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 …
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…
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 have the honour and sad duty to address the General Assembly today on behalf of the Group of Western European and other States to pay tribute to two former Presidents of the Assembly, Ms. Angie Elisabeth Brooks of Liberia, who served as President at the twenty-fourth session, and Mr. Gaston Thorn …
I have the honour and the sad duty to address the General Assembly today on behalf of the Group of Western European and other States to pay tribute to the late Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, His Excellency Sir John Compton, who died on 7 September.
Saint Lucia mourns the passing not only of its Pri…
Important financial resources have been dedicated to the management of conflict, but the funds invested in the prevention of wars and crises have remained modest. This, despite the fact that effective conflict prevention would save not only innumerable lives but also reduce excessive spending. Thus,…
I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this open debate, because the issue of natural resources and conflict is important to Switzerland. We also thank you for the high quality of the document (S/2007/334) with which you have provided us.
There is no doubt that natural resources are among the pr…
The draft resolution before the Assembly today on the question of Western Sahara is simply an updated version of the one adopted by consensus at the sixtieth session of the General Assembly. At that time, Switzerland had supported the consensus that was arrived at between the parties. We regret that…
Switzerland welcomes the report on the prevention of armed conflict presented to us today (A/60/891). It provides a clear and structured account of preventive measures, as well as a comprehensive inventory of what the United Nations is doing in this area.
It is encouraging to note that the expertis…
Twenty years have passed since we learned of the explosion that took place in reactor No. 4 at the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl. That event caused fear and trepidation even in Switzerland, 2,000 kilometres away. We can only imagine the horror and shock that the explosion caused in the countries …
The tragedy that struck South-East Asia on 26 December 2004 was one of the worst of the modern age. Its toll surpasses understanding. We are all struck with humility before these forces of nature that are beyond human scale. We thank the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for th…
There is no need to recall the harmful role played by the illicit conflict-diamond trade in the armed conflicts of diamond-producing regions, or the massive human rights violations that have accompanied them. Nevertheless, in the span of under five years, the development and implementation of the in…
Switzerland attaches particular importance to the discussion on strengthening the coordination of humanitarian aid. All Member States and observers are thus given the opportunity to undertake a necessary exchange of views on the essential areas of United Nations action. We note that the general tren…
Switzerland welcomes the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip concluded last weekend by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as well as the signs of openness shown by both parties to the conflict over the past few days. We are convinced that the ceasefire could form the basis of a whole series of confidence…
