Switzerland says cancellation of conference on occupied Palestinian territories not a 'failure,' positions too far apart

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - Switzerland on Friday emphasized that the cancellation of the conference on the application of the Geneva Conventions to the occupied Palestinian territories is not a "failure of diplomacy" but a result of deeply divergent positions among the contracting parties, which made reaching a consensus not possible.

Ambassador Franz Perrez, head of the directorate of international law at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), told a press briefing in Geneva that the positions of the parties are "too far apart to achieve a result" and Bern was just acting as the depository state, trying to find a consensus among different views.

"There are situations where we must acknowledge that there is simply not enough space to find common ground. If that is the case, it is not necessarily a failure of diplomacy; rather, it is a reflection of the reality at the moment," Perrez said. "That does not mean that under different circumstances, the outcome could not have been different."

He also addressed the six-month deadline given by the UN General Assembly to convene the conference, explaining why postponement was not considered.

"Even with two remaining weeks, it would not have been enough to resolve these differences," he said, adding that there was "no desire from the other contracting parties to postpone or continue."

However, he emphasized that the possibility of a new invitation remains.

"Of course, the contracting parties could always adopt a new resolution with a new invitation under new circumstances," he said.

Should such an invitation come from the UN General Assembly, Switzerland would be ready to follow up, as it has done in the past, he said and affirmed: "That is not in question."

Responding to a question on whether the US was willing to participate in the conference, Perrez clarified that Washington had recently expressed its intention not to participate. However, he pointed out, it was not for Switzerland to disclose the positions of other countries regarding their registration.

"It is up to each country to express its own position," he said.

On the matter of registration, he acknowledged that the number of countries that had signed up was insufficient, without disclosing the exact number.

According to Perrez, the discussions leading up to the conference were not about reaffirming existing obligations under the Geneva Conventions but about further actions.

"The discussion was not about reaffirming obligations—that was not the issue," he explained. Instead, the debate focused on additional measures, such as arms embargoes or other mechanisms. However, he said, consensus on these proposals could not be reached, as some parties opposed the introduction of such measures, while others argued for significant new actions.

"That is where consensus was not reached," he said.

The Foreign Ministry announced Thursday that it has cancelled the conference due to a "lack of will."

Bern invited 196 states to the conference, which was set to be held Friday, on the situation of civilians living in the Israeli-occupied territories.