UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a working visit in Switzerland

“Since joining the UN in September 2002, Switzerland has made a name for itself as an active, innovative and reliable member”, Micheline Calmy-Rey said to the media after the talks. “I am convinced that it will continue to do so in the future too: For many of the current challenges – security, peace, combating poverty, protecting human rights and natural resources – solutions can be found only at a global level.” In the light of Ban Ki-moon’s appointment for a second term of office as UN Secretary-General on 21 June 2011, the visit was an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing the UN in the years ahead.  

Together with her colleagues from the Federal Council, Didier Burkhalter, Doris Leuthard and Ueli Maurer, the Federal President presented Switzerland’s priorities in connection with its UN membership to the UN Secretary-General. They discussed Switzerland’s commitment to sustainable development in the context of the Rio+20 Conference next year and to the protection of human rights. Other topics included questions relating to international energy and health policy. 

During the discussion, the UN Secretary-General expressed his recognition of the Federal Council’s and Switzerland’s commitment in fields such as mediation and peace promotion and peace-keeping. Switzerland will continue to be a reliable partner for the UN in the future. One such opportunity is the changes taking place in North Africa and the Middle East, which can be grouped together under the term “Arab Spring”. “With its commitment to a strong UN, Switzerland is not only contributing to solving the problems of our planet but is also acting in its own interests”, Micheline Calmy-Rey said.  

Ban Ki-moon was last in Switzerland for a working visit in April 2007. On 16 October 2011 he attended the inaugural ceremony of the 125th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union IPU in Bern. Switzerland is hosting the anniversary conference of the IPU. He also met with six young people from Arab countries who are in Bern for the annual conference of Political Affairs Division IV Human Security of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs on 18 October. These young people, who are actively involved in the Arab Spring in their home countries, had the opportunity to discuss with the Secretary-General their situation, their activities and their expectations with regard to the United Nations.

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