The President of the Swiss Confederation spoke at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, 24 September 2019. He underlined the importance of the UN Charter and stressed that the international community also has the responsibility to protect the rights of smaller countries. He called the Geneva Conventions, which were adopted 70 years ago, a "compass of value" for fundamental human rights.
He also called for technical progress not to be hindered: "If we are to succeed in stabilising supplies of food, water and energy, if we are to tackle climate change effectively, we need to do more than just pay lip service to these aims – we need technical innovation." "We want the new digital society to commit to, abide by, and implement a common set of basic ethical values," said the President of the Swiss Confederation, referring to the corresponding objectives of the "Swiss Digital Initiative", which was founded three weeks ago in Geneva in the presence of global corporations, the UN and the ICRC. Switzerland is prepared to make its contribution to the world community and with Geneva offers the UN an important platform for promoting exchange.