Switzerland to organize Ukraine peace conference in summer
Published: Saturday, Feb 24th 2024, 04:00
Updated At: Saturday, Feb 24th 2024, 04:00
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Saturday marks the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Against this backdrop, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis reaffirmed Switzerland's commitment to a sustainable and just peace in Ukraine before the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.
Cassis also announced on Friday evening (local time) that Switzerland intends to organize a high-level peace conference by the summer. He reiterated Switzerland's call for compliance with the UN Charter and international humanitarian law and took part in an event on humanitarian demining.
"The conference should be a prelude, it should initiate a process. We can no longer simply do nothing," Cassis told the media in New York. "We must now find a way to take the first step that can sooner or later lead to a common basis for a dialog," said the Foreign Minister. "There is no solution on the horizon yet." Various ideas need to be put on the table. "The war must come to an end. But nobody knows how. That's why we need a call to action now." A new dynamic is needed.
Cassis: Broad alliance needed
It is important that a broad alliance of countries is represented at the conference. In other words, not only Europe, the USA and Canada, but also countries from other regions of the world.
"I would therefore like to invite all nations, from north to south, from east to west, to work together to achieve the goal of finding common ground for peace in Ukraine," he told the UN General Assembly.
Cassis recalled the thousands of dead and millions displaced by "this catastrophe" of the Russian attack on Ukraine. The path to peace in Ukraine fits into one hand: "The Charter of the United Nations. It fits in one hand," he said, holding up the UN Charter.
Talks with representatives of Ukraine and Russia
Speaking to the media, Cassis pointed out that there was not just the 10-point peace plan of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but around a dozen plans with different approaches.
Cassis also discussed the planned conference with the Ukrainian foreign minister and Russia's UN ambassador at bilateral meetings in New York.
Nothing works without demining
Mine clearance is an important aspect on the road to peace. Without this, there can be no reconstruction, as Cassis emphasized. At a meeting of the UN Mine Action Group, the Foreign Minister described mine clearance in Ukraine as an enormous task.
The consequences of the mining and contamination of the country by war remnants extend far beyond the borders of Ukraine, explained Cassis. A third of Ukraine's territory is mined or contaminated by other munitions. This corresponds to four times the area of Switzerland. This has dramatic consequences both for global food security and for the local population, as Cassis emphasized.
Switzerland is strongly committed to mine action and will organize an international ministerial conference on the topic in October. According to Cassis, the main focus will be on the challenge of global food security.
Cassis: Conference first step towards peace
Cassis also emphasized the need for a just peace in Ukraine to the OSCE Council. The conference organized by Switzerland marked the first step on this path. A just peace includes the return and healing of the population, respect for the rule of law and human rights, accountability, justice for the victims and the recognition of international law.
The war must stop because it threatens nuclear safety and has a harmful impact on global food security and the environment. Switzerland is once again calling on Russia to withdraw its troops from the sovereign territory of Ukraine and to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity, said Mr. Cassis.
Speaking to the media in New York, Cassis emphasized the importance of the OSCE in this time of uncertainty. The Helsinki Final Act has lost none of its significance 50 years after its adoption.
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