Access to water – a Swiss foreign policy priority
Bern, 11.09.2015 - Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter will take part in the 23rd Economic and Environmental Forum of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Prague on Monday. Supplying the planet with water will be one of the main focuses of the meeting, which coincides with the publication by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) of lines of action on “water and security” that will shape Swiss policy on the issue over the coming years.
Access to water poses a major challenge to the security of the planet. To give just one example: hydrologists predict that the capital of Yemen, Sana’a, will have exhausted its water resources by 2025, making it the first world capital to find itself in this position. It is not surprising, therefore, that Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan recently declared that, “An absence of water is the biggest and most effective weapon of mass destruction.”
In his speech in Prague, Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter will reiterate that water is a strategic pillar of Switzerland’s efforts to promote peace and security in the world, and that, “Water need not only be a source of conflict. It can also be an opportunity for cooperation.” In this regard, the FDFA lines of action on “water and security” set out the various tools used by Switzerland to transform water into an instrument of cooperation.
Address for enquiries
FDFA Communication
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55
E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA
Publisher
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
