On Monday, September 13, 2021, the National Council will discuss the corrective initiative including a counter-proposal. The Council of States already adopted a counter-proposal in the spring, which represents an acceptable compromise for the Alliance against Arms Exports to Countries at War. If the National Council follows the proposal of the Council of States, the Alliance will withdraw the corrective initiative. terre des hommes schweiz is committed to the initiative. The Alliance’s media release, our study “Stop killing us!” and the stories of Lucas and Cassiane.
The corrective initiative calls for something that goes without saying, writes the Alliance Against Arms Exports to Civil War Countries in its press release dated September 10, 2021. From now on, arms exports should no longer be regulated by the Federal Council itself, but democratically at the legislative level. Instead of arbitrary decisions, clear red lines and moral standards are needed that must not be transgressed. Specifically, deliveries to countries in civil war and to states that seriously or systematically violate human rights should be banned.
Motion by the arms lobby adopted
After the Council of States took up the Alliance’s core concerns in the spring and adopted an acceptable counter-proposal, disappointment followed in the National Council’s Security Policy Committee: a proposal by the arms lobby was adopted, which now wants to allow exceptions for “democratic” countries “that have an export regime comparable to that of Switzerland”.
The example of Turkey and Ukraine
This clause even represents a massive weakening of the status quo, as can be seen from specific examples: No Swiss war material is currently supplied to Turkey and Ukraine because both are involved in a conflict. However, both countries could now receive war material from Switzerland, as both can be described as democratic and both countries have ratified the four agreements that decide on the assessment of a country’s export regime.
Withdrawal of the initiative possible
On September 26, 2018, the National Council adopted the BDP’s motion 18.3394 “Broadening the democratic basis for arms exports” by 97 votes to 82. It is to be hoped that the National Council will repeat this statement of intent and continue Switzerland’s humanitarian tradition without again including lazy exemption clauses – because only then will a withdrawal of the corrective initiative be an option.
Stop arms exports to Brazil
Brazil has one of the highest murder rates in the world. The number of deaths from police violence has been increasing since 2013. A study by terre des hommes schweiz shows: War material from Germany and Switzerland is used in police operations in Brazil. This often results in serious human rights violations against children and young people. We therefore demand: Stop arms exports to Brazil!
Lucas and Cassiane
“My black body is a target,” says poet and human rights activist Lucas Leão from the city of Salvador in the Brazilian state of Bahia. Together with his colleague Cassiane Paixão, a political advisor and social activist, they are involved with CIPÓ. Our Brazilian partner organization in Salvador works with disadvantaged black youth on the topics of violence prevention and basic rights.
In the interview, Lucas and Cassiane talk about what it means to be constantly targeted by the police and never knowing whether they will live to see tomorrow.
Anna Wegelin
Picture: Military operation with Mowag armored vehicle in the Rocinha district, Rio den Janeiro. Bruno Itan, terre des hommes schweiz
