UN not a chatting club according to Amherd
Published: Tuesday, Sep 24th 2024, 20:30
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According to President Viola Amherd, the UN is not a chattering club that achieves little. "When you see what the UN does in the field, you have to take your hat off," Amherd told the Keystone-SDA news agency in New York on Tuesday.
"45% of all children worldwide are vaccinated by the UN. There are eleven peace missions underway that are helping the civilian population a great deal. This is probably not recognized enough in Switzerland," said Amherd.
Pact for the future accepted
Of course, there is a lot of talking at the UN - after all, in times of crisis, it is all about maintaining dialog. "Especially during major challenges such as wars, disasters or climate change, the UN remains the best place to hopefully find common answers."
Switzerland welcomes the fact that the UN's Pact for the Future was adopted by the General Assembly. "The pact is an important and clear commitment to the multilateral system and should also be seen as a wake-up call for joint action," said Amherd.
Further peace talks planned for Ukraine
Switzerland's commitment to peacebuilding was also discussed, particularly with regard to the war in Europe. "It is crucial that the conference on the Bürgenstock is followed by further meetings so that the peace process can continue," said Amherd. Switzerland would be available to provide good offices, in keeping with its humanitarian tradition.
In addition to the Ukraine conflict, Switzerland was also concerned about the situation in the Middle East, Sudan and Myanmar. Amherd called for international humanitarian law to be upheld under all circumstances. International law is also at the heart of Switzerland's engagement in the Security Council. Amherd will take part in a Security Council debate on the topic of leadership for peace at the end of her UN program on Wednesday.
Situation in the Middle East discussed
The President of the Swiss Confederation held bilateral talks with the Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah, and with Iranian President Massud Peseshkian. The conflict in the Middle East was a topic in both talks. She also spoke to the Iranian representatives about respect for human rights, which is a key issue for Switzerland.
Commenting on the recent clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Amherd said that these hostilities should be suspended immediately on both sides, if only in the interests of the civilian population, which is suffering massively.
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