About
Jean Ziegler, born Hans Ziegler on April 19, 1934, in Thun, was a Swiss sociologist and politician. He was a professor of sociology at the University of Geneva from 1972 to 2002 and also taught at the Sorbonne. A member of the Social Democratic Party, he served in the National Council from 1967 to 1983 and again from 1987 to 1999. In 2000, he became the first UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, a position he held until 2008. A prolific author, he was known for his trenchant critiques of Swiss banking, neoliberal globalization, and Western capitalism. He died in Geneva on June 10, 2026, at the age of 92.
* 1934-04-19 — † 2026-06-10
Major works
- Une Suisse au-dessus de tout soupçon (1976)essay
- La Suisse, l'or et les morts (1997)essay
- L'empire de la honte (2005)essay
Key milestones
- 2000Appointed first UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.
- 1967Elected to the Swiss National Council for the first time.
- 1964Served as Che Guevara's driver during a UN conference in Geneva.
Themes
Critique of capitalismRight to foodNeoliberal globalizationSwiss bankingSocial justice
Sources: swissinfo.ch · digitallibrary.un.org · hls-dhs-dss.ch