2 pm Welcome
Ambassador Manuel Bessler, Delegate for Humanitarian Aid and Head SHA
Syria crisis – Switzerland’s engagement
Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Surviving in Syria
Humanitarian response to people in need in Syria
On the move
Protection, direct assistance and advocacy for the rights and needs of people fleeing their homes
Annemarie Huber-Hotz, President of the Swiss Red Cross
3.30 pm Coffee break
Hope for Syria?
Panel discussion on the three main pillars of Switzerland’s engagement in Syria (providing humanitarian aid and strengthening resilience, helping to find a political solution to the conflict and advocating for international humanitarian law)
Panel discussion with
Carla del Ponte, Member of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria
Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy for Syria
Manuel Bessler, Delegate for Swiss Humanitarian Aid and Head SHA
South Sudan in the shadow of Syria
Millions of people worldwide are affected by conflict.
SDC also helps protect vulnerable people in need in these forgotten crises.
Ambassador Manuel Sager, Director-General of SDC
Working in a war context
A day in the lives of humanitarian aid workers in Damascus
5.30 pm Drinks reception
