After 25 formal Council meetings: Switzerland takes positive stock of its UN Security Council Presidency

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During 25 formal Council meetings at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Switzerland was able to contribute its bridge-building skills, provide substantive emphasis and focus on confidence-building and the protection of the civilian population, according to a statement on the UN website. the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (EDA) from Friday.

Federal Councilor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis presided over the first flagship event of the Swiss Council Presidency on 3 May. She engaged in building trust for peace under the motto “Where there is trust, everything is possible”.

At the end of May, Federal President Alain Berset traveled to New York to hold an open debate on the theme of “protection of the civilian population”. UN Secretary General António Guterres and ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric also attended. At the very end, Defense Secretary Viola Amherd presided over a council meeting to mark the 75th anniversary of UN peacekeeping missions.

For the first time in its membership of the United Nations since September 2002, Switzerland is this year and next year a non-permanent member of the Security Council, the most powerful UN body.

According to observers, the atmosphere in the Council, which Russia presided over Switzerland, was very tense this spring. Not only because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but also because of the rivalry between China and the United States.

Swiss Ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Pascale Baeriswyl, said that the Presidency is an honor, but also a great responsibility, even at the start of the Swiss Council Presidency. (SDA)

Source:Blick