State Secretary for Security Policy attending Civil Defence Forum in Stockholm
Bern, 21.04.2026 — State Secretary Markus Mäder represents the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport at the Civil Defence Forum in Stockholm on 21 and 22 April. This conference is dedicated to comprehensive security and the resilience of society in the face of hybrid warfare.
The Civil Defence Forum organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a new security policy conference in Europe dedicated to resilience and ‘civil defence’ – two themes that lie at the heart of Switzerland’s 2026 Security Policy Strategy, which is dedicated to on comprehensive security. The conference will focus on civil-military cooperation and international cooperation, with contributions from experts from countries in Europe, North America and Asia.
The conference serves as a platform for dialogue between government representatives, stakeholders from the private sector, international organisations, academia and civil society. The choice of Stockholm as the venue reflects the Nordic region’s pioneering role in strengthening the resilience and defence capabilities of society as a whole. The event is being hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a British think tank, which also organises other major security conferences, such as the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
Networking and active participation by Switzerland
State Secretary Mäder takes part in a panel discussion on ‘Integrated Resilience – Public-Private Partnerships’, where he will speak about Switzerland’s experience with public-private cooperation. The discussion will be attended by Johan Berggren, State Secretary at the Swedish Ministry of Civil Defence, as well as representatives from the private sector.
On the fringes of the conference, the Swiss delegation will hold bilateral talks with various counterparts. Topics include security policy cooperation and the respective countries’ experiences in matters of comprehensive security.