Commitments
Increase commitment through humanitarian and development activities as well as through the promotion of programmes to promote peace and address the past. Also, support, inter alia, UN-Women’s Justice Rapid Response, based in Geneva, which is aimed at enabling the quick and thorough investigation of accusations of sexual violence.
Call for zero tolerance for preventing and punishing sexual abuse by UN personnel servince in PKOs.
2016 Update:
The representative of Switzerland did not address any specific efforts undertake to protect women and girls from SGBV, or implment the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy for peacekeepers.
Actively support the implementation of inclusion of WPS Agenda in the UN PoA on preventing violent extremism.
Financial commitments
$4 million over the next four years to be provided to the the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, the first global effort to support local initiatives aimed at strengthening resilience against violent extremism.
2017 Update:
The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs recently launched its first comprehensive strategy on gender equality and women’s rights, which highlights the agenda on Women, Peace and Security as one if its main pillars.
Switzerland insists that women must be included in all mediation training and activities. It also promotes local women’s networks that are active in peace and security.
Commitment:
Switzerland made a statement affirming support for the WPS Agenda, but no specific commitment made.
2018 Update:
With Benin, Switzerland works on a project to promote women’s participation in decision-making at the local level. Actions undertaken in that regard include mentoring potential female candidates for local elections and mpromoting the political leadership of women while raising awareness among men, including in particular husbands, and advocacy within political parties for a better positioning of women on electoral lists. In Bangladesh, Switzerland supported a network of elected women representatives in the national Parliament and local Government councils, both by setting up a network of mentors and advocating among male elected representatives for structural change. In Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Switzerland supported communities and women to secure land rights through a certification system. In addition to promoting the economic empowerment of the people concerned, that approach has been decisive in the peaceful mediation of land disputes.
In the Great Lakes region, Switzerland has also worked to improve the economic prospects of victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
Commitments:
Switzerland recently adopted fourth national action plan on women and peace and security.