Diplomacy Cassis calls for more respect for international humanitarian law

At a UN Security Council event in Geneva on Monday, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis called for greater respect for international humanitarian law. Members of the Security Council (excluding Russia) met in the city of Calvin to mark the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions.

Cassis told the representatives of the member states that international humanitarian law should not just exist on paper. It is not an "a la carte" right, but must be a right that is implemented ("le droit 'en action'").

There are currently 120 armed conflicts worldwide. These wars cause "unimaginable human suffering". Violations of international humanitarian law often go unpunished in these conflicts. Respect for the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the cornerstones of international humanitarian law, must therefore become a "political priority", continued Cassis.

Switzerland hosted the event together with Sierra Leone. This country currently presides over the UN Security Council. Russia had declined an invitation.

SDA