Switzerland defends racism record at UN rights council
The Swiss Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council has said that an expert report criticising structural racism in the country included “misunderstandings”.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/dos
Español
es
Suiza se defiende del informe de racismo en el Consejo de Derechos de la ONU
Jürg Lauber said on Monday that while the fight against racism was urgent, a more detailed investigation of the structural racism flagged by a UN working group in January was needed.
Lauber said the findings of the group included “assumptions” and “misunderstandings” which are “not representative of the situation [in Switzerland]”. “Numerous general conclusions seem to be based on only one or several individual cases,” Lauber said. He regretted the fact that discussions with Swiss authorities, which fed into the report, did not last longer.
More
More
Expert group criticises systemic racism in Switzerland
This content was published on
Black people in Switzerland face everyday discrimination as well serious racial profiling by the police, a UN working group has found.
Echoing the conclusions of January’s report, working group president Catherine Namakula told the HRC that the members of her group were “extremely worried” about attitudes towards policing and justice in Switzerland.
The original 59-point documentExternal link drafted by the group outlined various problems faced by people of African descent in Switzerland, including what it called “shocking reports of police brutality and the expectation of impunity for police misconduct, extending over decades”.
It also criticised an “insufficient recognition” of Swiss ties to colonialism and the African slave trade, which it says is directly connected to the country’s modern wealth, notably through the profits made by banks and industries linked to slavery in the past.
This content was published on
Most of the 4,000 members of the armed forces who will be helping with various tasks from June 5 to 19 have now been deployed.
Legal action filed against pioneering Swiss large-scale Alpine solar plant
This content was published on
Three organisations have submitted an appeal with the administrative court in Bern against the planned large-scale solar plant in Oberwil.
Justice minister warns over Swiss parliament protest against climate ruling
This content was published on
Justice Minister Beat Jans says a possible declaration by the Swiss parliament against the European Court of Human Right (ECHR’s) recent landmark climate ruling against Switzerland could be problematic.
This content was published on
Talks aimed at reaching a global agreement on how to better fight pandemics will be concluded by 2025 or earlier if possible, the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.
This content was published on
Switzerland supports a new peace proposal pushed by US President Joe Biden for a hostage agreement and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Parts of Switzerland and Germany waterlogged as heavy rains continue
This content was published on
Heavy rains continue to affect eastern Switzerland and the centre of the country. Flooding, landslides and damage to infrastructure have been reported. Further rains are forecast on Sunday.
Study: high pollen concentrations increase blood pressure
This content was published on
A high concentration of pollen can increase blood pressure in allergy sufferers, according to a Swiss study. The effect is much more pronounced in women and people who are overweight.
New asylum regulations come into effect in Switzerland
This content was published on
Several asylum-related changes come into effect in Switzerland on June 1 aimed at improving the employment and housing situations of refugees.
Swiss unions call for CHF5,000 monthly salary for qualified apprentices
This content was published on
All workers who have completed an apprenticeship should earn at least CHF5,000 per month, the Swiss Trade Union Federation said on Friday.
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.
Read more
More
Annual racism report flags 630 cases of discrimination
This content was published on
A record number of cases of racial discrimination were recorded in Switzerland in 2021, with the education sector seeing a notable increase.
Swiss launch platform to report racist speech online
This content was published on
Switzerland has a new platform for reporting racist hate speech on the Internet, the Federal Commission against Racism (FCR) has announced.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
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.