A Foreign Affairs Committee delegation from the National Council (FAC-NC) will be in the USA from October 15 to 20 for its annual information trip, which will feature visits to the United Nations in New York and to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C., as well as meetings with industry representatives and representatives from the U.S. administration.

A Foreign Affairs Committee delegation from the National Council (FAC-NC) will go to the United States from October 15 to 20 for its annual information trip. The FAC-CN delegation is headed by Committee Chairman Luzi Stamm (Swiss People’s Party, Canton of Argovia) and consists of National Councillors Rosmarie Zapfl (Christian Democratic People’s Party, Canton of Zurich), Gerold Bührer (Free Democratic Party, Canton of Schaffhausen), Mario Fehr (Social Democratic Party, Canton of Zurich), Remo Gysin (Social Democratic Party, Canton of Basel-Town), Christoph Mörgeli (Swiss People’s Party, Canton of Zurich), Walter Müller (Free Democratic Party, Canton of St. Gall) and Ulrich Schlüer (Swiss People’s Party, Canton of Zurich).

In New York, the first stop for the delegation of parliamentarians, they will visit the United Nations. Since its accession to the UN in the fall of 2002, Switzerland has been engaged in diverse UN areas, such as actively participating in the founding of a Human Rights Council and supporting the improvement of the Security Council's working methods. Among other things, the FAC-CN delegation will meet with the highest-ranking Swiss UN employee, Nicolas Michel, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel, and also with Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations.

A meeting at the Economic Development Agency of New York City is scheduled for an exchange of opinions on general free trade issues, among other topics. In addition, the delegation will concern itself with the various activities of the Swiss Consulate General in New York, particularly with the Swiss Business Hub, Location Switzerland, and the Swiss Roots project.

The second half of the delegation's U.S. visit, which will take place in Washington, D.C., will be devoted especially to the Bretton Woods Institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The World Bank and the IMF greatly influence international policy, particularly development policy. Meetings with Rodrigo de Rato, Managing Director of the IMF, and with Juan José Daboub, Managing Director of the World Bank, are planned. Likewise, the delegation will see the two Swiss Executive Directors, Pietro Veglio at the World Bank and Thomas Moser at the IMF. In addition, further meetings on Capitol Hill as well as meetings with high-ranking representatives of the U.S. administration are on the itinerary.

Bern, 12.10.2006    Parlamentary services