War and armed conflict make it even more difficult to protect people from the coronavirus and its consequences, according to the declaration adopted on Wednesday by 129 votes to 44 with 4 abstentions.
A ceasefire is absolutely necessary for the fight against the pandemic, foreign affairs committee spokesman Fabian Molina told the extraordinary parliamentary session.
Given the consequences of the coronavirus crisis on medical care in wealthy countries, one can only imagine what this would look like in countries in conflict and crisis, said Social Democrat Brigitte Crottaz.
Only the right-wing Swiss People’s Party voted against the declaration, fearing that it would imply “distributing even more money that we urgently need in Switzerland”, according to Roland Büchel.
“We are aware that the weapons will probably not be silent immediately,” admitted Roland Fischer of the centrist Liberal Green party. But he said it was an important sign of solidarity, a sign to the UN and the international community that everyone is in the same boat and that the virus can only be fought together worldwide.
More
More
Coronavirus called a ‘decisive test’ for the UN system
This content was published on
The pandemic is testing the limits of the United Nations system, say Geneva and New York-based experts.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Coronavirus: global scenarios, research and impact
This content was published on
A discussion of what Covid-19 means for societies, economies and the future with guests from the World Health Organization and the Graduate Institute.
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.