Switzerland in the UN Security Council: A Plus for the Rule of Law?
Switzerland became a member of the United Nations (UN) in September 2002 and has, since then, has been involved in a wide range of UN activities. During the period of 2023/2024, Switzerland is, for the first time, sitting as a non-permanent member in the UN Security Council. This provides an opportunity for an in-depth discussion of both institutional and substantive issues in relation to the UN Security Council.
FRIDAY MORNING, 29 SEPTEMBER 2023
Swiss Society of International Law: Board Meeting & Annual Meeting
11:00-11:30 Board Meeting (Faculty of Law of the University of Basel, room S8)
11:30-12:00 Annual Meeting (Faculty of Law of the University of Basel, room S10)
from 12:00 Sandwich lunch (Faculty of Law of the University of Basel, room S9)
The conference takes place at the Law Faculty of the University of Basel, WWZ Auditorium (there is only one entrance to the Law Faculty building; from there, please follow the signs).
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, 29 SEPTEMBER 2023, 14h00–17h30
Opening of the conference 14:00-14:10 Prof. Dr. Anna Petrig and Prof. Dr. Andreas Müller | |||||
Panel 1: Functioning of the UN Security Council, incl. the exercise of the veto | |||||
14:10-14:30 | Botschafter Christian Wenaweser | Ständige Vertretung Liechtensteins bei der UNO, New York | Liechtenstein's 'veto initiative' | online | English |
14:30-14:50 | Shamala Kandiah Thompson | Chief Operating Officer, Security Council Report | The state of the Security Council | online | English |
14:50-15:10 | Botschafter Thomas Gürber | Eidgenössisches Departement für auswärtige Angelegenheiten, Stv. Staatssekretär, Leiter Abteilung UNO | Die Arbeitsweise des UNO-Sicherheitsrats aus der Perspektive eines gewählten Ratsmitglieds: Erfahrungen, Herausforderungen, Opportunitäten | in person | German |
15:10-15:30 | Discussion | ||||
15:30-16:00 | Coffee break | ||||
Panel 2: Sanctions, incl. rule of law aspects | |||||
16:00-16:20 | Dr. Céline Glutz | UN Sanktionskoordinatorin, Ständige Mission der Schweiz bei der UNO, New York | UNO-Sicherheitsrat Sanktionen entlang der Schweizer Prioritäten | online | German |
16:20-16:40 | Prof. Dr. Christiana Fountoulakis | Chaire de droit civil, Université de Fribourg | Questions of contract law and conflict of laws in connection with international sanctions | in person | English |
16:40-17:00 | Prof. Dr. Ulrich G. Schroeter | Professor of Private Law, University of Basel | Foreign secondary sanctions' extraterritorial effects upon contracts under Swiss law | in person | English |
17:00-17:20 | Franziska Christen | Associate in the business crime department, Peters & Peters Solicitors LLP, London | Representing designated persons: a UK lawyer’s perspective | in person | English |
17:20-17:50 | Discussion | ||||
17:50-18:05 | SVIR 2023 Award | ||||
18:05-18:10 | Information about the evening programme | ||||
FRIDAY EVENING, 29 SEPTEMBER 2023: Reception
18:10-open end | Reception in Hotel Victoria, Centralbahnplatz 3/4, 4002 Basel (vis-à-vis Basel SBB train station) |
SATURDAY MORNING, 30 SEPTEMBER 2023, 9h00–12h00
Panel 3: Protection of the civilian population and critical infrastructure | |||||
09:00-09:20 | Col (GS, ret.) Chris de Cock (BEL) | Visiting Professor at Ghent University and the Free University of Brussels | Targeting of critical infrastructure in armed conflict | in person | English |
09:20-09:40 | David Kaelin | Urban Services and Policy Advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) | Consideration of essential services in the planning of military operations | in person | English |
09:40-10:00 | Prof. Dr. Marco Sassòli | Professor of International Law at the University of Geneva | Sieges and humanitarian corridors | in person | English |
10:00-10:20 | Discussion | ||||
10:20-10:50 | Coffee break | ||||
Panel 4: Peacebuilding and UN peace operations | |||||
10:50-11:10 | Maj General Patrick Gauchat | United Nations Organization, Head of Mission of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in the Middle East | Traditional peace operations in the Middle East | online | English |
11:10-11:30 | Dr. Dana Landau | swisspeace, Basel | UN peace missions: insights from the field of peace and conflict studies | in person | English |
11:30-11:50 | Col GS / Dr. Daniel Oriesek | Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, International Relations Defence, Deputy Head Regional Military Cooperation/Head Team UN Mandate Assessesments | Strategic-political contribution of the Department of Defence to the Swiss membership in the UN Security Council with focus on peace keeping operations | in person | English |
11:50-12:10 | Col Markus Schefer | Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, International Relations Defence, Head Regional Military Cooperation | Switzerland's specific contributions to military peace support operations | in person | English |
12:10-12:40 | Discussion | ||||
12:40-12:45 | Conclusion | ||||
Place
Law Faculty of the University of Basel, Peter Merian-Weg 8, 4002 Basel and online (Zoom)
Languages
German and English (without translation)
Organizers
- Law Faculty of the University of Basel, Professor Andreas Müller and Professor Anna Petrig
- Swiss Society of International Law
- Swiss Society for Military Law and the Law of War
Registration until 24 September 2023
With financial support from
