Thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this debate. The outstanding report of the Secretary-General on the prevention of armed conflict encourages us to move from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention, and to translate our promises into concrete actions. To be effective, the work of pre…
The Swiss delegation would like to thank all the delegations that gave their support to the three Swiss candidates.
We would like to announce the withdrawal of the candidacies of Mr. Dick F. Marty and Mr. Robert Roth, while confirming the continued candidacy of Mr. Stefan Trechsel.
It happens that diamonds have fuelled some of the most
terrible conflicts we have ever seen in the world. Because of that, Switzerland attaches the greatest importance to breaking the vicious chain which seems to establish that the illicit trade in diamonds brings with it a similar trade in arms. W…
Switzerland attaches great importance to mine action, which it has made a priority of its peace and security policy. Switzerland supports the United Nations in its fight against mines by providing it not only with financial means, but also with human and material resources, and Switzerland intends t…
First of all, I would like sincerely to thank the acting Emergency Relief Coordinator and all the personnel of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for the excellent work done last year.
In the year 2000, OCHA and the international humanitarian community have once again de…
Just 10 years ago attention focused on the rights of the child was intensified by the entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the adoption of the Declaration and the Plan of Action at the World Summit, held here in New York. On that occasion, the participating States identi…
When Switzerland invited the General Assembly to
hold its twenty-fourth special session on the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development, in Geneva, its objective was to promote a dialogue between international organizations, Governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). There w…
Switzerland is particularly attentive to the theme of the dialogue among civilizations. For 10 centuries now it has practised within its territory the peaceful coexistence of four linguistic cultures and two major Christian religions. It has also long been a country of immigration, with currently mo…
Allow me first of all to congratulate the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs along with his whole team for the excellent job done in the course of the last year. Thanks to their commitment and dedication to the humanitarian cause, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs…
Today we are commemorating the end of the United Nations Decade of International Law. The year 1999 has also been marked by other celebrations. I might mention first the centennial of the first International Peace Conference, the fiftieth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions and the tenth anniversa…
Since this is the first time that I am addressing this year's Assembly, allow me first of all to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election to the presidency and to extend to you my best wishes for success in carrying out this important function.
Less than nine months from now, the General A…
Many speakers before me have emphasized the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is the “mother” of all human rights conventions and whose anniversary we are commemorating. However, they have also underlined how far we still have to go before this
The recent adoption by th…
Switzerland would like to thank the Secretary- General for his report on United Nations reform in the field of environment and human settlements. We commend in particular the excellent work of the Task Force on Environment and Human Settlements under the chairmanship of Mr. Toepfer, and we thank him…
Switzerland welcomes the progress that has been made since the establishment of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the appointment of Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello. The reform of the humanitarian sector is certainly on the right track and the office of the Emergency Relief Coor…
The current economic and financial crises affecting a large part of the world have made the implications of globalization and interdependence clear: no longer is it possible to remain an island of prosperity when the rest of the world suffers from a serious economic crisis; poverty anywhere constitu…
The Swiss delegation is grateful for this opportunity to address the item on the coordination of humanitarian activities, a matter to which my Government attaches great importance.
I wish first to express our satisfaction at the recent appointment of Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello as United Nations Eme…
I am addressing the Assembly today as
The Secretary-General of the OSCE, His Excellency Ambassador Giancarlo Aragona, will speak at a later stage. In the meantime, allow me to thank the Secretary- General of the United Nations for his excellent report on the cooperation between the United Nations a…
The Permanent Observer of Switzerland would like to thank the President of the Security Council for taking the initiative for this meeting, one which enables States which so desire to express in this prestigious
At the end of the twentieth century, thousands of human lives continue to be threatened…
The experience of the past few years shows that the number and magnitude of emergency situations confronting the international community is continuing to grow. As a result, the search for solutions is becoming ever more difficult and must take into account a plethora of factors.
On the general leve…
For Switzerland, which is participating fully in all United Nations activities in the area of cooperation for development and humanitarian assistance, the definition of an agenda for development is of major importance. Thus, we would like to thank the Secretary-General for the document he has submit…
