Newsletter
Transcription
Newsletter
Newsletter of the Embassy of Switzerland in Malaysia March 2014 Mitteilungen der Botschaft Foreword from Ambassador Dr Rolf Lenz Here we are again in the 1st quarter of 2014 and already a year with much news and events all over the world, not the least of what happened recently in Malaysia with the sad tragedy of flight MH370. My family and the Embassy staff would like to express our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of those on board the ill-fated plane. I would like to start this newsletter to inform the community that as of today, we have a head count of 950 Swiss including their foreign spouse in Malaysia, the demographic of which indicated that 2/3rd of the colony are living in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley. To all newcomers: ‘A warm welcome to Malaysia!’ On this occasion I would like to take this opportunity to ‘sell’ the idea of joining: - - Kindly look out for the fact sheet for both organisations further in the Newsletter and I do strongly encourage you to consider joining either or both groups. The Swiss Malaysia Business Association (SMBA) – I would like to encourage representatives of Swiss businesses and enterprises to be a member of the SMBA as the organisation can open up the avenue for you to interact with like-minded people and it’s also a good networking platform. They also organise very informative and interesting seminars, talks and workshops. In this Newsletter you will find coverage on our previous important, latest and upcoming events. ‘Location Switzerland’ was presented at an event jointly organized with PwC Zurich and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) in October 2013. I presented a 30 minute talk on the benefits of locating to Switzerland for the purpose of reaching out to the rest of Europe in the process of internationalization for the larger Malaysian companies and conglomerates. Areas touched on were Switzerland as a location for trade, education, including R&D and other services for future development. And the German Speaking Society Kuala Lumpur (GSSKL) - The GSSKL is an excellent organisation that I would recommend the colony to join in their various family-centred activities and social gatherings. This way, you can keep up with what is happening with the community. EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 1 Also in October 2013, the group of 30 from the Canton of Vaud that had been announced on the last newsletter, consisted of business and senior government officials dropped by for a Trade and Investment Fact Finding Mission that visited Iskandar, Johor. They were hosted by the Iskandar Regional Development Authority. The group later met with MIDA representatives who explained more about the investment opportunities in Malaysia. In the last week of March, the first official round of the Malaysia-EFTA negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took place in Switzerland. As you know, on the occasion of the visit of Federal Councillor Schneider-Ammann in November 2012, in Kuala Lumpur, a declaration on the official start of the FTA-negotiations has been signed. I hope that EFTA and Malaysia will be able to conclude rather fast a FTA (so called MEFTA) which will certainly help to develop further the excellent economic relations we are enjoying with Malaysia. But a negotiation timeframe of at least 2 to 3 years is normal. The French Language Week 2014 in Kuala Lumpur kicked off from 15th – 23rd March 2014. Amongst the programme line up was a theatre play at the French high school, movie screening, museum visit and a French singing competition. Also in March, Ms Stefanie Gysel, from the Regional Consular Centre (RCC), Bangkok was at the Embassy with the bio metric system in order to facilitate passport applications. This was one of the solutions offered to the colony to make it easier for the Swiss citizens to get their new passports since the closure of the Consular section at the Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. The presence of Ms Gysel was also an opportunity for some to get the pension fund documents stamped. You will be informed by the RCC in Bangkok in due time regarding the next session. Swiss Week 2013 that was held end of October, running into 1st week of November was a success in promoting Switzerland as a tourist destination. The Embassy, working together with our various partners, managed to use this event to open the Malaysian eyes to the culture and culinary delights of Switzerland, and that there was more to Switzerland than chocolates, Swatch watches and cuckoo clocks! For more information and if you wish to capitalise on Swiss Week 2014, details are in the newsletter. Upcoming events include a poignant and hearttouching photography exhibition in collaboration with the ICRC Malaysia and Malaysian Red Crescent scheduled in June 2014. I also urge you to visit the Swiss Pavilion in PWTC scheduled in April 2014, during the Defence Services Asia 2014 exhibition – look for more information within the newsletter. You would be happy to learn that the Embassy’s Switzerland Tourism officer had secured collaboration with ASTRO and Parlo Tours to produce a 13 episodes travel programme on Switzerland for the ASTRO Chinese channel and the 30 minute episodes were shown on ASTRO WLT and ZZHD from 25th August – 15th December 2013. These episodes were sponsored by Switzerland Tourism. In the newsletter also are some informative sections on FDFA’s views on ‘Women’s Human Rights’, as well as information from the Organisation on the Swiss Abroad concerning holidays for young Swiss in Switzerland. Look out for a TV special on Switzerland on Astro in July! More information is in the newsletter. And with this I shall conclude we look forward to a much better 2014, more economic successes that benefits everybody, as well as personal happiness! A delegation from the EFTA Parliamentary Committee and two observers from the EFTA Consultative Committee visited Kuala Lumpur and Iskandar from 18.02.14 – 20.02.14. The visit was very positive and successful. Thank you and wishing you all a pleasant read. Sincerely Rolf Lenz EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 2 Past Events Swiss Week 2013 in Kuala Lumpur (30th October – 9th November 2013) The objectives of this event were to introduce Switzerland in general and showcasing Switzerland as a touristic destination featuring Zurich Tourism this year. This event also provided a platform to promote Swiss culinary, culture and education as well as to elevate the awareness of Switzerland to the Malaysian public. Highlights of this promotion included Swiss culinary promotion at the Lafite Restaurant in Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur with famous Swiss chef, Reto Mathis from St. Moritz; a Swiss cooking competition at KDU University College, display of competition artworks by The One Academy’s students, workshop by Switzerland Tourism, Zurich Tourism and Zurich Insurance. The Embassy of Switzerland in collaboration with the Switzerland Tourism, Zurich Tourism, Oman Air and The Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur have successfully organised the 3rd Swiss Week from 31st October – 9th November 2013. Other co-sponsors who have given their support to the embassy were KDU University College and Lindt. Official launch of the Swiss Promotion The activity-packed week was launched by the Swiss Ambassador Dr Rolf Lenz, the guest chef Mr Reto Mathis and Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s General Manager Mr Reto Klauser on the 30th October 2013 at the Lafite, Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The official opening was marked by the sounds of the Swiss Alphorn and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The long melodious sound of the Alpine horn, the sound of coin rolling in an earthenware bowl and the lively music from the Schwyzeroergeli or Swiss accordion by a Swiss Musician, Mr Niklaus Geissbuhler was a fitting accompaniment to this event. There were approximately 50 prominent guests including sponsors and media attended the opening night. EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 3 At the Lafite foyer, a showcase of artworks depicting Switzerland called ‘Crossover 2013’ created by students from The One Academy in Kuala Lumpur, were on display. The top 3 art pieces were voted and selected by the specially invited guests for this launch. ‘Crossover 2013’ Design Competition In an effort to promote local art, the Embassy has collaborated with The One Academy and the Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur to showcase 15 art pieces by 25 young students from the 2nd & 3rd year of Advertising & Graphic Design Diploma Course. The theme for this competition was Malaysian young designer’s own interpretation of Switzerland. And the design’s direction for these art pieces was related to tactile/interactive posters. The art pieces were displayed at the Lafite foyer from 30th October until 9th November 2013 and were opened to the public for silent auction. Product Workshop by Switzerland Tourism, Zurich Tourism, Oman Air and Zurich Insurance A product workshop was organised on 31st October 2013 at Pahang Room in the Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur. This workshop was attended by 67 travel agents and operators within Klang Valley. Mr Ivan Breiter – Director of Southeast Asia of Switzerland Tourism, Ms Esther Grob - Area Manager of Zurich Tourism, Ms Kathleen Leong Country Manager of Oman Air and Mr Yap Tysern from Zurich Insurance were present to provide an impressive and informative presentation. After the presentation, the agents were invited to the Agent Cocktail Reception. EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 4 Agent Cocktail Reception The cocktail reception officiated by the Swiss Ambassador, Dr Rolf Lenz was held for the sponsors and the guests of the sponsors on 31st October 2013 at the Johore Room, Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Approximately 120 guests attended this function which comprised of travel agents, travel operators, airlines, guests of KDU University College and Zurich Insurance as well as the members of the media. The guests were entertained by Niki, a Swiss Folklore musician while at the same time, the Swiss inspired food and drinks were served. The guests were also treated with lucky draw with prizes ranged from a Tissot watch sponsored by Bucherer, Victorinox Swiss Knives to Sigg bottles from Zurich Tourism and Kambly biscuits as door gifts. Swiss Cooking Competition In conjunction to the Swiss Week, this was the 3rd time the Embassy of Switzerland together with KDU University College's School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts collaborated to organise a culinary competition for the students. The title of this year challenge was ‘Ambassador Culinary Challenge’ with the theme ‘Modern Swiss’ and was held on 4th October 2013 at the KDU University College – Damansara Jaya Campus. The competition gave the students the chance to showcase their culinary skills and talent, thus, exposing them to the real-life challenge in creating and preparing a menu with a starter or soup and a main course with a Swiss element to meet the internationally recognized standards of the culinary industry. There were total of 10 teams comprising of 2 students each competed on that day. The panel judges were the Ambassador of Switzerland, Dr. Rolf Lenz; the guest chef, Reto Mathis and the Executive Chef of Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Rudolf Kunkel. The top three teams were then chosen to assist the guest chef in preparing the Ambassador’s Luncheon cum prize giving ceremony. All contestants also had the opportunity to receive constructive and strict feedbacks as well as useful tips from the Chef Mathis and Chef Kunkel. EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 5 The Ambassador’s Luncheon The Luncheon hosted by the Ambassador was held on 7th October 2013 at Lafite Restaurant in conjunction to the prize presentation ceremony for the ‘Crossover 2013’ design competition and the Swiss Cooking competition. The winners of the Swiss cooking competition joined Chef Mathis to cook a 3 course meal for 30 VIP guests. Presenting the prizes to the winners of the Swiss Cooking Competition was Dr Rolf Lenz, the Ambassador of the Embassy of Switzerland and Chef Matthis. As for presenting the prizes to the winners of the Design Competition was Dr Rolf Lenz together with Mr Chan Kon Loong- Head of The One Academy Advertising & Graphic Design department. Results With this collaboration, Switzerland has achieved a good visibility and increased higher awareness to the general public. Malaysian youth through the collaboration with the local colleges. Apart from that, it also created a good networking platform for the sponsors. This event has been publicized through the ShangriLa Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s website, the Embassy’s website, E-blasts from the Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur well as from the Embassy, printed flyers, local media such as The Star, New Straits Times, The Malaysian Insider as well as a few lifestyle magazines. Through the joint marketing effort, the Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur was pleased with their sales results and will be looking into further collaboration for the next coming project. At the same time, it was an excellent opportunity to reach out and introduce Switzerland to the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne Alumni Gathering EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 6 European Union Film Festival (EUFF) 2013 Led by the Delegation of European Union to Malaysia, the 14th annual European Union Film Festival (EUFF) features an awardwinning line-up of 23 films from 20 European countries. GSC once again served as the official venue provider for the film festival. In Klang Valley, the film festival was held from November 7 17 in GSC International Screens in Mid Valley, 1 Utama and Pavilion KL. The festival was then moved up north with screenings in GSC Gurney Plaza, Penang from November 21 - 27 and East Malaysia in GSC Suria Sabah, Kota Kinabalu from December 5 – 11. Switzerland showcase a comedy drama titled ‘Der Sandmann’ (The Sandman), directed by Peter Luisi with a total of 5 screenings in Mid Valley, 1 Utama, Pavillion KL, Gurney Plaza and Suria Sabah. ‘Der Sandmann’ was very well received and was ranked 3rd most popular movie in the festival with 64% occupancy rate.Total admission for 2013 was 6,585 attendees with a 50% occupancy rate. French Language Week in Kuala Lumpur 2014 The French Language Week is an initiative taken every year in Malaysia by the 23 diplomatic missions in Kuala Lumpur who are members of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. This year, the French Language week was held from 15th – 23rd March 2014. The Embassy of Switzerland has participated in the following events: Buffet de la Francophonie A buffet offering dishes from different countries was held in the Alliance Francaise, Jalan Gurney. There were total of 10 countries participated namely Romania, Laos, Vietnam, France, Canada, Belgium, Lebanon, Egypt, Switzerland together with The Malaysian Association of French Language Teachers. On this occasion, a cheese fondue station was set up by the Swiss Embassy to showcase our culinary specialty. Approximately 300 persons attended this function with about 20 guests from the Swiss community. Visit of French Speakers to Malaysian French Schools Mr. Rolf Ott, the Deputy Head of Mission has represented the embassy to meet the teachers and 30 students of SMS Hulu Selangor. The school with a total of 800 students has 150 students who studied French as a language. The visit was made together with the representative from the Embassy of France and Senegal to display the diversity of Francophonie. Presentation and dialogues are being held to give the students an opportunity to communicate with French speakers as well as to learn about the countries of the Francophonie. French Singing Contest The Embassy of Switzerland represented by Ms. Lyn Loh, Cultural Advisor as one of the jury for the contest as well as contributed some prizes for the contestants. The contest was opened to the general public to promote public interest in French language via music. EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 7 EFTA Consultative Committee members in Malaysia A delegation from the EFTA Parliamentarian Committee, and two observers from the EFTA Consultative Committee, visited Iskandar and Kuala Lumpur from the 18.2. to 20.2.2014 (EFTA, European Free Trade Association, consists of the four countries Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Switzerland).The main purpose of the visit was to discuss the merits of a free trade agreement (FTA) between EFTA and Malaysia with legislators, officials and stakeholders, in order to support the preparations for the first round of negotiations in March 2014. The overall impression of the Delegations from the meetings in Kuala Lumpur was very positive. In the photo you see the Swiss delegation (from left): Mr. Stucky (Secretary of the Delegation) the Ambassador, Dr. Cassis (FDP), Ms. Kathy Ricklin (CVP), Mr. Maire (SP), Mr. Aeschi (SVP), Mr. Ott (Embassy). Switzerland Travel Experience (STE) in Kuala Lumpur 2014 The STE Workshop is a workshop focusing specifically on the needs and requests of the important travel agents and operators in South East Asia. This event was an excellent platform for travel agents to meet with a selection of Swiss suppliers to explore new ideas and business opportunities; and to learn more about Switzerland and its offerings. This year, the 3rd STE Workshop was held in Shangri-la Hotel Kuala Lumpur on 27th February 2014 from 09:00 a.m. till 03:00 p.m. The programme comprised of a welcome note by Dr. Rolf Lenz, presentation by Mr. Ivan Breiter, Director of South East Asia – Switzerland Tourism and the partners, followed by an open workshop where the buyers had the opportunity to meet the sellers. The delegation from Switzerland was the largest by far with 26 partners from Switzerland participated. The partners who participated were Aletsch Arena, Bern Tourism, Bucherer, Glacier Express, Gstaad, Highlights of Lake Geneva Region, Geneva Tourism, Jungfrau Railways, Lake Geneva Region, Lake Lucerne Navigation Company, Lake Lugano Group, Lucerne Tourism, Matterhorn Zermatt Cableways, Mount Rigi, Mount Pilatus, Rail Europe, Schilthorn Cableways, St. Gallen-Bodensee, Swiss Quality Hotel International, Swiss Travel System, Ticino Tourism, Titlis Cableways and Restaurants, Victoria Jungfrau Collection, Zurich Tourism, Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau and Swiss International Air Lines. Total of 100 travel agents and 7 medias from the Klang Valley attended this event. EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 8 Bio-metric Exercise in Kuala Lumpur Recently a bio metric exercise in Kuala Lumpur has been conducted by Ms Stefanie Gysel from the Regional Consular Centre, Bangkok from 24th – 26th March 2014. Out of 814 registered Swiss citizens in Malaysia, 65 people used the service. The breakdown being: - 59 people came to record their biometric data for a new passport / ID card; - 4 to get a stamp on their life certificate for the AVS in Switzerland - 2 to get a translation/ legalization Notices will be sent out by RCC in Bangkok to inform the Swiss colony for the next session and you are requested to register your name when the time comes. The first customer – Mr. Thomas Semadeni Upcoming Happenings and Events Events Currently the Embassy of Switzerland is in the midst of organising: War from the Victims’ Perspective – Photographs by Jean Mohr - An exhibition produced by the Musée de l’Elysée Lausanne and the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Switzerland’s position in the humanitarian field in particular, played a decisive role in the founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the most important beneficiary of the Confederation’s humanitarian aid today. Depositary of the Geneva Conventions, it is actively committed to the respect of international humanitarian law. It’s active stand in the protection of victims of armed conflicts and in the aid to those of forgotten conflicts is internationally recognised. Swiss photographer Jean Mohr’s images are known not only for their graphic qualities but also for their great sensitivity, respecting the victims’ dignity. This photography exhibition addresses the issues of victims of conflicts, refugees and communities suffering from war and still under potential threat. This exhibition will be organized jointly with the ICRC Malaysia and Malaysian Red Crescent in conjunction to the 150th Anniversary of the ICRC and the first Geneva Convention. The targeted period will be in June 2014. TV Special Feature in Astro On behalf of Switzerland Tourism, the embassy currently is working with LiTV (Channel 728) to feature ‘Stopover Switzerland’ and ‘Basel World’ targeted to be aired in July 2014. EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 9 Swiss Week 2014 This year the Shangri-la Hotel Kuala Lumpur has agreed to be our host partner again for Swiss Week 2014. We are targeting to launch this promotion end of September 2014. Programmes and activities are still in the planning stage. Private sectors are encourage to capitalize on the ‘Swiss’ theme to organize meetings, workshops and promotional activities. For any further information and participation, you may contact Ms. Lyn Loh at +603 2148 0622 or [email protected] Trade Shows FHA 2014 in Singapore There will be a Swiss Pavilion at Hall 9, organized by Switzerland Global Enterprise in the Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) 2014. Much anticipated both locally and internationally, FHA will bring to the market a myriad of food and hospitality products from around the world. The coming 19th edition will take place at Singapore Expo from 8 – 11 April 2014. For more information about FHA, please refer to www.foodnhotelasia.com Visitors to the fair need to be pre-registered, otherwise, an admission fee of SGD80 will be charged. However, visitors interested to visit the Swiss Pavilion can still get a complimentary admission ticket from Mr. Lim ST at the Embassy of Switzerland –limited ticket available –first-come-first-serve basis. You may contact Mr. Lim at +603 2148 0622 or email : [email protected] Defence Services Asia 2014 (DSA 2014) The 14th Defence Services Asia Exhibition and Conference will be held in PWTC, Kuala Lumpur from 14- 17 April 2014. This Global Defence Services and Government Security event will be hosting a display of the world’s sophisticated hardware & electronic warfare in land, air & sea defence, battlefield healthcare products/technology, training & simulation systems and police and security peripherals. There will be a Swiss Pavilion with 12 companies participating. The Ambassador, Dr. Rolf Lenz will be officiating the opening of the Swiss Pavillion. For more admission info about DSA, kindly refer to www.dsaexhibition.com Do visit our website regularly for the latest update of the upcoming events. http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/asia/vmys/embkua/events.html EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 10 News from the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad Willkommen in der Schweiz ! Das Angebot der Auslandschweizer-Organisation (ASO) begeistert junge Auslandschweizerinnen und Auslandschweizer aus der ganzen Welt. Auch du kannst unvergessliche Ferien oder einen Bildungsaufenthalt in deiner zweiten Heimat verbringen. Diverse Möglichkeiten stehen dir offen: Sport treiben, Sprachen lernen, dich weiterbilden, Kontakte knüpfen, reisen, Partys feiern usw. Das Team der ASO freut sich auf deinen Besuch. In den Jugendangeboten für Auslandschweizerinnen und Auslandschweizer erleben die Teilnehmenden einen spannenden Aufenthalt in der Schweiz zu attraktiven Preisen. Sie lernen Land und Leute kennen und knüpfen Kontakte zu Gleichaltrigen aus aller Welt. Offres de loisirs A traver la Suisse Camp d’été 1 La Punt Camp d’été 2 La Punt Voyage Aventure Découvre la Suisse Offres de formation Cours d’allemand à Zurich 30.06.-11.07.2014 Cours de français à Biel 30.06.-11.07.2014 Cours d’allemand à Baden 11.08.-22.08.2014 Cours de français à Freiburg 11.08.-22.08.2014 Le systéme de formation en Suisse 2 Semaines Politique Séminare du Congrés Session fédérale des jeunes Die neuen Jugendangebote der ASO Informationen und Anmeldung: www.aso.ch Freizeitangebote Quer durch die Schweiz Sommerlager 1 La Punt Sommerlager 2 La Punt Adventure Reise Entdecke die Schweiz Bildungsangebote Deutschkurs Zürich Französischkurs Biel Deutschkurs Baden Französischkurs Freiburg Bildungsplatz Schweiz 19.04.-26.04.2014 12.07.-25.07.2014 26.07.-08.08.2014 29.07.-08.08.2014 2 Semaines 11.08.-18.08.2014 10.11.-16.11.2014 Welcome to Switzerland ! The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad gives the opportunity to young Swiss living abroad to get to know their home country. Participation in our holiday and training offers will forge friendships and strengthen their ties with Switzerland. 19.04.-26.04.2014 12.07.-25.07.2014 26.07.-08.08.2014 29.07.-08.08.2014 2 Wochen In our offers for young Swiss Abroad, the participants are sure to get an exciting experience at reasonable prices. They get to know the country, the people and make friends with other young Swiss of their own age from all over the world. 30.06.-11.07.2014 30.06.-11.07.2014 11.08.-22.08.2014 11.08.-22.08.2014 2 Wochen Offers for the young Swiss living abroad Information and registration: www.aso.ch Politik Seminar zum Kongress Baden 11.08.-18.08.2014 Seminar zur Jugendsession 10.11.-16.11.2014 Bienvenue en Suisse ! Les offres de l'Organisation des Suisses de l'étranger (OSE) enthousiasment les jeunes Suisses du monde entier. Toi aussi, tu peux passer des vacances inoubliables ou faire un séjour de formation dans ta deuxième patrie. Tu as plusieurs possibilités: faire du sport, apprendre des langues, poursuivre ta formation, nouer des contacts, voyager, faire la fête, etc. L'équipe de l'OSE se réjouit de t'accueillir. Les derniéres offres pour les jeunes de l’ASE Informations détaillées et inscription: www.aso.ch EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 11 Leisure offers Across Switzerland Summer Camp 1 La Punt Summer Camp 2 La Punt Adventure Travel Discover Switzerland 19.04.-26.04.2014 12.07.-25.07.2014 26.07.-08.08.2014 29.07.-08.08.2014 2 Weeks Training offers German Course in Zurich French Course in Biel German Course in Baden French Course in Freiburg Training in Switzerland 30.06.-11.07.2014 30.06.-11.07.2014 11.08.-22.08.2014 11.08.-22.08.2014 2 Weeks Politic The Congress Seminar Federal Youth Session 11.08.-18.08.2014 10.11.-16.11.2014 News from the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs Das EDA präsentiert die Website und die App “Women‘s Human Rights“ Der Schutz und die Förderung der Menschenrechte gehören zu den aussenpolitischen Prioritäten der Schweiz. Der Schutz der Frauen und Mädchen vor Diskriminierung sowie deren wirtschaftliche und politische Stärkung stellen einen Schwerpunkt unserer Menschenrechtspolitik sowie unserer Entwicklungszusammenarbeit dar. Die Schweiz engagiert sich auf bilateraler und multilateraler Ebene für die Stärkung der Frauenrechte und Gleichstellungsanliegen, so etwa in der UNOKommission für die Stellung der Frau, deren stimmberechtigtes Mitglied wir sind. Um die Themen Frauenrechte und Gleichstellung besser zu verstehen und diesbezügliche UNODokumente leichter zugänglich zu machen, hat das EDA mit dem schweizerischen Kompetenzzentrum für Menschenrechte (SKMR) eine Website und entsprechende App für Smartphones und Tablets entwickelt: www.womenshumanrights.ch. Als Kernfunktion enthält dieses innovative Tool eine alphabetische Liste mit vordefinierten Suchbegriffen, in welcher schnell und einfach Definitionen, rechtliche Grundlagen sowie sogenannte „agreed language“ gefunden werden kann. Hauptziel ist die Sensibilisierung der breiten Öffentlichkeit; weiter die Stärkung der Argumentationsfähigkeit in multilateralen Verhandlungen sowie die Effizienzund Kohärenzsteigerung unserer aussenpolitischen Arbeit. application pour smartphones et tablettes numériques : www.womenshumanrights.ch. La fonction-clé de cet instrument novateur est une liste alphabétique de mots-clés prédéfinis, qui permet de trouver facilement et rapidement des définitions, des bases légales ainsi que les formulations sur lesquelles la communauté internationale s’est accordée dans ses débats (agreed language). Ce projet vise en premier lieu à sensibiliser le grand public, mais aussi à renforcer la capacité d’argumentation dans les négociations multilatérales ainsi que l’efficacité et la cohérence de notre travail de politique extérieure. The FDFA presents the "Women's human rights" website and app Protecting and promoting human rights is a priority of Switzerland’s foreign policy. Protecting women and girls from discrimination and empowering them economically and politically are a priority for our human rights policy and development cooperation. Switzerland works at the bilateral and multilateral levels to strengthen women's rights and defend gender equality issues, for example as a voting member of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. In order to facilitate a better understanding of women's rights and gender equality, and make related UN documents more readily available, the FDFA and the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Human Rights have put together a website and a corresponding app for smartphones and tablets: www.womenshumanrights.ch. A core function of this innovative tool is an alphabetical list with predefined search terms, enabling the user to quickly and easily find definitions, legal bases and agreed language surrounding any given term. The main aim is to raise public awareness, but also to strengthen the position in multilateral negotiations and enhance the efficiency and coherence of our foreign policy work. Le DFAE présente le site Internet et l'application « Women's Human Rights » Défendre et promouvoir les droits de l’homme constituent une priorité de la politique extérieure de la Suisse. La protection des femmes et des filles contre les discriminations ainsi que le renforcement de leur position dans la sphère économique et politique représentent un axe prioritaire de notre politique des droits de l’homme et de notre coopération au développement. La Suisse se mobilise – au niveau aussi bien bilatéral que multilatéral – en faveur des droits des femmes et des objectifs d’égalité, notamment au sein de la Commission de la condition de la femme de l’ONU, dont elle est membre avec droit de vote. Afin de sensibiliser le public aux thèmes des droits des femmes et de l’égalité, de lui en expliquer les enjeux et de lui permettre d’accéder plus facilement aux documents de l’ONU, le DFAE a développé avec le Centre suisse de compétence pour les droits humains (CSDH) un site Internet ainsi qu’une EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 12 News from the Swiss Malaysian Business Association EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 13 News from the German Speaking Society Kuala Lumpur (GSSKL) Die GSSKL ist ein gemeinnütziger, in Malaysia eingetragener Verein. Wir verstehen uns als Zusammenschluss von Deutschsprachigen (Deutsche, Österreicher und Schweizer) für Deutschsprachige in Malaysia, insbesondere in Kuala Lumpur. Darüber hinaus möchte die GSSKL Interessierten in Malaysia Einblicke in die deutsche, österreichische und schweizerische Kultur bieten. Diese Ziele werden von 3 verschiedenen Teams verfolgt: Das KL-Post Team gibt das monatlich erscheinende Mitgliedermagazin KL-Post heraus, das AGS-Team unterstützt mit den Einnahmen des jährlich stattfindenden Weihnachtsbasares lokale Hilfsorganisationen. Mit einem geringen finanziellen Beitrag können Sie Mitglied in der GSSKL werden und alle damit verbundenen Vorteile geniessen. Die GSSKL besteht seit 2004 und hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, Neuankömmlingen die Eingewöhnung zu erleichtern, indem wir sie mit notwendigen Informationen und Kontaktangeboten versorgen. Ausserdem bieten wir auch regelmässige Veranstaltungen im kulturellen, sportlichen und sozialen Bereich an. Genauere Informationen finden sie auf unserer Homepage www.gsskl.com.my, oder die KL-Post, dem Mitgliedermagazin. Wir benötigen Sponsoren, ohne deren Unterstützung die nötigen Gelder fehlen würden. Wir bieten unterschiedliche Formen des Werbeauftrittes im Gegenzug an. Wenn Sie an einer ehrenamtlichen Mitarbeit bei der GSSKL, im KL-Post oder AGS-Team interessiert sind, bitte wenden Sie sich an die Präsidentin Nicole Kürschner, HP 017 6446236 oder über Email [email protected]. Wir würden uns freuen Sie bald als Mitglied, Helfer und/oder Sponsor begrüssen zu dürfen. Wir wünschen Ihnen eine wunderschöne Zeit in Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia und viel Vergnügen beim Lesen der KL-Post. Nicole Kürschner Präsidentin GSSKL Kontakt / Impressum EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur Tel. 03 2148 0622 Fax. 03 2148 0935 Email: [email protected] Feedback zum Newsletter bitte an [email protected] Weblinks www.eda.admin.ch/kualalumpur www.swissinfo.ch www.swissworld.org www.swissabroad.ch www.MySwitzerland.com EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 14