Swiss Politics Archives - Page 1084 of 1339

More

Swiss Politics

UN rights watchdog agrees Darfur mission

This content was published on Dec 13, 2006 On Wednesday the 47-strong body approved a compromise proposal – supported by Switzerland – after a two-day emergency session. The resolution expressed concern at the “seriousness of the human rights and humanitarian situation in Darfur” but stopped short of condemning the Sudanese government for widely documented atrocities. The UN estimates that at least 200,000 people…

More

Swiss Politics

Calmy-Rey is elected president for 2007

This content was published on Dec 13, 2006 The joint session of the two parliamentary chambers on Wednesday also named Interior Minister Pascal Couchepin vice-president. Calmy-Rey will keep her foreign ministry portfolio when she takes over the ceremonial one-year post from Moritz Leuenberger, on January 1. The 61-year-old Social Democrat received 147 votes (out of 192 valid votes), the poorest result in presidential…

More

Swiss Politics

Micheline Calmy-Rey is elected Swiss president for 2007

This content was published on Dec 13, 2006

More

Swiss Politics

Calmy-Rey becomes “people’s president”

This content was published on Dec 12, 2006 Calmy-Rey regularly tops popularity polls for Swiss politicians. But her outspoken manner and policy decisions have also won her some enemies. Calmy-Rey was appointed in a rare joint session of the two parliamentary chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The 61-year-old is expected to continue pushing Switzerland’s views in the world, engaging in…

More

Swiss Politics

Switzerland not satisfied with Security Council

This content was published on Dec 11, 2006 Peter Maurer told the UN General Assembly on Monday that members would be better served by a detailed analysis of the council’s activities than by a general overview. The Security Council is the body of the UN charged with maintaining peace and security among nations. While other UN bodies only make recommendations to member governments,…

More

Swiss Politics

Aid agency goes under the microscope

This content was published on Dec 11, 2006 The report, published on Monday, recommends the SDC focus on priority regions, notably in poorest Africa. It says the government should review the SDC’s management tools and strategic conduct. The government was also urged to guarantee the systematic checking of projects and clarify any grey areas between the SDC and the State Secretariat for Economic…

More

Swiss Politics

Corruption threatens Swiss representations

This content was published on Dec 10, 2006 The information, published in the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, comes just days before a former employee of the Swiss embassy in Moscow goes on trial for selling visas. Top of the list of representations deemed most at risk are Beijing, Moscow and Mumbai. A foreign ministry spokesman confirmed that the list also included New Delhi, Istanbul, Kiev,…

More

Swiss Politics

Swiss hail progress on biological weapons deal

This content was published on Dec 9, 2006 The three-week meeting in Geneva agreed on a plan of action to break the deadlock in negotiations over measures to enforce a global ban on biological weapons. “Switzerland is very happy with the outcome of the conference, considering the last review meeting five years ago ended in failure,” Francesco Quattrini of the Centre for International…

More

Swiss Politics

Spiez scientists work for peace

This content was published on Dec 9, 2006 On behalf of international organisations, it trains experts and sends specialists to war zones or polluted sites from Siberia to Iraq. Since ancient times man has used poison on the battlefield. But it was during the First World War that it became a weapon of mass destruction. A ban laid down by the 1899 Hague…

More

Swiss Politics

Swiss give EU short shrift in tax stand-off

This content was published on Dec 4, 2006 Speaking in Geneva on Monday, Michael Ambühl said the practice whereby some Swiss cantons slash taxes to attract foreign businesses did not violate a free-trade accord with Brussels. “Our position is absolutely clear… that the cantonal taxes do not constitute a subsidy – indirect or direct – to the exchange of goods, and as such…

Swiss Politics

Popular Stories

Most Discussed