The world in
which we live is profoundly changing, but whether it
changes for the better is another matter. That is up to
us. We often get the impression that great strides are
being taken towards a better, more peaceful future.
Unfortunately, reality imposes disappointing setbacks
upon us.
I recall an important step taken 150 years ago.
In 1863, the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) was founded in Geneva, giving rise to
a global movement. Thanks to their humanitarian
spirit, representatives of that organization work to
provide humanitarian help worldwide for people
affected by armed conflict and other violent situations.
The humanitarian work of the ICRC is based on the
principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence.
All victims of conflicts receive the same treatment, and
help is granted to all vulnerable persons. All human
beings are valued equally.
Alongside the humanitarian tradition shared by
Switzerland and the ICRC, my country is proud of
another tradition dating back centuries — neutrality.
I would recall that for centuries Switzerland’s foreign
policy has been anchored in peaceful coexistence
among States. Thanks to our neutrality, we maintain
relations with all countries. We never take sides, but
we can provide support or propose our mediation.
Furthermore, our neutrality allows us to offer our good
offices.
Humanitarian engagement is part of our history. It
is an honour for us to make our neutral soil available
for peace talks, and we will continue to do all we can
to contribute towards peace in the world, in particular
through our good offices. That impartial work is based
on our belief that there are differences between people
and between nations. Those differences are natural.
Moreover, all human beings enjoy equal rights.
The protection of human rights is a key element of
the Swiss commitment. Those rights are an expression
of the obligations set out under international law and
must be protected. Switzerland is concerned by the
widespread excesses of violence and numerous human
rights violations. It calls on all States and civilian actors
to renounce violence.
In the Middle East, violent conflicts are imposing
unacceptable suffering on the civil population. The
situation in Syria has deteriorated to such an extent that
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humanitarian organizations are unable to cope. Serious
and systematic violations and abuses of international
humanitarian law and human rights cannot be tolerated
in any circumstances. Such crimes must not go
unpunished, regardless of which side is responsible.
That is why my country, together with 57 like-minded
States, called on the Security Council in January to
refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal
Court. The use of chemical weapons is a particularly
despicable crime. It is imperative to shed light on all
facts. With that in mind, Switzerland welcomes recent
developments.
I stress the need for the international community to
spare no effort to pave the way for another conference
at the earliest possible date in Geneva. That conference
should result in a negotiated and lasting solution that
would take into account the legitimate aspirations of
all Syrians.
Switzerland is not the only country bound by the
principle of equal rights. The Charter of the United
Nations endows it with universal validity. The preamble
reaffirms “faith in fundamental human rights, in the
dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal
rights of men and women”.
What applies to all human beings also applies to
the States we live in. That is why, in the same sentence,
after referring to the fundamental rights of all people,
the Charter refers explicitly to the equal rights of
nations “large and small”. Under paragraph 2 of Article
I of the Charter, the United Nations seeks “to develop
friendly relations among nations based on respect for
the principle of equal rights and self-determination of
peoples”. Paragraph 1 of Article 2 states that
“[t]he Organization is based on the principle of the
sovereign equality of all its Members.”
I firmly believe that those principles are the keystone for
the peaceful coexistence of all people and populations
of this world.
But are we still sufficiently aware of this? Or are
we prone to lose ourselves in grandiose ideas and minor
details? I have the impression that in international
politics too much is said of how things should be in an
ideal world and too little about reality. I cannot help
but feel that excessive bureaucracy creates a kind of
parallel universe that leads to increased isolation. At
the end of the day, that leads to increasingly higher
costs and fewer concrete results.
Global problems need more than general discussions;
above all, they require a search for solutions shared by
all parties. The United Nations was created to find such
solutions, and to that end it must be efficient, innovative
and effective. Only thus will it be able to make progress
in ensuring the equal rights of people and nations.
Switzerland is firmly committed to contributing to that
task. At present, certain developments are at odds with
the shared values laid down in the Charter. I would like
to address those subjects and launch a discussion on
these worrisome developments.
As the representative of a neutral State with a
long-standing humanitarian tradition, it is with some
concern that I observe the growing resurgence of
power politics. I note that large States are once again
choosing to exercise their power and force and that they
view smaller States less and less as equal partners. I
sincerely hope that this trend will be reversed as soon
as possible. Otherwise, the fundamental values of the
Charter, which unite the international community and
to which its members feel committed, will be placed in
doubt.
As I have already said, the tendency towards
power politics on the international stage worries me,
for we believe that the countries on this planet should
be free to choose their own futures, even as they
respect others States and accept the rules of peaceful
coexistence among peoples, without sacrificing their
specific character. We believe in peaceful competition
among economies. We believe in the diversity of the
world — the peaceful diversity of sovereign States
that treat one another fairly and as equal partners.
People are free to draw up their own constitutions and
to determine their own economic order and their own
system of law. No State may impose its law over that
of another country. Problems are not solved by diktat,
but through negotiations. The shared norms and rules
of international law exist to ensure that it is not simply
the law of the strongest that applies. The principles of
sovereignty and equal rights provide peace and stability
and foster friendly relations between all peoples.
Those are the convictions upon which the Charter
of the United Nations is based. Do we still share these
convictions today?
The way in which large nations have acted in
dealings with small nations recently has disturbed me
because I often have the impression that force has often
been placed above the law. The United Nations is active
in a vast range of areas. There is perhaps a risk that it
has taken on too much and lost sight of what is essential
and concrete. The United Nations and its Member States
often seem at a loss when the principles upon which
the Organization were founded are at stake. Let us
never forget what underlies these principles: the equal
rights of people and the equal rights and sovereignty
of nations. They are embodiments of the lessons of
history, which has been a painful story of oppression,
foreign domination and conflicts.
Together we must decide which path we want to
take. Do we want to continue squandering our strength
on issues of secondary interest? I believe that we should
strive, here and now, to reaffirm and live out the values
of the United Nations. Let us commit ourselves to
achieving a peaceful world in which people and nations
enjoy equal rights and are of equal value — a world in
which right prevails over might. It is up to all of us here
in this Hall to do all in our power to achieve that goal.
Let us start without delay.