'The Expectation Is For Switzerland To Show Its Reliability'

Date

5/4/2023 11:15:03 PM

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Deutsch (de) "man erwartet, dass wir eine verlässliche schweiz zeigen" (original)

عربي (ar) هذه هي أولويات سويسرا في مجلس الأمن

SWI swissinfo.ch: How much room for manoeuvre does a country have when it's holding to the Security Council presidency?

Pascale Baeriswyl: On the one hand, it is more of a ceremonial and administrative role. For one month, the country in question acts as the guardian of the Security Council. We aim to consult and involve everyone and support a fair decision-making process in the traditional Swiss fashion. In times of great tension, this role is important.

On the other hand, we hope in the long term to put an emphasis on the priorities of the Swiss government for the New Agenda for Peace.

SWI: What exactly does this entail?

P.B.: We've planned two high-level debates. On May 3 we discussed confidence-building in the field of peace promotion with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. On May 23, Swiss President Alain Berset, the UN Secretary-General and the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross will be present to discuss the protection of civilians.

SWI: Do the other 14 members of the Security Council have any specific expectations of the Swiss presidency?

P.B.: I think there are high expectations that our leadership will be strong and that we will act in a trustworthy way and show solidarity – in other words, that we can showcase a reliable Switzerland.

SWI: What are the main themes of this month, and what difficult decisions can we expect?

P.B.: First we have to discuss whether to extend the mandate of the UN peace mission in Iraq and the sanctions on South Sudan. Then the Security Council is due to have the annual report approved by the General Assembly. Other than that, there are many other meetings that have been mandated. May is one of the busiest months in the Security Council.

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