There are an estimated 60 million guns in war-torn Yemen, which has a population of 18 million.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-ATS/ds
The Swiss-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) opposes the relaxation of rules governing Switzerland’s export of war materiel to countries involved in civil wars. ICRC president Peter Maurer is also urging the Alpine nation to raise its “humanitarian profile.”
With decisions such as relaxing the regulation of arms exports and delaying the ratification of the international treaty to ban nuclear weapons, Switzerland “has lost credibility and reliability as a humanitarian actor,” Maurer said in remarks broadcast on Saturday by Swiss Public Radio, SRF.
The relaxation of the ordinance on war materiel, decided in June by the Federal Council and supported by the parliamentary committee, would allow arms to be exported to countries in internal conflict, if there is no reason to believe that the arms will be used in this conflict. Today, this type of trade is prohibited if the destination country is in armed conflict, internationally or internally.
Mauer said the political message being sent by Swiss policymakers is regrettable.
The ICRC knows with some certainty that this war materiel will sooner or later be used in war zones, Maurer added. On the ground, the organisation often comes across weapons that are exports from highly developed countries, and which had been shelved for some time.
War zones, he noted, are “over-supplied with weapons,” which exacerbates the situation.
The ICRC currently has a budget of around CHF 2 billion ($2.1 billion). According to Maurer, Switzerland is “the fifth largest provider of funds”, giving only CHF150 million.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
In Switzerland, New Year brings ‘burka ban’ and pension hikes
Have you heard something about Swiss diplomacy that you’d like us to fact check?
Not all information circulating about Switzerland’s foreign relations is accurate or well understood. Tell us what you'd like us to fact check or clarify.
WEF: Trump to speak virtually, Zelensky to appear in person
This content was published on
US President-elect Donald Trump will attend this year's annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos via video conference. He is scheduled to speak on January 23.
Coop washes its hands of The Body Shop in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Body Shop is facing closure in Switzerland. Retailer Coop is no longer extending the franchise agreement for its cosmetics subsidiary.
Three out of ten Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland have a job
This content was published on
More and more refugees from Ukraine have a job in Switzerland. The employment rate of people with protection status S was just under 30% at the end of 2024.
Swiss private companies invest CHF18 billion in research
This content was published on
In 2023, private companies in Switzerland spent CHF18 billion ($19.7 billion) on their own research and development. This is CHF1.2 billion more than in 2021.
This content was published on
Lindt & Sprüngli grew strongly in 2024. The Swiss chocolate manufacturer is also aiming for above-average growth in the current financial year.
‘Surprisingly few’ signatures invalid for ban on animal testing
This content was published on
The initiative to ban animal testing was submitted in November with around 127,600 signatures. "Surprisingly few" signatures are not valid, the initiative's organisers have now said.
Geneva hosts Iran nuclear talks before return of Trump
This content was published on
Iran and the main European powers began two days of talks in Geneva on Iran's nuclear programme on Monday, a week ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration as US president.
Does Switzerland still punch above its weight ethically?
This content was published on
The moral stature of Kofi Annan and his association with Geneva and Switzerland raise the question of Switzerland’s moral stature as well.
Initiative calls for end to ‘warmongering with our money’
This content was published on
A total of 104,902 had been confirmed as valid, said the pacifist Group for a Switzerland Without an Army, the Young Green Party and the Association for a Ban on Arms Dealing. People’s initiatives must be signed by at least 100,000 citizens within an 18-month period in order to be considered for a vote at…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.