My delegation would first like to thank President Philippe Kirsch for his presentation of the fourth annual report of the International Criminal Court (ICC) (see
A/63/323), reviewing the Court’s work and the main facts concerning its relations with the United Nations. We would also like to express …
I thank the President of the Human Rights Council for having introduced the report on its activities (A/63/53). The Human Rights Council strengthens the universal system for the protection and promotion of human rights within the United Nations. That unique nature of the Council is reflected by the …
On behalf of my delegation, I would like to thank Mr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and all the staff of the Agency’s secretariat for the excellent work they have done in the past year. The latest annual report (see A/63/276) is a testament to …
We have always been attached to the promotion of the rule of law and international justice. That is why Switzerland has supported the International Court of Justice since its founding and considers it to be an important instrument for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Switzerland is also committe…
Geography may be a challenge, but it is not destiny. Landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) face specific hurdles in their development that countries bordering on the sea do not. But those hurdles can be addressed, as we are doing successfully with the Almaty Declaration and Programme of Action. Th…
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr. Pascal Couchepin, who had to cancel his trip to New York at the very last minute.
Since its foundation, the United Nations has embodied the hope of all people to live in peace, freedom and dignity. As Members of t…
We should like to thank the co-chairs for having guided us through the system-wide coherence process this year and for their efforts in fostering consensus among Member States on a variety of issues of great importance for the further improvement of the effectiveness of the United Nations system.
W…
At the outset, I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly for the energy and interest he has devoted to the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in the course of the past year. I would also like to thank Ambassador Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala for his excellent work; the Secretary-Gener…
I have the honour to speak on behalf of Costa Rica, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Singapore and Switzerland.
The group of five small countries (“S-5 group”) thanks you, Mr. President, for having organized this open debate. We are pleased to note that the Council responded favourably to our letter of 20 Ju…
Switzerland, too, thanks the Secretary-General for his report, which is of great value for our work.
Although we are pleased with the positive developments since 2001, particularly with regard to access to treatment, there are no grounds for complacency. Major challenges remain, particularly in reg…
First of all, Switzerland would like to stress the importance of the obligations contained in the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. It is clear that only increased respect for and better implementation of international humanitarian law by all the actors concerned will make it possib…
Switzerland very much welcomes the holding of this thematic debate, and we thank the Secretary-General for his report (A/62/644). That document is a very good source of information and of proposals aimed at better coordination of the activities of United Nations agencies to support negotiations and …
First of all, Switzerland would like to thank the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary- General and UNICEF for organizing this event. We thank UNICEF in particular for its excellent documentation, which enables us to assess the progress achieved and the gaps that remain to be closed in t…
Switzerland welcomes the results of the Annapolis Conference, specifically the commitment of the parties to resume negotiations on a final settlement of the
conflict by the end of 2008, as well as the reaffirmation of the obligations set out in the Road Map and the acceptance to create a monitoring…
I thank the delegation of Indonesia for organizing today’s open debate. We welcome the presence of the Secretary-General this morning, an encouraging signal confirming the Secretariat’s commitment on this important issue. I congratulate him on his excellent report on the protection of civilians in a…
I would like to thank the Secretariat for the documents it has prepared for our discussions.
My delegation would like to reiterate here its support for a clear division of labour between the debates of the General Assembly and those of the humanitarian segment of the Economic and Social Council.
P…
I would like to thank the Security Council for its annual report (A/62/2) and for its introduction to the General Assembly. Like many other delegations, Switzerland last year expressed regret that the report was not sufficiently analytical, which limited its value-added for Member States as a whole.…
I would like to support what my colleagues from New Zealand and Liechtenstein have just said and take the opportunity to clarify Switzerland’s view on the issue.
Our position is and has been, since the creation of the Human Rights Council, that its annual report should be considered in plenary. Giv…
Switzerland would first like to express its gratitude to President Philippe Kirsch for presenting the third annual report of the International Criminal Court (ICC) (A/62/314), covering the main developments in the Court’s activities and cooperation between the Court and the United Nations. Switzerla…
My delegation has taken note with great satisfaction of the Secretary-General’s report entitled “Sport for development and peace: progress and prospects”, which he has submitted to the General Assembly at its sixty-second session to review the steps taken over the past year to implement the three-ye…
