The Naked Swiss by Clare O’Dea

Author:Clare O’Dea
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bergli Books
Published: 2018-06-19T16:00:00+00:00

Change of command of the Swisscoy contingent at the airport in Pristina, Kosovo

On the conflict resolution front, Switzerland has accompanied more than 20 countries in over 30 peace negotiations in recent years. It led its own mediation proceedings between Armenia and Turkey, and between Georgia and Russia, among others. In the past seven years, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs has taken part in more than 15 peace negotiations, including Sudan, Colombia, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Mali and Syria.

The Swiss have had a special involvement in North Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953, when Switzerland was appointed to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, whose troops are stationed on the demarcation line between North and South Korea. This mission marked the first deployment of members of the Swiss Armed Forces abroad. Since then Switzerland has been active in peace promotion and humanitarian assistance efforts, and has hosted mediation talks between China, the United States and North Korea on numerous occasions. And don’t forget, North Koreas new supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, was sent to school in Bern.

Closer ties

The Swiss worked hard for their neutrality and have put great effort into retaining it − making it a cornerstone of national identity. But the pledge to stay neutral towards all belligerents in future wars has had its drawbacks, as seen during the Second World War when the Swiss got caught in a position that led them to make heavy moral compromises (see Chapter 7).

In the era of globalisation, the Swiss are under no illusion that they can guarantee national security alone. Geography and distance may have helped in the past, but in today’s world any country can be affected by events or developments that originate far from their own borders. The Swiss government’s stated goal for the next five to 10 years is to promote closer and more intensive Swiss cooperation with international security organisations. Switzerland is a member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace and has agreed to work more closely with Germany and Austria on political security questions related to the OSCE. The EU continues to be an important security partner. Bigger plans are also in motion. The Swiss government agreed in 2010 to apply for a temporary seat on the UN Security Council in 2023/2024. The decision will be taken by the UN General Assembly in 2022.

The Swiss have come a long way since they voted to join the United Nations in 2002, the first country to seek membership with the backing of a popular vote. Welcoming the yes vote, the Swiss government said it sent a “clear signal that Switzerland wants to commit itself to working with all other countries in solving world problems, be these poverty, suffering, illness or war”. Whatever else happens, the Swiss pledge to help resolve conflict rather than joining it is here to stay.

In focus: Pascal Couchepin. “We are not the moral guardians of the world.”

Retired former President Pascal Couchepin is a man without regrets. He made it to the top of the heap in his chosen field so why should he regret anything? he asks me.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.