, and sales personnel and 48 hours for other workers. Separate provisions apply to minors (see section 7.c.). Overtime may not exceed an average workweek of 48 hours over a period of four consecutive months. Some exceptions to overtime limits were authorized, for example, in the area of medical treatment.Occupational Safety and Health: The law sets occupational safety and health standards that were appropriate for the main industries in the country. The labor standards also cover the thousands of workers who commuted daily from neighboring countries. There are additional safeguards for youths, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and employees with children. Responsibility for identifying unsafe situations remained with occupational safety and health experts, not with workers.The Office of Labor Inspection, a part of the Department of National Economy, effectively enforced labor laws on working conditions. The agency had a sufficient number of inspectors authorized to make unannounced inspections and levy sanctions to enforce the law effectively. The Country’s Labor Inspectorate carried out 297 inspections in 2020, up from 109 in 2019, and 25 inspections resulted in recommendations to employers regarding health and safety measures or regulations governing working hours. The Labor Inspectorate issued 18 reports to the National Police based on investigations of workplace accidents. Penalties were commensurate with those for similar violations.Infra noted the working conditions of domestic workers and nurses employed in private homes were not subject to inspections or official labor contracts, which made the sectors vulnerable to exploitation.																																				    							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Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																												Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies																																												Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																																				f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																												Academic Freedom and Cultural Events																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																						c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons																																																						f. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																				Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																	Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																	Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Children																																																						Anti-Semitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																								Liechtenstein