Switzerland in the United Nations

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The Switzerland is since September 10, 2002 a member of the United Nations . Numerous UN organizations had their headquarters in Switzerland for a long time, especially in Geneva . Switzerland remains neutral even as a UN member .

Switzerland as a UN host

Historically, Switzerland is the cradle of the UN, as the UN's predecessor, the League of Nations , was based in Geneva between 1920 and 1946 during its existence .

The following United Nations organizations are currently based in Switzerland:

Accession to the UN

A referendum is required for every participation of Switzerland in an international organization (Art. 141 Para. 1 lit. d No. 2 BV optional referendum ). Switzerland is the only country that has acceded to the United Nations by popular vote.

The first UN vote

Press conference for joining, with the artist Hans Erni , who designed the poster (2nd from left) and the politicians Peter Sager , Rudolf Friedrich and Franz Muheim (4th to 6th from left)

On March 16, 1986, the Swiss people had to decide in a referendum whether Switzerland should join the UN. This vote was due to a federal decree of December 14, 1984. A referendum was compulsory because, according to the federal constitution , the decision was subject to the mandatory international treaty referendum . With a participation of 51% and a share of no of 75.7% (and a no of all stands) the proposal was rejected.

Per arguments

The Federal Council has been campaigning for Switzerland to join the UN since the late 1970s . In a letter handed over to the Federal Assembly in 1981 , the Federal Council listed the following pro-arguments:

  • Normalization, consolidation and expansion of relations with the international community
  • Have a say in important international problems
  • As a jointly responsible person, Switzerland must not dispense with finding a solution
  • more solidarity with the rest of the world
  • accession is compatible with traditional neutrality

Contra arguments

Many opponents of membership cited Switzerland's loss of traditional neutrality as the main argument. There was a fear that after joining the UN, Swiss soldiers could be used as blue helmets in foreign wars.

Results by canton
Results by canton
Canton voting
justified 		Voters voting
participation 		be right percent
Yes No Yes No
Zurich 732,628 400'155 54.62 113,989 282,665 28.7 71.3
Bern 639,123 328,614 51.42 74,434 251,936 22.8 77.2
Lucerne 200,663 114,986 57.30 22,544 91,999 19.7 80.3
Uri 23,160 12,027 51.93 2,172 9,720 18.3 81.7
Schwyz 66,310 33,364 50.32 5,193 28'079 15.6 84.4
Obwalden 18,230 11,367 62.35 1,797 9,469 16.0 84.0
Nidwalden 21,510 12,616 58.65 1,880 10,641 15.0 85.0
Glarus 23,269 14,921 64.12 2,377 12,458 16.0 84.0
train 50,737 31,387 61.86 6,801 24,307 21.9 78.1
Freiburg 127,484 63,512 49.82 14'355 48,478 22.8 77.2
Solothurn 147,668 86,299 58.44 19,308 66,384 22.5 77.5
Basel city 136'214 64,784 47.56 23,121 41,157 36.0 64.0
Basel-Country 149'137 77,774 52.15 25,312 51,741 32.9 67.1
Schaffhausen 45,667 34,461 75.46 7,293 26,088 21.8 78.2
Appenzell A.-Rh. 32,132 17,584 54.72 3,033 14'455 17.3 82.7
Appenzell I.-Rh. 8,882 5,059 56.96 539 4,501 10.7 89.3
St. Gallen 252,756 129,181 51.11 24,709 103,735 19.2 80.8
Grisons 110,659 47,752 43.15 10,784 36,563 22.8 77.2
Aargau 298,849 147'260 49.28 26,729 119,873 18.2 81.8
Thurgau 117'417 68,584 58.41 12,012 55,930 17.7 82.3
Ticino 164'266 70,648 43.01 23,947 45,563 34.5 65.5
Vaud 328,959 134'220 40.80 33,650 99,668 25.2 74.8
Valais 151,529 65,516 43.24 10,979 53,933 16.9 83.1
Neuchâtel 98'258 44,310 45.10 12,030 31,824 27.4 72.6
Geneva 191,638 88,018 45.93 26,464 60,666 30.4 69.6
law 43'234 15,731 36.39 6,261 9,317 40.2 59.8
Switzerland 4,180,379 2,120,130 50.72 511,713 1,591,150 24.3 75.7

The second UN vote

On March 3, 2002, with a participation of 57.6%, UN membership was accepted with 54.6% yes-votes. In contrast to the first proposal, this was a popular initiative . Twelve cantons approved the bill, eleven rejected it.

Per arguments

Switzerland pays the UN a lot of money, but cannot have a say or help shape it.

Contra arguments

The often mentioned “advantages” such as the right to co-decision and co-creation lose their effect in view of the strength of the five veto powers.

The contra argument from 1986, according to which Switzerland would have to send soldiers abroad when joining, had become obsolete, as this was already a reality with Switzerland's participation in the KFOR mission in Kosovo ( Swisscoy ). Several referendums in 2001 had also shown a surprisingly clear approval of the Swiss for peacebuilding operations and the army in general.

Results by canton
Results by canton
Canton voting
justified 		Voters voting
participation 		be right percent
Yes No Yes No
Zurich 799,376 478,838 59.90 281,877 189,673 59.8 40.2
Bern 679,161 390,991 57.57 219,081 169,096 56.4 43.6
Lucerne 234,381 155,413 66.31 79,085 74,522 51.5 48.5
Uri 25,443 15,120 59.43 5,975 8,855 40.3 59.7
Schwyz 87,810 60'237 68.60 22,702 35,609 38.9 61.1
Obwalden 22,592 15'038 66.56 6,705 8,071 45.4 54.6
Nidwalden 27,687 19,106 69.01 8,691 10'017 46.5 53.5
Glarus 24,669 14,727 59.70 5,826 8,822 39.8 60.2
train 65,997 44,708 67.74 24,527 19,916 55.2 44.8
Freiburg 161,179 90'200 55.96 52,490 36,250 59.2 40.8
Solothurn 164,662 101,022 61.35 53,074 47,325 52.9 47.1
Basel city 117,782 74'200 63.00 47,302 26,468 64.1 35.9
Basel-Country 177,060 105,194 59.41 61,192 42,811 58.8 41.2
Schaffhausen 48'217 35,009 72.61 15,532 18,654 45.4 54.6
Appenzell A.-Rh. 35,751 23,760 66.46 10,739 12,881 45.5 54.5
Appenzell I.-Rh. 10,092 6,676 66.15 2,157 4,486 32.5 67.5
St. Gallen 287,615 177,793 61.82 82,334 94,796 46.5 53.5
Grisons 129'005 72,076 55.87 32,305 38,572 45.6 54.4
Aargau 357,968 208,083 58.13 101'277 105,892 48.9 51.1
Thurgau 143,784 84,274 58.61 35,572 46,736 43.2 56.8
Ticino 196'785 97,918 49.76 39,913 56,720 41.3 58.7
Vaud 369,687 171,786 46.47 107,584 61,747 63.5 36.5
Valais 186,278 91,942 49.36 46,786 44,088 51.5 48.5
Neuchâtel 104,456 68,738 65.81 44'272 23,596 65.2 34.8
Geneva 215,860 130'228 60.33 86,014 42,619 66.9 33.1
law 48,023 25,848 53.82 16,098 9,407 63.1 36.9
Switzerland 4,721,320 2,758,925 58.44 1,489,110 1,237,629 54.6 45.4

Participation in the UN

Before joining

In 1945, like the other states that remained neutral during World War II, Switzerland did not participate in the San Francisco Conference on the establishment of the UN.

However, from 1948 until it joined the UN in 2002, the Swiss Confederation was an observer at the main organs of the United Nations. She was also a member of all UN special organizations, many funds, programs and institutes.

Swiss people have been working in the Armistice Commission in Korea since 1953 (today five Swiss in the Joint Security Area ). They are also used as military observers or yellow hats in Egypt , the Congo , the Middle East , Cyprus , the Western Sahara and Namibia . Switzerland provided primarily personnel, material and financial aid, in particular through logistical support to improve transport and medical capacities.

In Kosovo, Switzerland was represented by Swisscoy , which provided logistical support for the Austrian battalion AUCON in the areas of warehouse construction / genius, catering, drinking water treatment, special transports and medical supplies.

In the field of environmental protection, Switzerland was a member of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) from 1996 to 1999 and was its presidency in 1997.

Since joining

peace and security

In addition to the annual report in the 1st Committee of the General Assembly, Switzerland has signed and ratified all multilateral arms control and disarmament agreements available to it. Swiss experts have participated in numerous UNSCOM missions and in some cases led them. The AC-Laboratorium Spiez is one of the UN reference laboratories for chemical analyzes. Switzerland is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). It is also inspected by their inspectors themselves. She works on the preparatory commission for the future organization of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBTO) and provides a seismic station for their global monitoring system. She abstained from the vote of the UN General Assembly in 2016 on the opening of negotiations on a nuclear weapons ban , but takes part in them.

Around 35 Swiss nationals work for the UN in Georgia , Kosovo , the Middle East, the Congo and Ethiopia / Eritrea . The Swiss also often take on mediating tasks for the UN. Switzerland contributes financially to the topics of preventive diplomacy, the control of small arms and child soldiers. It is also often the host country of meetings in connection with the UN.

In connection with the fight against international terrorism, Switzerland contributed to the drafting of forty recommendations by the Working Group on “Financial Measures against Money Laundering” ( FATF ).

The UNHCR and UNRWA are not only co-financed by Switzerland, but also supported by Swiss refugee experts.

Development and humanitarian aid

Switzerland is one of the twelve most important donors of all UN development activities. Mainly

environment

Switzerland is a party to all major international environmental agreements and is an active participant in their bodies. Mountain issues were included in the action plan ( Agenda 21 ) on the initiative of Switzerland .

International right

The codification and development of international law are among the priority activities of Switzerland in the UN. It takes part in the negotiations of the 6th Commission of the General Assembly and has a say in the choice of topics that are the subject of codifications. With the initiative to further develop international law in matters of white-collar crime, corruption and money laundering, Switzerland wants to counter the accusation that it lacks international solidarity in this area. Switzerland can also boast of a tradition of great international lawyers that goes back to Emer de Vattel , one of the founders of international law.

Over the past 20 years, Switzerland has gradually ratified the most important conventions for the protection of human rights. She is a member of the Third Commission of the General Assembly in New York and the Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The latter can submit legal and political drafts on its own initiative. It sends observers to UN missions on site.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Referendum of March 16, 1986 ( Federal Chancellery )
  2. ↑ Angelika Hardegger: The UN No from 1986: The "special case" in danger In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung of March 20, 2017
  3. ↑ Template No. 338: Results in the Cantons, Federal Decree of December 14, 1984 on Switzerland's accession to the United Nations. Federal Chancellery , accessed on March 16, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Referendum of March 3, 2002 ( Federal Chancellery )
  5. ↑ Template No. 485, Results in the Cantons, Eidgenössische Volksinitiative 'for Switzerland's accession to the United Nations Organization (UN)'. Federal Chancellery , accessed on March 16, 2016 .
  6. ↑ Positions on the ban negotiations , with the result of the UN General Assembly's vote on December 23, 2016, ICAN website, accessed on May 28, 2017.