The discussions, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, follow the death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of the police in the United States last month. This sparked worldwide street protests including in Switzerland.
The unanimous decision came as the Geneva-based councilExternal link resumed its 43rd session, which had been put on hold three months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the lead up to the session, Burkina Faso called for an urgent debate on racism on behalf of African nations. More than 600 non-governmental organisations also made an appeal for a debate.
“The death of George Floyd is unfortunately not an isolated incident,” said Dieudonné Désiré Sougouri, Burkina Faso’s ambassador to the UN.
It is only the fifth time in the history of the council that it will discuss the issue of “systemic racism”.
Only some delegates were physically present in Geneva on Monday and they had to wear protective face masks as part of Covid-19 health safety regulations. Others participated in the session via remote link.
Among the numerous resolutions to be discussed over this week is the launch of a fact-finding mission to Libya to examine human rights violations. Switzerland has sponsored the resolution.
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Switzerland joins debate about removing controversial memorials
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Global anti-racism protests after the death of George Floyd have reignited the debate about contentious monuments in the US and Europe.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
‘Pressure will increase on Switzerland to invest more in defence’
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Markus Mäder, Switzerland's state secretary for security policy, believes that more cooperation is needed in order to strengthen defence in Europe.
Just one in five Swiss attend a religious service at Easter
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Only one in five people in Switzerland attend a religious service during the Easter period or give up meat or alcohol for at least one day of fasting. Around 25% of those polled see Easter primarily as a family holiday, according to the survey.
Major road disruptions continue after heavy snowfall in parts of Switzerland
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The snowfall has ended in the southern Swiss canton of Valais, the cantonal emergency services said on Friday. Several roads, however, remain closed.
Swiss businessman gets prison term for asbestos deaths
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Stephan Schmidheiny has been sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison by the Turin Court of Appeal in a case against the former Eternit executive over deaths linked to asbestos exposure in Italy.
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Swiss imports and exports reached new heights in the first quarter, driven by the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. Shipments to the US rose sharply.
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.
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Is racism a problem in Switzerland? A look at the latest numbers
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When it comes to racial discrimination, the situation in Switzerland is hardly comparable to that of the United States. But some issues persist.
Racism in the US: a cautionary tale for Switzerland
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American Christine Worrell, a Swiss resident, lays out the origins and manifestations of racism in both places she's called home.
Swiss call for humanitarian access in war-torn Syria
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In a statement published on Friday, the Swiss foreign ministryExternal link urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law, saying the fighting in Idlib province has had serious consequences for the civilian population. The ministry also wants the warring parties to grant humanitarian organisation permanent access to the population in need. Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Slovenia…
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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.