Address by President Viola Amherd at the UN Summit of the Future

Bern, 22.09.2024 - Address by President Viola Amherd, head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), at the UN Summit of the Future, New, York, Sunday, 22 September 2024.

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Mister President,
Mister Secretary-General,
Heads of State and Government,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen

The Charter of the United Nations entered into force almost 80 years ago. It established a general prohibition on the use of force, respect for human rights, and laid the foundations for international cooperation.

This was accompanied by a solemn undertaking that states would work together for a more stable, just and peaceful world.

At that point, the international community confronted the most pressing issues of its time. The charter was visionary and remains so to this day.
Today more than ever, we must follow the example of our predecessors. The constant here is multilateralism with the UN at its core.

In order to drive forward the necessary reforms, we not only need a strong political will, but we also need to rebuild trust.

I believe that this is urgently needed. Unfortunately, all our efforts were almost undone when the adoption of the Pact for the Future was jeopardised today. We regret this.

However, almost all member states were in favour of a strong negotiated text for which everyone had had to make compromises, some of them painful.

And perhaps because of these difficulties, the Pact is proving to be an important and clear signal of commitment to the multilateral system.

It is our duty as members of the international community to work together across our differences and to ensure that our common future is not determined exclusively by national self-interest.

We must not be discouraged by these challenges - quite the opposite.

It is a wake-up call for all of us to intensify our efforts, and that - together - we can still succeed.

So now is the time to act with even more determination.

Multilateralism needs this and we need multilateralism. We must not be deterred or give up, but must continue to move forward together.

Ladies and gentlemen

Switzerland is ready to fulfil its responsibilities. We remain firmly committed to the values of multilateralism and are determined to continue on the path towards a more sustainable, just and peaceful world.

Let us work towards a strong and focused multilateralism; multilateral agencies and organisations that focus on priorities and work together effectively; and a system that addresses current challenges efficiently and effectively.

Switzerland invites all states to join in these efforts.

Thank you.

Address for enquiries

DDPS Communication
Federal Palace East
3003 Bern

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Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
http://www.vbs.admin.ch