Isolda Agazzi

In these times of crisis, former Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey finds that Switzerland's diplomacy lacks a clear stance. As guarantor of the Geneva Conventions, Switzerland should step up its involvement in support of civilians.

Guy Parmelin, the Swiss Minister of Economic Affairs, announced on Sunday that he had reached an agreement in principle with India on a free trade agreement, negotiations on which had been going on for 16 years. Without giving any further details, he assured that the two parties had also reached agreement on the issue of patent protection, which had been the main stumbling block.

The election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as President of Brazil has revived the subject of the EFTA free trade agreement with Mercosur – but the climate-related promises could prove to be greenwashing.

There is little evidence of a move towards peace in the context of the war in Ukraine. Perhaps because no one knows what "making peace" would mean in this instance.... Interview with Thomas Greminger, Head of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.

The foundation set up in Geneva in September to manage USD 3.5 billion from the Afghan Central Bank is playing it safe – by doing nothing. Switzerland seems to endorse the American position.

The Energy Charter Treaty protects companies that invest in fossil fuels. A growing number of countries are withdrawing from it, while Switzerland continues to thwart the energy transition.

The sanctions against Russia are deemed the only possible non-military way of bringing about an end to the war. Yet they raise many questions. What is their purpose? And how effective are they?

The WTO is heading for a major political failure in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. As its 12th Ministerial Conference opens the day after tomorrow in Geneva, member states are unable to agree on India and South Africa's request to suspend intellectual property rights on vaccines, tests and anti-covid drugs. Through its systematic blocking, Switzerland is at the forefront of this multilateral failure, which offers no coherent solution for equitable access to means of fighting health crises.

No sooner had the announcement on giving up fossil fuels been made, than Switzerland's Glencore International became the sole owner of Latin America's biggest open pit coal mine. It is even taking the Colombian State to court.