A/HRC/45/15/Add.1 The implementation of trade agreements is monitored by mixed committees consisting of representatives of the two Governments only, further limiting accountability options. 8 25. Another concern raised by civil society during the visit was the absence of a strategy on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the State’s international cooperation. B. Implementation of the 2030 Agenda and integration of the right to development 26. In Switzerland, the culture of participation in decision-making in relation to economic, political, social and cultural issues is well established and institutionalized. Numerous participatory consultation processes exist and are utilized by both government and a vibrant civil society, as well as the private sector. One positive example is the 2018 voluntary national review on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, presented by Switzerland to the high-level political forum on sustainable development. A wide range of stakeholders participated in the preparation of the report, in addition to government authorities at the federal and cantonal levels. 27. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the prominent role that Switzerland played during the preparation and negotiations leading to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda. Switzerland contributed to a great extent to the inclusion of human rights and participation language and objectives in the 2030 Agenda. With regard to the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their targets, the Special Rapporteur recognizes that the federal structure of the State, with responsibilities for different sectors divided between the federal and the cantonal levels, and between the different sectoral government structures, makes the development of an all-encompassing and coherent strategy a challenge. Several stakeholders have raised concerns regarding the need for coherent policy for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and the lack of a clear centralized institutional mechanism responsible for its implementation.9 28. The lead in implementing the 2030 Agenda in Switzerland is jointly undertaken by the Federal Office for Spatial Development and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The 2030 Agenda Steering Committee was established, bringing together federal agencies from all departments, as well as the Federal Chancellery; the Committee coordinates the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the federal level. 10 The Special Rapporteur welcomes the creation of this Committee, on which government departments are represented by senior management figures from key agencies. C. Social security 29. The social security system in Switzerland is complex. Responsibilities for different aspects of it are in the competencies of three federal services (the Federal Office of Public Health, the Federal Social Insurance Office and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) and of the cantons.11 The system provides a variety of benefits. 30. The old-age, survivors and disability coverage is divided into three pillars, as described below. 8 9 10 11 6 Switzerland informed the Special Rapporteur that it offered a dedicated platform for civil society representatives to provide input concerning the implementation of free trade agreements, without providing further details. The Special Rapporteur was informed that a national strategy for implementing the 2030 Agenda was under preparation; no timeline for its finalization was specified. See www.eda.admin.ch/agenda2030/en/home/organisation/direktionskomitee-agenda-2030.html. Switzerland, Federal Department of Home Affairs, “Overview of Swiss social security”, p. 2.