1st Swiss-UN Day / 1. Schweiz-UNO Tagung / 1 ère Journée Suisse-ONU

1st Swiss-UN Day / 1. Schweiz-UNO Tagung / 1ère Journée Suisse-ONU, 23.03.2018
University of Bern, UniS

8:45-9:15         
Registration and coffee

9:20-9:30        
Welcome remarks by Sebastian Justiniano Bircher, Chairman, Gesellschaft Schweiz-UNO (FR-DE-ENG)

9:30-9:45
Opening Speech by Prof. Joseph Deiss, former Federal Councillor, former President of the UN General Assembly, Honorary Chairman United Nations Association Switzerland (FR)

9:45-10:00
The UN and Switzerland in a time of feminism and “hackathons”
Emilia Pasquier, Director, Foraus (DE)

10:05-11:20
Panel Reconciling environmental limits and economic growth. Is the UN fit for purpose?

Switzerland in international environmental negotiations: a bridge-builder for a better world?
Ambassador Franz Perrez, Federal Office for the Environment (DE)

Economic effects of natural disasters: what we know and what this implies for policy
Prof. Eric Strobl, Chair Environmental Economics, University of Bern (EN)

Building institutional architectures that support integrative implementation of the 2030 Agenda
Tatjana von Steiger, Deputy Assistant Director General, Global Cooperation, Swiss Development Cooperation (DE)

Tackling environmental challenges in the UN and beyond: views of a young generation
Océane Dayer, Project Manager Agriculture and Politics, WWF Switzerland/ Founder-President, Swiss Youth for Climate (DE)

Moderator: Prof. Thomas Breu, Director, Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern (DE)

11:30-12:50
Panel The UN and the support for economic development – below the radar of high politics

The WIPO development agenda (FR)
Georges Ghandour, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Cooperating with the ILO to support better working conditions along the value chain
Monica Rubiolo, Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs (DE)

Making the international investment regime work for sustainable development: UNCTAD's reform package
Elisabeth Tuerk, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (DE)

International Telecommunication Union: Developing countries and the digital divide
Fernando Rivera, International Telecommunication Union (FR)

Moderator: Prof. Damian Raess (FR)

12:50-14:00
Lunch Break

14:00-15:20
Panel: Towards reaching an internationally actionable plan on migration with
Amb. Pietro Mona, Swiss Development Cooperation (DE)

Disasters, climate change and the Global Compact on Migration
Prof. Walter Kälin (DE)

Beyond statism: regions and cities in global migration governance
Prof. Sandra Lavenex, Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva (DE)

Moderator: PD Dr. Marion Panizzon, Institute for Public Law (Institut für öffentliches Recht), University of Bern (DE)

15:30-16:50

High-Level Roundtable: UN institutional reform and the place of Switzerland in the UN 

Mr. Carlo Sommaruga, Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Swiss Parliament (FR)

Amb. Thomas Gass, Director, South Cooperation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (EN)

Prof. Thomas Biersteker, Global Governance Center, Graduate Institute (EN)

Mr. Salman Bal, Chief Political Affairs and Partnerships, Office of the Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva

Moderator: Prof. Manfred Elsig, Deputy Managing Director, World Trade Institute (EN)

16:50-18:00
Drinks reception (apéro)