Bern, Press releases, 17.11.2011

President of the Swiss Confederation and head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) Micheline Calmy-Rey will launch the Geneva Initiative 2.0 with a keynote speech at the University of Geneva on 22 November 2011. The conference, which is organised by the FDFA, will review the achievements of the Geneva Initiative launched in 2003 and will analyse its potential in the light of current developments in the Near and Middle East. Numerous representatives of civil society in Israel and Palestine will be taking part in the conference, where the speakers include French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy and Hossam Zaki, an adviser to the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Geneva Initiative was drafted thanks to the joint efforts of Israeli and Palestinian civil society. It expresses the determination of both societies to solve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians peacefully and on the basis of fair negotiations. The Geneva Initiative is a central and internationally recognised reference document. 

Switzerland is not a strategic player in the Near East but it supports all efforts to bring about a negotiated solution to this conflict. This is why Switzerland has actively supported the Geneva Initiative since 2003 and in a dialogue with all participants it has also supported the formulation of several annexes to the initiative. In 2009 the annex on security aspects was published, followed in the summer of 2011 by the annex on Palestinian refugees. 

The conference on 22 November 2011 in Geneva is open to the public. It will take stock of the achievements of the Geneva Initiative launched in 2003 and will draw attention to its potential in the light of current developments in the Near and Middle East.  Numerous representatives of civil society in Israel and Palestine will take part in the conference, where speakers will include French philosopher Bernard-Henry Lévi and Hossam Zaki, an adviser to the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Contact:
FDFA Information +41 31 322 31 53 or info@eda.admin.ch


Further information:

Further information on the Geneva Initiative 2.0 and the event on 22 November 2011


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Last update 19.07.2023

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