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The sanctions against Russia are deemed the only possible non-military way of bringing about an end to the war. Yet they raise many questions. What is their purpose? And how effective are they?

The war in Ukraine has compounded a crisis of values that is bound up with the political instrumentalization of the UN. Neutral countries like Switzerland should strive harder for a better world, says El Hadji Gorgui Wade Ndoye.

The WTO is heading for a major political failure in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. As its 12th Ministerial Conference opens the day after tomorrow in Geneva, member states are unable to agree on India and South Africa's request to suspend intellectual property rights on vaccines, tests and anti-covid drugs. Through its systematic blocking, Switzerland is at the forefront of this multilateral failure, which offers no coherent solution for equitable access to means of fighting health crises.

After the USA, Switzerland is the world’s most opaque financial centre. This is clear from the new Financial Secrecy Index of the Tax Justice Network (TJN).

Switzerland is not on course for a sustainable world. That's the verdict from Platform Agenda 2030 in its new report, out today. It is calling upon the Federal Council to show more leadership in the transformation needed.

No sooner had the announcement on giving up fossil fuels been made, than Switzerland's Glencore International became the sole owner of Latin America's biggest open pit coal mine. It is even taking the Colombian State to court.

The Taliban took power in Afghanistan last August. Life is dominated by hunger, cold and despair. But there is also resistance and faint hope, as recounted by an Afghan who lives in Kabul and works for an international non-governmental organisation.

At the last annual meeting with the development organisations, Federal President Ignazio Cassis laid out his three most important quality criteria for Switzerland's international cooperation, namely, reliability, trust and predictability… Bingo!

Andreas Missbach has been the new Director of Alliance Sud since January. The social scientist and avid mountain hiker has no fear of contact with the market and relishes attacks from political adversaries.