Switzerland Cancels Geneva Conference on Palestine

Switzerland has announced the cancellation of a scheduled conference on the Fourth Geneva Convention, which was set to take place in Geneva on Friday.

The decision follows deep divisions among the 193 invited nations over the final statement’s draft, according to sources.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry stated that an insufficient number of countries had registered for participation, signaling a lack of willingness among the high contracting parties to convene the meeting. As a result, the conference will not be held.

The primary objections to the draft statement came from Palestine, supported by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Arab states, and nations from South America, Asia, and Africa. These disagreements led to a deadlock, preventing consensus.

Several nations, including Palestine, criticized the draft for failing to adequately reflect the severity of the situation on the ground. The document lacked concrete measures to ensure Israel's compliance with the Fourth Geneva Convention, according to Palestinian representatives.

Palestinian envoy to the UN in Geneva, Ibrahim Khraisha, stated that the draft equated both sides without acknowledging Israel's alleged genocide and systematic apartheid against Palestinians.

Since November, Palestine and its allies gathered 76 signatures demanding Switzerland, as the convention’s depository state, to initiate consultations for the conference.

Despite this, Switzerland sought approval from the UN General Assembly, which in September mandated the meeting within six months to enhance protection for Palestinian civilians.

Switzerland initiated consultations and introduced a non-paper outlining proposed discussion points. However, Palestine and other nations found it inadequate, arguing it failed to meet the conference’s objectives.

Critics argued the draft statement did not sufficiently address critical issues such as forced displacement of Palestinians, property confiscation—both prohibited under Article 49 of the Geneva Convention—and the absence of mechanisms to ensure Israel’s compliance or accountability.