Home » News » In New York, Federal President Parmelin and Federal Councilor Cassis are focusing on sustainability and political conflict resolution

In New York, Federal President Parmelin and Federal Councilor Cassis are focusing on sustainability and political conflict resolution

Bern, 09/23/2021 – Federal President Guy Parmelin and Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis were able to set various thematic priorities during the high-level week at the opening of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. At the virtual UN summit on food systems, Federal President Parmelin explains how Switzerland would like to shape the transformation towards sustainable food systems at home and abroad. Federal Councilor Cassis led discussions with his Swedish counterpart on a high-level occasion on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and took part in an event on the Libyan peace process. Both Federal Council members also held numerous bilateral talks in New York, in which Switzerland’s candidacy for the UN Security Council was discussed.

At the center of the speeches by Federal President Parmelin at the UN summit on food systems on September 23, 2021 is the Sustainable Development 2030 Strategy adopted by the Federal Council and the associated action plan for the years 2021-2023. Among other things, it includes the goal of halving avoidable food losses per capita compared to 2017. At the virtual event in New York, Federal President Parmelin will present the road map that Switzerland is pursuing in its transformation towards sustainable food systems by 2030: In addition to reducing food losses, one goal is for the population to follow the recommendations of the Oriented towards the Swiss food pyramid. Furthermore, the greenhouse gas footprint for food consumption per person should decrease significantly. In addition, even more farms should produce in a particularly environmentally and animal-friendly manner. The road map lists concrete measures to achieve these goals.

In the run-up to the UN Summit on Food Systems, to which UN Secretary General António Guterres had invited, Federal President Parmelin spoke to the Presidents of Costa Rica and Senegal, Carlos Alvarado Quesada and Macky Sall, about innovative solutions for sustainable food systems and defined with his interlocutors common priorities. This includes the promotion of agro-ecological farming principles, support for family farms and the development of digital, inclusive financial instruments for smallholders in rural areas.

Discussions about possible solutions for Yemen and Libya

Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis used his presence at the high-level week to discuss current political developments. Together with his Swedish counterpart Ann Linde, the Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Per Olsson Fridh and the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič, he led an event on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. There he underlined that in view of the humanitarian situation in the region, support is still urgent and that Switzerland is therefore increasing its contribution. At a ministerial meeting on the peace process in Libya, Federal Councilor Cassis called for free and fair elections in the country. He also emphasized Switzerland’s commitment to peaceful conflict resolution and the strengthening of human rights and international humanitarian law within the framework of the Berlin Process.

Bilateral meetings

Federal President Parmelin and Federal Councilor Cassis also used their stay in New York for bilateral talks with various heads of state and government as well as ministers. Among other things, Federal President Parmelin met with Maia Sandu, the President of Moldova and with the Colombian President Iván Duque; The development of bilateral economic relations was also an issue. In addition, Federal President Parmelin met with Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. He discussed the potential for a free trade agreement with the Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. During the exchange with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the contributions that international Geneva is making to overcoming the current challenges were discussed.

Federal Councilor Cassis met for the first time with the new Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian. He discussed the services of Switzerland within the framework of the various protecting power mandates and exchanged views with him about bilateral relations and the future of the nuclear agreement. Bilateral issues and the future structure of relations between Switzerland and the European Union were the core of the talks with the European counterparts, Evarist Bartolo from Malta, Anže Logar from Slovenia and Ann Linde from Sweden. With his African counterparts – Kandia Camara from Côte d’Ivoire and Raychelle Omamo from Kenya – the Federal Council’s sub-Saharan Africa strategy focused on issues of sustainability, digitization, prosperity as well as science and research. He held further bilateral talks with the President of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid, the Secretary General of the Francophonie Louise Mushikiwabo and the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of the Arab Gulf States Nayef Al-Hajraf. Switzerland’s candidacy for a seat on the UN Security Council was also part of various bilateral talks. After 20 years of membership in the UN, Switzerland is running for this body for the first time. The election for the seat in the years 2023/2024 is expected to take place next June.

Making vaccines available faster

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Federal President Parmelin took part in a virtual Covid-19 summit on Wednesday. The “Global COVID-19 Summit”, which US President Joe Biden had called, aims to intensify vaccination efforts worldwide and also to prepare for future pandemics. In his statement, Federal President Parmelin said: “We are now called upon to work with all those affected to create the necessary production capacities and make vaccines available more quickly.”

Tend the world like a winemaker’s grapevine

On Tuesday, September 21, 2021, the Federal President spoke on behalf of Switzerland in front of the UN General Assembly. He emphasized the lessons to be learned from the current pandemic and drew an analogy to viticulture: “The Covid-19 pandemic is somewhat comparable to hail or frost, which can devastate the vines: unforeseen and destabilizing. Good winemakers live with these risks and know how to deal with such blows of fate ». He concluded that it should be clear to everyone “that we must anticipate future crises, prepare for them and show solidarity in order to create a more resilient world”. To achieve this, long-term perspectives and scientific findings, research and education are essential: “Access to knowledge and expertise enables us to anticipate and prepare for our future.” The Federal President said the world should be cherished like a winemaker’s grapevine.


Address for queries

Communication WBF, Tel. +41 58 462 20 07, [email protected]

Communication EDA, Tel. +41 58 460 55 55, [email protected]


editor

Federal Department of Economics, Education and Research

http://www.wbf.admin.ch

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/de/home.html

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