Switzerland to participate as an observer in Trump’s Board of Peace meeting
Switzerland will attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington on Thursday as an observer. The Swiss are interested in supporting reconstruction efforts in Gaza. But the question of membership has not yet been decided.
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Switzerland to participate as an observer in Trump’s Board of Peace meeting
“Switzerland will be represented by Monika Schmutz Kirgöz, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division of the [foreign ministry], and by Ralf Heckner, Swiss Ambassador to Washington”, the ministry told news agency Keystone-SDA.
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“The question of whether Switzerland should formally join the Board of Peace will be examined by the Federal Council [Switzerland’s executive] at a later date”, the ministry added.
The first meeting of the Board of Peace will focus on the situation in the Gaza Strip and its reconstruction. Through its participation, “Switzerland is reaffirming its support for the United States’ Gaza Peace Plan and for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, which endorses the ‘Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza’ presented by the United States”, said the foreign ministry.
+ Ex-minister urges Swiss government to reject Trump’s Board of Peace
The ministry intends to “strengthen contacts with decision-makers in the US administration and other participants on Middle East issues”. It believes that its presence will “position Switzerland in its traditional role of facilitator and mediator in favour of peace”.
European Union more cautious
For its part, the European Union announced on Monday that it would send a delegate as an observer to this inaugural meeting, but it will not join the organisation. The EU has questioned the Board’s governance and “its compatibility with the United Nations Charter”.
The Board of Peace, officially launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, is chaired by US President Donald Trump. Countries wishing to become permanent members must pay a fee of $1 billion (CHF770 million).
+ Swiss government pledges CHF23m for humanitarian aid in Gaza
The Board was conceived in order to put an end to the war in Gaza, but its charter gives it a much broader objective of resolving armed conflicts around the world.
Translated from French with AI/gw
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