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Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga (60) appealed in the general debate of the 75th UN General Assembly to the responsibility of the member states. The work of the UN must be jointly supported, he said in a video message.
The UN’s work is hampered by member states that blocked decisions or torpedoed resolutions, Sommaruga said in his virtual speech on Thursday night. Even 75 years after the founding of the UN, there are still wars, more refugees and displaced people than ever, a climate crisis, millions of people starving, and equality between women and men is still not a reality.
It is the responsibility of the member states to support the organization with determination and jointly pursue its goals “for the good of humanity,” Sommaruga said.
Switzerland wants to join the UN Security Council
The federal president also took the opportunity to advertise for her own purposes. Switzerland intends to strengthen its capacities and experience in the field of international humanitarian law and conflict prevention, she said. “My country is ready to take on even greater responsibility, and for this reason Switzerland is running for the first time for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the period from 2023 to 2024,” the president said.
In addition to Simonetta Sommaruga, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (59) also represented Switzerland at the 75th UN General Assembly. On the day of the inauguration, Cassis participated in a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the UN. The opening of the United Nations General Assembly will take place this year from September 21 to October 2 and, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, largely virtual. (SDA)
