The international community needs to act to counter the increasing disregard for human rights laws in conflict zones, according to the Swiss foreign minister.
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Speaking at a humanitarian aid conference in Bern on Friday, Micheline Calmy-Rey said civilian violence was on the rise and the global community needed to react
Examples of civilian injuries and alleged breaches of international human rights during the Israeli offensive in Gaza and the refugee situation in Gaza were singled out.
Calmy-Rey noted that what had happened in the Gaza Strip in December and January showed that the warring parties no longer made a distinction between military targets and the civilian population and infrastructure.
More than 900 people attended the “Saving lives, easing suffering” event, held to mark the international day of humanitarian aid.
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Geneva returns to diplomatic scene
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Clinton will also discuss various issues with Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey. A Swiss political scientist tells swissinfo what is at stake during these encounters. Daniel Warner from the Geneva-based School of Diplomacy and International Relations says that although Clinton’s arrival and the US’s multilateral attitude is a “very positive sign”, many hurdles remain to…
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The criticism was levelled at a meeting in Bern this week involving the Swiss foreign ministry, the United Nations and advocacy groups including Amnesty International. “People still think Switzerland is perfect,” said Daniel Bolomey, secretary general of Amnesty International Switzerland. “OK, it’s not bad, but we have problems with racism and attitudes toward immigration and…
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Monday’s non-binding resolution released by the Council said Israel’s attacks had “resulted in massive violations” of the human rights of Palestinians. However the resolution was not reached by consensus. Thirty-three African, Asian, Arab and Latin American countries voted in favour of the resolution while 13 European states – including Switzerland – abstained. The 47-member states…
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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.