Cornelio SOMMARUGA

1932 Born in Rome, as son of Swiss parents from Lugano (Ticino)

Schools in Rome and Lugano

1951 High School diploma in literature and humanities

Studies at the Universities of Zurich, Paris and Rome;

1957 graduated with a doctorate in law from the University of Zurich

1957-59 Banking in Zurich

1960 Entered the Swiss Confederation's services, until

1973 Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (diplomatic posts at

The Hague, Bonn/Cologne, Rome and Geneva

Finally , Deputy Head of the Swiss Delegation to EFTA, GATT,

UNCTAD

and ECE in Geneva

1973-75 Deputy Secretary General of EFTA in Geneva

1976-83 Federal Office for External Economic Affairs (in the Federal

Department of

Public Economy) in Berne, first as Minister plenipotentiary, then

1977 as Ambassador and since

1980 as Delegate of the Swiss Government for Trade Agreements

1984-86 State Secretary for External Economic Affairs

1986 (November) Member of the International Committee of the Red Cross

1987 (May) President of the International Committee of the Red Cross

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1977/78 President of the 32nd Session of ECE/UN

1982-84 Co-Chairman of the Commissione consultiva culturale

italo-svizzera

1985 Honorary Doctorate in political affairs of the University of

Fribourg (Switzerland)

1990 Honorary Doctorate in international relations from the University

of Minho, Braga (Portugal)

1991 Honorary doctorate of medicine from the University of Bologna

(Italy)

1992 Honorary doctorate from the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis

(France)

1992 Honorary doctorate in law from the Seoul National University

(Republic of Korea)

1995 Presidential Award from the Tel- Aviv University (Israel)

1997 Honorary doctorate in law from the University of Geneva

(Switzerland)

1998 Honorary doctorate in humane letters from the Webster University

of Saint Louis (USA)

Married, 2 sons, 4 daughters