Initiative calls for end to ‘warmongering with our money’
Initiative organisers with boxes of signatures outside parliament on Thursday
Keystone
Swiss-based financial entities – for example the Swiss National Bank, pension schemes and foundations – should stop investing in companies that produce war materiel. This is the demand of a people’s initiative, signed by almost 130,000 people, which was handed into the Federal Chancellery on Thursday.
A total of 104,902 had been confirmed as valid, said the pacifist Group for a Switzerland Without an Army, the Young Green Party and the Association for a Ban on Arms Dealing. People’s initiatives must be signed by at least 100,000 citizens within an 18-month period in order to be considered for a vote at the national level.
The campaigners say they intend to put an end to Switzerland’s role in financing international weapons manufacturers. At the end of 2017, the Swiss National Bank alone held shares worth almost CHF2 billion ($2 billion) in US nuclear weapon manufacturers, they said in a statementExternal link on Thursday.
“Our pension money is financing weapons which are being used in the illegal war in Yemen,” said Muriel Waeger from the pacifist group.
The general public don’t approve of this “warmongering with our money”, added Maja Haus from the Young Green Party Switzerland.
More
More
Swiss weapons exports increase
This content was published on
Switzerland delivered war materiel worth CHF446.6 million ($477 million) to 64 countries last year, an increase of 8% on 2016.
Swatch shareholders reject board bid by Steven Wood
This content was published on
At the Swiss watchmaker’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 79.2% of votes cast opposed his election to the supervisory board.
WHO members agree to 20% rise in mandatory contributions
This content was published on
If the resolution is backed in the plenary session, the organisation’s budget for 2026-2027 will rise to CHF4.2 billion ($5.1 billion).
Japanese inflatable concert hall heads to Switzerland for the first time
This content was published on
The Ark Nova has been assembled four times to date – each time in a Japanese city. But this September, it’s heading to the Lucerne Festival.
Swiss government pledges CHF11 million to UNRWA amid Gaza crisis
This content was published on
Switzerland will contribute CHF20 million to meet urgent humanitarian needs in the occupied Palestinian territory and to support UNRWA operations.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Arms exports to 21 countries rejected by Swiss officials
This content was published on
A spokesperson for the Federal Department of Economic Affairs confirmed the figures, published in the SonntagsZeitung and Le Matin Dimanche papers on Sunday. Swiss companies wanted to export armoured vehicles and munitions to Turkey and large calibre ammunition to the United Arab Emirates. SECO’s veto also included mortar ammunition destined for Kuwait and the shipment…
Court rules that SECO must release sensitive arms exports details
This content was published on
A Swiss court has ruled that SECO must reverse its opposition to releasing information about arms exports to a journalist.
Report criticises banks for investing in nuclear weapons
This content was published on
The 2018 Don’t Bank on the Bomb report External linkpublished on Wednesday lists 329 banks, insurance companies, pension funds and asset managers from 24 countries that invested a total of $525 billion (CHF493 billion) in the top 20 biggest nuclear weapons producers based in France, India, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.