Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)
Human Security Division
Section for Human Rights Policy
Address
Bundesgasse 32
3003 Bern
http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/dfa/orgcha/sectio/pad...
Contact person
Martin Michelet
Head of Section
+41 31 323 89 23
E-Mail
Further contacts
Simon Ammann
Deputy-Head of Section
+41 31 322 31 70
Nathalie Chuard
Deputy-Head of Section
+41 31 324 40 90
Operating range
- International
Relevant duties in the context of human rights
The promotion of human rights is an integral part of Swiss foreign policy. Switzerland's commitment to human rights, democracy and the rule of law is one of its five foreign policy objectives. There are two principal reasons for this. Firstly, Switzerland has a long humanitarian tradition, and, secondly, the defence of rights arising from human dignity serves peace and international stability. Switzerland has many instruments at its disposal to help strengthen respect for human rights and to counter violations, including political, diplomatic, legal and economic resources, as well as tools used in connection with development co-operation.
- Regions: Africa: Martina Schmidt / South America: Corrina Morrissey / Western Europe and North America: Simon Ammann / Asia: Anna Mattei / Israel and the occupied territories: Charlotte Heggli / Near and Middle East: Simon Ammann / CIS, Balkans: Nathalie Chuard
- Economic, social and cultural rights: Natalie Erard / Civil and political rights: Nathalie Chuard / Democracy and & Human rights: Corrina Morrissey
- New Dimensions: Business and human rights: Remy Friedmann / Terrorism: Simon Ammann
- Multilateral: UN / OSCE / Council of Europe / OAS: Martin Roch
Main work in the human rights field
- Human rights monitoring
- Lobbying / Networking / Human rights policies
- Education
Issues our organisation works on
- Foreign policy
- Global compact / corporate social responsibility
- National human rights institution / ombudsman
- Swiss human rights policy
International Reference
UN
- Human Rights Council
- Human Rights Committee (HRC)
- Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
- Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Others
- OSCE
Current projects with human rights focus
- Mainstreaming of Human Rights in the Swiss Federal Administration
- UPR on Switzerland
- National Human Rights Commission
- Reform of the UN Commission on Human Rights
Publications on human rights issues
- The First 365 Days of the United Nations Human Rights Council (ed. by Lars Müller)
- Swiss Human Rights Book, Vol. 1, Realizing Property Rights (ed. by Hernando de Soto, Francis Cheneval)
- Swiss Human Rights Book, Vol. 2, Realizing the Rights of the Child (ed. by Carol Bellamy, Jean Zermatten)
