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Immigrant population grows in Switzerland

This content was published on Dec 18, 2001 The Swiss Federal Office of Statistics on Tuesday released new figures showing that although Europeans represent the largest number of newcomers, the number of immigrants from non-European countries is rising. Based on a count conducted in 2000, the majority of recent immigrants have come from Italy, the former Yugoslavia, Portugal, Spain and Turkey, and are…

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Refugee rights in spotlight

This content was published on Dec 13, 2001 Ministers from signatory states to the convention made the pledge at a conference in Geneva, marking the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on Refugees. Those attending the meeting stopped short of agreeing on strengthening protection for refugees through a verification mechanism. They merely reaffirmed their support for the principles of the convention. Nevertheless,…

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Schröder receives piece of football history

This content was published on Dec 12, 2001 The Swiss ambassador, Thomas Borer, presented Schröder with a piece of turf and a clothes hook taken from the now destroyed Wankdorf stadium. The items are a present from the outgoing Swiss president, Moritz Leuenberger, and are of great significance to the German football team. It was at Wankdorf in 1954 that West Germany unexpectedly…

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Geneva hosts top-level UNHCR meeting

This content was published on Dec 12, 2001 The Swiss justice minister, Ruth Metzler, who is presiding over the proceedings, emphasised the unique status of the convention, which has not changed since it came into effect 50 years ago. “There is no other treaty which provides equal protection to refugees,” she told the more than 120 delegates present at the two-day conference, which…

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Swiss Politics

Leuenberger in Hungary for presidential swansong

This content was published on Dec 11, 2001 Leuenberger, who is also transport minister, finishes his one-year term in the largely ceremonial role of president at the end of the year. The finance minister, Kaspar Villiger, will take over as Swiss president in 2002. Swiss officials say issues such as European Union integration and the global fight against terrorism will be high on…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss peacekeepers get green light to stay in Kosovo

This content was published on Dec 11, 2001 The Senate on Tuesday followed the House of Representatives in extending the “Swisscoy” mission. The Swiss force of volunteers will be expanded to a maximum of 220 members. They will be fully armed and equipped with armoured vehicles and a transport helicopter. Currently, the Swiss contingent, which was deployed in 1999, provides logistical support for…

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Swiss Politics

UN urges rich nations to take lead on human rights

This content was published on Dec 11, 2001 Two parliamentarians on Monday presented to parliament an initiative to create a federal human rights commission in Switzerland. The move coincided with human rights day which celebrated the 53rd anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also follows pressure from the UN, which has long urged richer nations to supplement…

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Swiss take aim at “dum-dum” bullets

This content was published on Dec 11, 2001 The Swiss also intend to call for tighter controls on the use of cluster bombs, which are blamed for causing widespread civilian casualties in former battle zones. The ten-day meeting is the second conference review of the UN Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). The treaty was signed…

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US forces suspension of germ warfare deal

This content was published on Dec 7, 2001 The three-week conference ended in disarray on Friday night after Washington demanded the winding up of a committee charged with negotiating an end to the use of such weapons. The conference, convened to find ways of implementing the 1972 Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention, agreed to suspend work until November 2002 in response to the…

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Annan seeks to reassure Swiss over UN membership

This content was published on Dec 7, 2001 In an interview with the French-language daily “Le Temps” Annan sought to reassure those Swiss considering voting no in the referendum on UN membership in March 2002. Annan noted that Switzerland was already a member of the International Court of Justice and of many UN agencies: “Your country is already part of the United Nations…

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