President of the Confederation Viola Amherd and Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis to represent Switzerland at opening of the 79th UN General Assembly
Bern, 13.09.2024 - At its meeting on 13 September 2024, the Federal Council was briefed on the outcome of the consultation of the foreign affairs committees in the run-up to the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd and Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will travel to New York where they will represent Switzerland during the high-level opening week of the 79th UN General Assembly from 22 to 25 September 2024.
Effective, focused multilateralism is in Switzerland's interests. This is reflected in the key themes presented in the Federal Council's preview of the 79th UN General Assembly: the possibility of continuing to implement the 'Our Common Agenda' report with a view to strengthening multilateralism; promotion of international law in the physical and digital space; discussions on the reform of the global financial system; and further UN reforms, especially changes to the UN development system. At its meeting today, the Federal Council was briefed on the outcome of the consultation of the foreign policy committees in the run-up to the 79th UN General Assembly.
Opening week of 79th UN General Assembly
The 79th session of the UN General Assembly, which will run from September 2024 to September 2025, will open, as it does every year, with a high-level week attended by over a hundred heads of state and government, as well as foreign ministers from around the world. The high-level week thus offers a unique opportunity for an exchange of views and for meetings with a wide range of stakeholders.
The first high-level event, which will take place on Sunday 22 September, will be the Summit of the Future. In view of the challenges facing the world, the summit's aim of forging a new international consensus on how to build a better future is as urgent as it is ambitious.
Ms Amherd and Mr Cassis will travel to New York to attend the opening week of the 79th UN General Assembly, which will run from 22 to 25 September 2024. Ms Amherd will represent Switzerland at the Summit of the Future. On Tuesday 24 September, she will deliver Switzerland's official address at the opening of the general debate. Ms Amherd will also represent Switzerland at other engagements, including an event on the inclusion of women in the Afghan peace process. Together with other female presidents and heads of government, she will address the issue of equal participation of women in political decision-making processes. In addition, Ms Amherd will represent Switzerland at the UN Security Council 'Leadership for Peace' debate.
Mr Cassis will also undertake a series of engagements, including a meeting of G20 foreign ministers, as well as various events on democracy promotion and the protection of humanitarian personnel. He is scheduled to take part in an exchange marking the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions and will meet with the foreign ministers of the current and newly elected members of the UN Security Council. During their visit to New York, Ms Amherd and Mr Cassis will also take the opportunity to hold bilateral talks with numerous heads of state and government and foreign ministers.
The UN General Assembly is the broadest forum for dialogue among the governments of UN member states. It brings together all 193 member states to discuss and develop solutions to global issues such as poverty reduction, respect for human rights, sustainable development, conflict resolution and the fight against climate change.
Address for enquiries
For further information:
FDFA Communication
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Publisher
The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
General Secretariat DDPS
https://www.vbs.admin.ch/
