Swiss scale up training for international peacekeepers
Actress and UN special envoy Angelina Jolie (left) with the director of the International Peace Support Training Centre in Kenya (archive picture)
Keystone/Po Phot Owen Cooban
The government has decided to boost Switzerland’s commitment to international peacekeeping missions.
International training standards to help peacekeepers accomplish their United Nations mandate are crucial for Switzerland, the government said on Wednesday.
In a separate decision, the government has given the green light to increase the number of army officers stationed at the UN headquarters in New York from five to a maximum of nine experts.
Switzerland has dispatched unarmed military staff to the UN since 2014 to help develop the management of international peacekeeping missions.
The government said the demand for military expertise from UN members had increased over past few years and peace missions had become more complex, the government said.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
Over a quarter of Swiss Catholics consider leaving the church
This content was published on
In Switzerland 27% of Catholics have thought about leaving the church, according to a survey by the Sotomo research centre.
This content was published on
Following the Credit Suisse debacle, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) is adapting its organisation.
This content was published on
The Swiss Armed Forces are training their fighter jets in Bern to fly from a civilian base. The exercise at Bern Airport will last until Wednesday.
Plans materialise for new particle accelerator in Geneva
This content was published on
Preparations for a huge new particle accelerator in Geneva have reached a milestone. After several years of work, a feasibility study for the project has now been finalised.
This content was published on
The value of frozen Russian assets in Switzerland currently stands at CHF7.4 billion ($8.4 billion), the Swiss government announced on Tuesday.
This content was published on
The number of business start-ups in Switzerland accelerated in the first three months of the year, with entrepreneurs being particularly dynamic in Central Switzerland, Basel and Geneva.
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
‘Quite an adventure’: How the Swiss brought peace to Mozambique
This content was published on
As lead mediator of Mozambique's peace deal, Mirko Manzoni spent three years shuttling between the president and rebels in the bush.
This content was published on
Controversial and currently on hold in Switzerland, the UN Migration Pact strives to help people live in peace and follow their dreams.
This content was published on
February 28 marks the one-year anniversary of the peace deal in which the two main political rivals agreed to share power following months of violence. Tensions broke out in December 2007 after the then opposition leader Raila Odinga claimed the election had been rigged by President Mwai Kibaki. Voices in the international community also questioned…
Switzerland to introduce more focused development aid
This content was published on
Deiss said the priorities for government development aid would remain the same: helping to secure and maintain peace and stability, respect for human rights and democracy, fighting poverty and improving living standards, helping to solve environmental problems, and supporting access to education and basic health care. Deiss, speaking in Zurich, said the Swiss government would…
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.