There are concerns over Swiss materials being destined to three Arab nations nations involved in the Yemeni conflict.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistribu
Switzerland exported weapons and munitions worth CHF205.2 million ($207 million) in the first six months of this year, up from CHF166.6 million for the same period in 2017.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/sb
According to figures published on Thursday by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Switzerland exported weapons and ammunition and war-related material to Germany (CHF47.7 million), the United States (CHF32.6 million), Denmark (CHF29.3 million), the United Arab Emirates (CHF9.5 million), Bahrain (CHF3 million) and Saudi Arabia (CHF2 million).
The non-governmental organisation Switzerland without an Army (GSoA)External link slammed the fact that CHF14.5 million worth of war materials were sold to countries with links to the conflict in Yemen. Swiss law, it noted, forbids the export of war material to a country involved in an armed conflict.
In May 2015, Switzerland stopped weapons deliveries to Saudi Arabia, which spearheaded a military intervention in Yemen. In April 2016, however, the Alpine nation re-authorised arms exports to the region, rejecting concerns over the risk of Swiss war materials being used in the Yemen conflict.
There is growing debate in Switzerland, where neutrality is a point of pride, over the ethics surrounding arms exports.
Earlier this month, the Federal Chancellery validated the necessary signatures for an initiative launched by the GSoA pacifist group calling for a ban the Swiss National Bank, foundations and pension schemes from investing in the arms industry. This is likely to go to a national vote.
In June, the Swiss government announced it had decided to relax the rules on arms exports, making exports to countries with an internal armed conflict possible under certain conditions.
In 2017, exports of weapons and munitions from Switzerland to 64 countries rose by 8% to CHF446.6 million. In 2016, Switzerland was the 14th-largest arms exporter in the worldExternal link, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The US and Russia are by far the largest.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
UBS releases ‘hundreds’ of staff in fresh wave of job cuts
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Milei orders Argentina’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization
This content was published on
Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has announced plans to pull the country out of the Geneva-headquartered World Health Organization (WHO).
‘Europe’ initiative halts signature collection to focus on Swiss-EU treaty
This content was published on
The initiative sought to embed Swiss-EU relations in the Federal Constitution, but the organisers have now stopped signature collection.
Swiss study sheds light on link between obesity and metabolic diseases
This content was published on
ETH Zurich researchers collected cells from overweight individuals to identify biological markers that raise the risk of metabolic diseases.
Swiss retail sector sees slight decline despite strong online sales
This content was published on
Black Friday, which performed well in some areas of Switzerland, and Christmas sales could not make up for the losses of previous months.
Over 6,000 Swiss companies go bankrupt but start-ups see growth
This content was published on
Switzerland recorded a spike in bankruptcies last year, but there was also a rise in new start-ups. Trends varied significantly by region and sector.
Basel greenlights funding for Eurovision Village 2025
This content was published on
MCH Group Ltd. is set to receive CHF1 million ($1.1 million) for the Eurovision Village at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel.
Geneva researchers discover potential for targeted cancer drug delivery
This content was published on
Researchers in Geneva have discovered how some bacteria inject dangerous enzymes into cells, potentially enabling targeted drug delivery to cancer cells.
Macron denies involvement in Nestlé Waters scandal
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron denied any “agreement” or “collusion” with the Swiss company Nestlé over the bottled water scandal on Tuesday.
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.
Read more
More
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…
This content was published on
Arms exports to countries with an internal armed conflict are to be made possible under certain conditions, the government has decided.
ICRC fears humanitarian disaster as Yemen battle rages
This content was published on
The International Committee of the Red Cross warns fighting for the Yemeni port city of Hodeida could make the humanitarian crisis even worse.
This content was published on
Switzerland delivered war materiel worth CHF446.6 million ($477 million) to 64 countries last year, an increase of 8% on 2016.
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.