Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
Political Affairs Division IV
Section for Human Rights Policy
Address
Bundesgasse 32
3003 Bern
http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/dfa/orgcha/sectio/pad...
Contact person
Ralf Heckner
Head of Section
41 (0)31 323 07 41
paiv-mrp at eda dot admin dot ch
Further contacts
Simon Ammann
Deputy-Head of Section
Mirko Giulietti
Deputy-Head of Section
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.
- Human rights dialogues: * China, Vietnam: Anna Mattei / * Iran: Simon Ammann
- Regions: * Africa: Esther Keimer / * South America: Mirko Giulietti / * Western Europe and North America: Esther Keimer / * Asia: Anna Mattei / * Israel and the occupied territories: Barbara Fontana / * Near and Middle East: Simon Ammann / * CIS, Balkans: Claudia Buess
- * Economic, social and cultural rights: Natalie Erard / * Civil and political rights: Claudia Buess
- New Dimensions: * Business and human rights: Nils Rosemann / * Terrorism: Simon Ammann
- Multilateral:* UN / * OSCE / * Council of Europe / * OAS: Mirko Giulietti
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
- Human rights dialogues with China and Iran
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)