City of Geneva first to sign maritime human rights declaration
Matteo Salvini has threatened legal action after a ship recently offloaded 47 migrants in Lampedusa despite his explicit ban.
Ansa
Geneva has become the first city to officially sign the Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea that aims to raise awareness on the violation of human rights in international waters.
Mayor of Geneva Sami Kanaan signed the document on Tuesday as gesture against the policy of Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini to criminalise the rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.
The declarationExternal link was put together by lawyers, representatives of UN agencies and members of civil society in Geneva and officially launched on Tuesday. It calls for human rights and international laws relating to them to be applicable in international waters as on land. In addition to the welfare of migrants, the declaration supports the sustainable use of the seas, the protection of biodiversity and the importance of the seas for world trade
Kanaan said that the declaration “will be considered in the coming years as a fundamental initiative”. He also hoped that other cities would also sign up and support the declaration.
In recent years, the city of Geneva has on several occasions taken the opposite view of federal authorities on international issues. In December last year, the Swiss government rejected calls to allow the migrant rescue ship Aquarius to fly under the Swiss flag.
“The City of Geneva, as a global economic hub, the headquarters of the United Nations and an important flag state [for marine vessels], has a specific and direct interest in the guarantee and protection of human rights on land and at sea,” said an official statement.
More
More
Has the UN lost the refugee debate in Europe?
This content was published on
People continue to die crossing the Mediterranean Sea but immigration is falling down the political agenda in Europe. Can the UN reclaim the debate?
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Abbot of Saint-Maurice steps down following sex abuse report
This content was published on
Jean Scarcella has decided to step down as Abbot of Saint-Maurice in the Swiss canton of Valais, the abbey announced on Saturday.
Philipp Matthias Bregy named new president of Centre Party
This content was published on
Valais National Councillor Philipp Matthias Bregy is the new President of the Centre Party. The delegates elected him as the successor to Gerhard Pfister on Saturday in Bern without discussion.
Global call for active neutrality launched from Geneva
This content was published on
A number of players have launched a worldwide appeal for active neutrality in Geneva at a time when the major powers are taking a tougher line. The city is competing with Vienna to attract an international congress on this issue in 2026.
This content was published on
The M'Tongé gorilla has died at Basel Zoo at the age of 26. The dominant male had to be euthanised on Friday morning owing to a parasite infection.
This content was published on
Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has been invited to Paris by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Swiss canton coordinates donations for landslide destroyed village
This content was published on
The Swiss canton of Valais to form committee to coordinate CHF 57.4 million donations for village destroyed by a landslide.
Body of Blatten landslide victim found and identified
This content was published on
The body of 64-year-old man, who has been missing since part of the Brich glacier collapsed on the Swiss village of Blatten has been found.
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
Group with Swiss support seeks to block migrants
This content was published on
The group’s spokesman is a former lieutenant in the Swiss army, 32-year-old Jean-David Cattin of Geneva, and it has received some financial backing from the anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party, Swiss newspaper Blick reported on Sunday. Their goal is to block European aid organisations and others from coming to the aid of migrants, stating on their…
Amnesty wants secure path to Europe for migrants in Libya
This content was published on
On Thursday, the Swiss section of the international NGO criticised the CMCGExternal link for claiming to want to protect migrants detained in Libya under inhumane conditions while denying them safe passage to Europe with aid of the Libyan coast guard. Since the beginning of the year, around 14,000 migrants have been rescued at sea and…
This content was published on
After a spike in 2016, asylum applications in Switzerland have been in steady decline. Migrants are seeking now seeking alternative routes.
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.