Hardly any results achieved: federal government shuts off funding for Geneva initiative
Switzerland has supported the NGOs since 2003 Geneva initiative to resolve the Middle East conflict. The federal government is now gradually withdrawing from this. An external evaluation gives the initiative bad marks.
2003 at the launch of the Geneva initiative: Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey between Yasser Abed Rabbo, head of the Palestinian delegation (left) and Yossi Beilin, head of the Jewish delegation.
Keystone
The Geneva Initiative was launched in 2003 with fanfare. In addition to the then Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, prominent Israelis and Palestinians were present, and Hollywood actor Richard Dreyfuss opened the ceremony. The aim of this symbolic and private model contract was to offer solutions to the Middle East conflict. Since then, the federal government has supported the initiative through two NGOs with around CHF 18 million.
Now the Federal Foreign Office announced on Tuesday: Switzerland is turning Geneva initiative finally shut off the money tap. The FDFA had already gradually reduced its support following an external evaluation. After a motion by SVP National Councilor Christian Imark (SO), the federal government commissioned a new assessment. The FDFA comes to the following conclusion:
«During the initiative at the beginning was important and relevant, it has increasingly lost its effectiveness and influence, even if its goal coincides with the Swiss position for a two-state solution.»
Specifically, the English-language evaluation states that the relevance of the Geneva initiative for the political context in Israel is rated as «low» overall. In Palestine, too, the initiative has “no official political support” and large sections of Palestinian civil society “barely take notice” of it.
phase-out by the end of 2023
The reviewers further question the effectiveness of the initiative for the evaluation period. Although the work of the organizations involved should not be belittled, overall a “significant lack of perceptible results” can be observed.
Based on these conclusions, the FDFA is withdrawing from funding the Geneva initiative. The phase-out will take place gradually over two years, until the end of 2023, so that the initiative can adapt to it. Despite this, Switzerland is still committed to promoting dialogue and peace in the Middle East as part of its 2021-2024 cooperation program.
(dpo)
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