Conference on engagement in fragile states and official working meeting: Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter to travel to Stockholm and Berlin
Bern, 01.04.2016 - Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) Didier Burkhalter will attend the 5th Global Meeting of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (IDPS) in Stockholm on 5 April 2016. On the afternoon of 6 April, Mr Burkhalter will travel to Berlin for an official working meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The 5th meeting of the IDPS in the Swedish capital will focus on tackling the causes of fragility and violent conflict. While there, Mr Burkhalter's engagements will include speaking on a panel discussing efforts to prevent and sustainably combat the causes of fragility and violent conflict, and taking part in an event on the current migration and refugee crisis. A political declaration is due to be adopted at the end of the meeting, emphasising the importance of long-term engagement by all players to address the causes of fragility and violent conflict in the long run.
The IDPS is an important international forum for political dialogue, bringing together OECD donor countries, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with around 20 fragile states and civil society. OECD/DAC donor countries, the World Bank and UNDP together make up the International Network on Conflict and Fragility (INCAF), which is currently led by Switzerland and UNDP.
Working meeting in Berlin
On Wednesday 6 April, after the Federal Council meeting, Mr Burkhalter will travel to Berlin for an official working meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The bilateral talks will focus on relations between the two countries, European policy issues, including progress on implementing the new Federal Constitution article on immigration, as well as current international topics such as the fight against terrorism, migration, the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine and the work of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which Germany is chairing this year.
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
