Geopolitics

Switzerland condemns Nice attack

This content was published on Jul 16, 2016 In a tweet, Schneider-Ammann called the attack in the southern French city of Nice “cowardly”. “Our hearts go out to France and its population,” he wrote. “We have to fight against every form of terrorism, but there is no clear answer, or else we could have already reacted,” Schneider-Ammann told the Swiss News Agency from…

Foreign Affairs

Panel says Islamic State committing genocide against Yazidis

This content was published on Jun 16, 2016 In its report “They Came to Destroy: ISIS Crimes against the Yazidis”, the UN Commission of Inquiry, which includes former Swiss prosecutor Carla del Ponte, said the genocide of the Yazidi community in Syria and Iraq is ongoing. Commission President Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said on Thursday: “ISIS has subjected every Yazidi woman, child or man…

Foreign Affairs

Credit Suisse in cluster bomb investors ‘Hall of Shame’

This content was published on Jun 16, 2016 The 2016 “Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions: a shared responsibility” report External linkincludes a “Hall of Shame” – a list of 158 banks, pension funds and other financial institutions that have invested in cluster munitions producers since June 2012. Cluster bombs were banned under international law by the Convention on Cluster MunitionsExternal link, a 2008…

Foreign Affairs

Switzerland launches UN cooperation initiative

This content was published on Jun 13, 2016 The initiative, which was announced as the Human Rights Council began its summer session on Monday, aims to strengthen the United Nations’ ability to prevent conflict by more systematically raising human rights issues in debates on security policy. “We call for strengthening the ties between human rights and development as well as peace and security…

Foreign Affairs

Swiss slip in small arms transparency ranking

This content was published on Jun 7, 2016 For the first time since 2007, Switzerland gave up the top spot in the Small Arms Survey’s latest evaluation of the most transparent small arms exporters. “Its lower score in comparison with previous years reflects less complete reporting to United Nations Comtrade [UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database] and a lack of information on licence denials,”…

Foreign Affairs

Swiss back efforts to revive Middle East peace process

This content was published on Jun 3, 2016 “We are ready to contribute to this new dynamic towards a just and long-lasting peace … which is based on a negotiated two-state solution,” he declared at the opening of an international conference in Paris on Friday. France convened foreign ministers from major powers to try to put Israeli-Palestinian peace-making back on the international agenda…

Foreign Affairs

On Swiss visit, Kurdish leader criticises Europe’s inaction

This content was published on Jun 2, 2016 Selahattin Demirtas, leader of the Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party HDP, is an outspoken critics of the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He pointed out that European criticism of Erdogan’s repression of the Kurds has been silent since the European Union made a deal to send migrants back to Turkey earlier this year. Germany…

Foreign Affairs

First batch of Ben Ali funds returned to Tunisia

This content was published on Jun 2, 2016 The funds are believed to have once belonged to a nephew of Ben Ali, according to the AFP press agency. Following the overthrow of Ben Ali in the Jasmine Revolution of 2011, the Swiss authorities froze CHF60 million held in Swiss accounts. The assets were suspected of being “laundered” or gained via “participation in a…

Foreign Affairs

Are the ‘rules of war’ in crisis?

This content was published on May 23, 2016 On May 3, the UN Security Council demanded that hospitals and clinics be protected in war zones, in a resolution that draws attention to the rise in attacks on medical workers in conflicts worldwide. So, are the “rules of war” in a crisis? Helen Durham, international law and policy director at the Swiss-run International Committee…

Foreign Affairs

Protesters march against agrichemicals

This content was published on May 21, 2016 Demonstrators marched from Basel’s city centre to the headquarters of agribusiness group Syngenta which produces chemicals and seeds. The protestors called on the Swiss government to ensure that multinational companies respect the right to food. China’s state-run ChemChina has offered to purchase the company for $43 billion (CHF42.6 billion). The organisers say the aim of…

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Switzerland condemns Nice attack

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Panel says Islamic State committing genocide against Yazidis

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Credit Suisse in cluster bomb investors ‘Hall of Shame’

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Switzerland launches UN cooperation initiative

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Swiss slip in small arms transparency ranking

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Swiss back efforts to revive Middle East peace process

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On Swiss visit, Kurdish leader criticises Europe’s inaction

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First batch of Ben Ali funds returned to Tunisia

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Are the ‘rules of war’ in crisis?

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Protesters march against agrichemicals

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