Pierre Graber
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Pierre Graber (December 6, 1908 - July 19, 2003) was a Swiss politician.
He was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland and after studying law in Neuchâtel and Vienna he became attorney-at-law in Lausanne.
Active in the Social Democratic Party, he was in the municipal parliament of Lausanne (1934-1946), member of the parliament of the canton of Vaud (1937-1946), mayor of Lausanne (1946-1949), member of the National Council (1942-1969, except 1963), he was the Speaker of that Assembly from 1965/66, he sat in the Foreign affairs committee and was deputy chairman of the enquiry parliamentary committee dealing with the Mirage affair. He was also a member of the government of the canton of Vaud (1962-1970) in charge of the Finance Department. He served as one of the four members of the Commission to resolve the problem of the Jura.
He was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on December 10, 1969. During his time in office, he headed the Political Department, i.e. ministry of foreign affairs. Graber was President of the Confederation in 1975 and handed over office on January 31, 1978. During his term of office, a new law for Cooperation Development was adopted. On August 1 1975, He signed the Helsinki Final Act of the CSCE on behalf of Switzerland. He obtained the ratification by Parliament of the European Convention on Human rights in 1974. As president of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, he laid the first stone of the Palais de l'Europe in Strasburg on May 15 1972. At his initiative, Swizerland recognized North Vietnam and North Korea. Graber presided over the diplomatic conference that lead to the adoption of the additional protocols to the Geneva Convetions in 1977. He faced the first terrorist attack on a Swissair plane in Zarka (Jordan) in 1970. After retiring, he gave his opinion on major occasions including Switzerland's unsuccessful attempt to join the United Nations in 1986.
Graber died in Lausanne.
Bibliography
- Pierre Graber: Mémoires et réflexions; Lausanne: Editions 24 heures, 1992; ISBN 2826510967 -- autobiography.
| Preceded by: Willy Spühler | Member of the Swiss Federal Council 1970–1978 | Succeeded by: Pierre Aubert Template:End boxde:Pierre Graber fr:Pierre Graber lb:Pierre Graber |