Swiss Politics

Practising the science of diplomacy

This content was published on Dec 4, 2008 The Swiss Diplomatic Documents (SDD), which documents the records of the foreign service, on Thursday concludes a two-day international symposium looking at the historical role of the science counsellors. The conference, held in partnership with the foreign ministry and other government agencies, has attracted officials and academics from Switzerland, the United States and Britain, including…

Swiss Politics

Cabinet signs border deal with Liechtenstein

This content was published on Dec 3, 2008 Switzerland will become a part of the Schengen zone on December 12 while the principality still has to ratify the treaty with the European Union. There are currently no controls on the 41 kilometres that separate the two countries, yet the border will effectively become a Schengen frontier as of December 12 since Liechtenstein will…

Swiss Politics

Cluster bomb convention signed

This content was published on Dec 3, 2008 In a statement, the foreign ministry described the Convention on Cluster Munitions as an important milestone in the history of international humanitarian law. The convention was approved in May by 111 states but not by the world’s largest military powers – the United States, China and Russia. Each signatory has agreed to destroy their stocks…

Swiss Politics

Disabled still face barriers in Switzerland

This content was published on Dec 3, 2008 As the country marks the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Wednesday, groups are urging people to give those with disabilities a chance, not only at work but in society as a whole. Switzerland’s first set of indicators on equality for disabled people, released by the Federal Statistics Office just ahead of…

Swiss Politics

Campaign launched ahead of EU labour vote

This content was published on Dec 2, 2008 They appealed to voters to back a parliamentary decision to continue the accord and extend it to the latest EU member states, Bulgaria and Romania, in a nationwide referendum scheduled for next February. It is the third time since 2000 that the electorate will vote on the labour treaty, also known as the free movement…

Swiss Politics

Human Rights Council condemns Congo violence

This content was published on Dec 2, 2008 In an emergency session on Monday the Geneva-based body also backed a stronger mandate for the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC “to increase its ability to address the dire security and humanitarian situation in the region”. More than 250,000 people have been driven from their homes since fighting erupted between Congolese forces and Tutsi…

Swiss Politics

Zurich court jails banker on fraud charges

This content was published on Dec 1, 2008 The district court in Zurich said 57-year-old Ernst Imfeld was guilty of mismanaging and embezzling customer funds as well as falsifying documents. Prosecutors said Imfeld lost about SFr 150 million ($124.6 million) over the course of a decade while he was the head of Bank Leumi’s branch in Switzerland. He was fired when the fraud…

Swiss Politics

Schengen is no major upset for border guards

This content was published on Dec 1, 2008 While land borders will no longer have passport control points, goods traffic will still be subject to regular customs searches. And checks at airports in Switzerland – which is not a European Union member – are likely to be lifted only next March. EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels last week unanimously approved the treaty…

Swiss Politics

Swiss Aids Federation combats discrimination

This content was published on Dec 1, 2008 The Swiss Aids Federation on Monday called for solidarity with those people suffering from Aids or infected with the HIV virus. It noted that negative reaction often came from employers, work colleagues, friends and even members of the family. According to the federation, about 25,000 people in Switzerland are HIV positive or have Aids. Additionally,…

Swiss Politics

UBS and cabinet election top parliament agenda

This content was published on Dec 1, 2008 Another major event during the three-week winter session, which opens on Monday, will be the election of a replacement for Defence Minister Samuel Schmid. In a special session, parliamentarians will consider a $60 billion (SFr68 billion) government bailout given to the country’s largest bank, UBS, in October, after it racked up $44 billion of subprime…

Swiss Politics

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