Swiss NGOs want aid to Colombia linked to human rights progress
People hold placards during a vigil as a protest against the killing of social leaders in Bogota, Colombia, 06 July 2018.
Keystone
The Swiss government is under pressure to condition financial aid on the respect of human rights in Colombia, which has witnessed an alarming surge in murders of social leaders.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch with SDA-ATS; ds
Español
es
ONG suizas piden que la ayuda a Colombia dependa del avance de los derechos humanos
The request was made by dozens of Swiss non-governmental organisations and charities in an open letter to president Alain Berset and foreign minister Ignazio Cassis.
Swissaid said that 123 human rights defenders have been killed in the past six months in Colombia.
Since 2016, when the Colombian government reached a landmark peace agreement with the revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), 311 murders have been committed.
The situation is so serious, noted the letter, that the United Nations has already questioned the Colombian government. But since the latter does not react, the next step is to apply international pressure.
The Swiss government provided experts to help with negotiations between the two sides of the Colombian conflict and an original version of the 2016 peace agreement is in Bern for safekeeping.
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
This content was published on
Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
This content was published on
Switzerland is one of five states that form the ‘Group of Countries for the Support, Accompaniment and Cooperation of the Negotiating Table’ (GPAAC) that have been working for peace in the South American country. The other GPAAC members are Sweden, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Switzerland issued a statement, saying the group wanted to “congratulate…
This content was published on
Pundits in and out of Colombia never imagined the deal would be voted down, but the outcome was hardly inexplicable. The reason for the outcome was not, as official advertising in favour of the referendum for the peace deal insinuated, that those campaigning for a No “want war.” Nor was there any truth to the…
This content was published on
Signed on Monday, the agreement was then handed to Switzerland – as official depository – by the Colombian foreign minister Maria Angela Holguin to Yves Rossier, state secretary of the Swiss foreign ministry. Rossier was present at Monday’s signing ceremony. Both parties in the peace agreement wanted an original to be stored in Bern in…
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.