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Official Switzerland is pleased to be admitted to the World Security Council. However, the pages are split. Some argue that Switzerland can now take responsibility and actively work for peace. Others complain that people are drawn into conflict with other people and therefore are part of the war.
Switzerland at the table with a very large and powerful member of the UN Security Council – this will be the case from January 1, 2023. From then on, Switzerland will have one of the ten non-permanent seats. World politics takes place here, along with the countries that have permanent seats on the Council, i.e. the USA, Russia, China, France and Great Britain.
We look forward to a good job on the board.
For President Ignazio Cassis, an important chapter for Swiss democracy. In New York, he thanked the UN countries for their trust. “This is a very important day for Switzerland, 20 years after it became a member of the United Nations,” Cassis told media representatives. Switzerland believes that it can make a good contribution to the Council with its humanitarian tradition and commitment to peace.
Selected with great results
Open the box. Close the box
On Thursday, 187 of the 192 UN member states elected Switzerland to the UN Security Council at the UN General Assembly. Two countries abstained. From January 2023 to December 2024, Switzerland will sit on the highest organ of the United Nations.
The other four candidates for non-permanent seats in 2023 and 2024 were also elected. Mozambique achieved the best possible result of 192 votes. Ecuador was also elected with an excellent score of 190 votes. Malta won 185 votes and Japan 184. The new elected will replace Norway, Ireland, India, Kenya and Mexico.
The UN Security Council is the only UN body empowered to pass resolutions that are binding under international law. It is dominated by the five permanent members of the USA, China, Russia, Great Britain and France. These countries have veto power and can block any action. Read more about it here.
“We’re looking forward to good work on the board,” said the federal president. He stressed that Switzerland, along with the other four new members, would try to build bridges to the five permanent members.
The Swiss parties are divided
From the FDP’s point of view, Switzerland will become the “guarantor” of international law and peace by electing to the UN Security Council. The FDP praised its federal president Ignazio Cassis on Twitter. He did excellent preparatory work so that Switzerland could do more for peace.
The Green Liberal Party also expressed its joy. With the new assignment, Switzerland takes responsibility and can actively work for peace, the GLP tweeted.
SP National Councilor Fabian Molina (ZH) also tweeted that the elections were “both an honor and a responsibility” for Switzerland. In the next two years, the Federal Council has time to make a visible contribution to peace and the protection of human rights.
SVP sees it differently. At the UN Security Council, the major powers would decide war and peace, the party wrote on Twitter. With its seat on the UN Security Council, Switzerland is drawn into foreign conflicts and is a war party.
NGO with expectations
The human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) expects Switzerland to campaign in the UN Security Council to clearly put human rights protection on the agenda. “A commitment to human rights, peace and security must go hand in hand with action,” wrote AI on Twitter.
Society of Threatened Peoples Switzerland (GfbV) expects Switzerland to play an active role. “By joining the UN Security Council, Switzerland has assumed responsibility for peace and human rights issues,” GfbV said in a statement. Switzerland should also campaign for an effective environmental policy and take a clear position against authoritarian or governments violating human rights.