Mister President
I would like to thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo for her briefing. We thank the United Nations for its unwavering support, since the beginning of this war, in the search for peace guided by international law, including the principles of the United Nations Charter, and by the resolutions of the General Assembly.
We must have the courage to build peace. And to do that, we have to talk about it.
On June 15 and 16, over a hundred countries from around the world, international organizations and religious representatives met to discuss how to launch a peace process based on international law, and in particular the UN Charter. This is a clear signal in favor of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
We would like to thank all those who accepted our invitation and contributed to the success of this summit at the Bürgenstock.
For the first time, we discussed peace in Ukraine at the highest level. The discussions over the two days provided an opportunity to listen to different ideas, learn from each other's experiences and propose possible solutions. These discussions enabled us to better understand each other's points of view and to develop a common vision.
The joint communiqué adopted by the vast majority of participating countries represents a concrete outcome of the summit. We continue to receive endorsements and invite all countries to support it. The jointly formulated positions provide a framework for further discussions.
It is important that a common vision has been established on the following three key objectives:
Firstly, the safe and secure use of Ukrainian nuclear power plants and facilities, and the inadmissibility of any threat or use of nuclear weapons;
Secondly, free, full and safe commercial navigation and access to seaports on the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov; food security must not be militarized under any circumstances;
Thirdly, all prisoners of war must be released in a full exchange. All deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children, as well as all other arbitrarily detained Ukrainian civilians, must return to Ukraine.
These issues can be confidence-building measures between the parties to the conflict. In addition, they are issues of great importance to many countries that are affected by the consequences of war – for example, as a result of rising food prices – or which have themselves experienced conflict and wish to share their experiences.
It is clear that in order to achieve peace, it will be necessary for all parties to engage in dialogue.
Mr. President,
The high-level participation of states and organizations last weekend enabled us to launch a broad dialogue and develop common ideas. Together, we have done important groundwork.
We must now ensure that we maintain this momentum. Further efforts are needed to make progress towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Switzerland remains a partner for peace and dialogue. Our engagement must continue beyond this first summit. There is no time to lose.
I thank you.