UN: seat in sight for Switzerland on the Security Council

Switzerland will probably be elected next June to the Security Council, the most powerful body of the UN The President of the Confederation Guy Parmelin and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis are present this week in New York for the Annual General Assembly of ONU.

Read also: Switzerland conquers the UN Security Council

The Security Council, in charge of maintaining peace and security issues, is made up of 5 permanent members with veto power (China, United States, France, United Kingdom, Russia) and ten elected member countries for two years.

“No fear to have for neutrality”

In the elective group of Western European countries and other countries, to which Switzerland belongs, two seats are to be filled. In addition to the Confederation, only Malta is a candidate. No other country has so far shown its willingness to compete.

The fact that Switzerland becomes a member of a UN body that can launch military operations should not give rise to fear for Switzerland’s neutrality, according to Ignazio Cassis. As a member of the Security Council, “she will occupy important roles in the humanitarian, budgetary or peace-related fields”, we read in a press release from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of the opening of the conference. general meeting.

Also read: Switzerland, future creator of consensus in the Security Council?

Ignazio Cassis also intends to commit to the United Nations regaining importance. “Switzerland will commit to the necessary reforms, so that the UN is ready for this century,” he told Keystone-ATS. “We also have our classic role of bridge builders. We make sure that countries that do not want to talk to each other find a way to understand each other. ”

Several conferences

At the request of the UN Secretary General Antiono Guterres, Switzerland is organizing a conference on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as part of the assembly, together with Sweden. It will be co-chaired by Ignazio Cassis and his Swedish colleague Ann Linde.

Read our editorial: Switzerland must assume its active neutrality

The Federal Councilor will also represent Switzerland at a ministerial meeting on the peace process in Libya. Guy Parmelin will take part in a conference on UN sustainable development goals.

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