UN Security Council members to visit Geneva
Bern, 20.08.2024 - At Switzerland's invitation, members of the UN Security Council will visit Geneva on 25 and 26 August 2024. On 26 August, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will participate in an exchange between the members of the Security Council together with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone, currently President of the Council, which will focus on respecting and strengthening international humanitarian law 75 years after the adoption of the Geneva Conventions. The visit will also showcase the expertise of International Geneva in the prevention of emerging threats to peace and security.
As 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions, this informal visit in Switzerland by members of the Security Council will be an occasion to reaffirm the key role of international humanitarian law (IHL) in the more than 100 ongoing conflicts around the world. The Geneva Conventions set limits on war and protect civilians. They form the basis of IHL. The increase in violations of IHL poses a major challenge for the UN Security Council as part of its responsibility for international peace and security.
Respecting and strengthening IHL as well as protecting civilians in armed conflicts are a priority of Switzerland's foreign policy, particularly in the context of its mandate as an elected member of the Security Council for 2023-24.
On 26 August, Mr Cassis will take part in an exchange in Geneva at the Palais des Nations between the members of the Security Council, alongside his counterpart from Sierra Leone, Timothy Musa Kabba, whose country holds the presidency of the Security Council for the month of August.
Place des Nations in tribute to 75 years of the Geneva Conventions
In the afternoon, on the Place des Nations, at the foot of the Broken Chair monument, a symbolic event will take place to mark the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. Mr Cassis and Christina Kitsos, the mayor of the City of Geneva, will give speeches in the presence of the president of the Council of State of the Canton of Geneva, Nathalie Fontanet, members of the UN Security Council and representatives of international Geneva.
Geneva's expertise in peace and security
As the European headquarters of the UN, International Geneva is one of the most important pillars of multilateralism and the UN system, and is home to numerous international organisations as well as many scientific and civil society actors. This gives the city a unique array of expertise, particularly in the fields of peace, security and the protection of civilians. One example is the ICRC, which has its headquarters in Geneva and plays an essential role in implementing the Geneva Conventions. The ICRC provides protection and assistance to victims of armed conflict and violence, and works towards promoting respect for international humanitarian law and its incorporation into national legislation.
An exchange between the Security Council members and key actors in International Geneva – including the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) – is planned for later in the afternoon of 26 August in order to anticipate and tackle future challenges to peace and security. These exchanges, along with Switzerland's up-coming presidency of the Security Council in October 2024, will strengthen cooperation between the two UN capitals, Geneva and New York.
Address for enquiries
FDFA Communication
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55
E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA
Publisher
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
