All news (850)
Documentary and discussion on human trafficking
18.10.2013
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Article
DEZA
The documentary film «The Long Way Out», telling the story of six children who escaped from a European human trafficking ring, will be screened on Sunday, 20 October 2013, at the Rex cinema in Fribourg. A discussion with the participation of the president of the Swiss Social Democratic Party, Christian Levrat, and the head of the SDC programme on migration and development, Odile Rittener, will follow.
Development Cooperation Forum – symposium in Montreux 24-25 October 2013
18.10.2013
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Press release
EDA
On 24 and 25 October, Montreux will host a symposium of the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF). The event will bring together over a hundred high-level country representatives from government, civil society, the private sector and academic institutions. Central to the discussions will be the future role of development cooperation and the challenges associated with the post-2015 development agenda, which is to replace the Millennium Development Goals.
More rights and protection for migrant workers in South Asia and the Middle East
16.10.2013
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Article
DEZA
Since the 1980s, growing numbers of people from South Asia in search of work and a better livelihood have been migrating to countries in the Middle East and to economically thriving Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, and India. The destination countries usually lack binding and fair regulations for migrants. The SDC works on behalf of migrant workers on various projects in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Now it also aims to apply these experiences and results in the Middle East.
Interview with Fatima Sidikou
09.10.2013
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Article
DEZA
«Pastoralists’ rights must be recognised»
In Niger, pastoralists are nomadic. Profound changes in the country are making their livelihoods more and more difficult. The SDC supports the Rural Code, a collection of laws aimed at preventing and regulating conflicts in rural areas. In this interview on the sidelines of the SDC annual conference 2013, Fatima Sidikou, administrative assistant to the Permanent Secretariat of the Rural Code, talks about pastoralism in her native Niger and the importance of the Rural Code.
Hans Rudolf Herren receives the Alternative Nobel Prize
03.10.2013
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Article
DEZA
For the first time, a Swiss person has been awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize. With his foundation, Biovision, Hans Rudolf Herren was honoured for his achievements in the field of food security and his work in «promoting a safe, secure and sustainable global food supply» according to the jury.
Swiss network as reference
03.10.2013
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Article
DEZA
At the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Switzerland achieved an important breakthrough. The states gathered in Namibia from 16 to 27 September 2013 recognised the World Overview on Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) network as a reference for documentation and databases. WOCAT is a worldwide network that receives substantial funding from the SDC. The network's secretariat is at the University of Bern.
Foreign Minister of Niger pays official working visit to Switzerland
01.10.2013
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Press release
EDA
On 1 October 2013, State Secretary Yves Rossier received Mr Mohamed Bazoum, Minister of State and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, African Integration, and Nigeriens Abroad of the Republic of Niger for official talks. The visit made it possible to reinforce Switzerland’s long-standing commitment to development cooperation and peace policy in Niger, and to assess the political and security situation in the region.
«The SDC wants to remain involved in fragile states, even in difficult situations.»
30.09.2013
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Article
DEZA
The 2013 Annual Development Cooperation Conference of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) took place in Lugano on 27 September under the banner «A fragile world – young people’s perspectives». Speaking after the conference, SDC Director-General Martin Dahinden assesses the results, explains the increased involvement of the SDC in fragile contexts, illustrates the challenges faced by staff in such regions, and gives an account of his own personal experiences in unstable countries and regions.
Switzerland to step up its commitment in fragile contexts
27.09.2013
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Press release
EDA
At the Annual Development Cooperation Conference of SECO and the SDC, Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann underlined the importance of supporting partner countries to increase their autonomy, security and resilience. Switzerland's commitment in fragile environments was presented with several concrete examples. This year's event, held for the first time in the canton of Ticino, focused on young people's prospects.
Child soldiers – a global problem and a war crime
26.09.2013
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Article
DEZA
According to the UN definition, child soldiers are persons under the age of 18 who participate in an armed conflict either directly or indirectly as members of an armed force or group. Children of both sexes serve not only as combatants but also as cooks, guards, porters or messengers and may be deployed on suicide missions. Girls are often sexually abused or victims of forced marriages.
«I only do things with value and meaning»
26.09.2013
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Article
DEZA
Interview with former child soldier John Kon Kelei from South Sudan
More than 300,000 boys and girls under the age of 18 are involved in more than 14 armed conflicts worldwide. Thirty-year-old John Kon Kelei from South Sudan was once one of them. He was recruited at the age of 4. Kelei, a speaker at the Annual Development Cooperation Conference 2013, was a child soldier for five years in the rebel group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), in Southern Sudan. In a written interview, he describes his experiences and explains what kind of assistance he would like to see for his native country.
Preventing water-related conflicts: Switzerland receives a delegation from the Middle East
26.09.2013
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Press release
EDA
Water can be a factor of tension and division, but it can also be a tool for peace and cooperation. That is the idea behind the Blue Peace Middle East initiative that Switzerland has been promoting since 2009 and it is within this framework that a delegation of some 40 Middle East representatives is currently in Switzerland. After meetings yesterday in Bern with members of the federal administration and Swiss parliamentarians, today and tomorrow the delegation will be on the banks of the Rhine in Switzerland and Germany to hold discussions with representatives from the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR).