Swiss Foreign Policy - Self-termination without isolation

Excerpts from "Switzerland", © 1993 Kümmerly & Frey, Geographical Publishers, Berne, Switzerland

A centuries-old policy

The young, expansionist military power of the Old Confederation resulted in a permanent peace with France following the defeat at Marignano. The close links with the Catholic neighbours to the west which resulted from this alliance, prevented the Confederation from breaking up during the chaotic years of the Reformation. Switzerland's neutral stand in the Thirty Years' War brought a total breakaway from the Holy Roman Empire (Peace of Westphalia, 1648). Its neutrality was officially announced for the first time in 1674 and was recognized by the Congress of Vienna (1815) as an important factor in the balance of power in Europe. Neutrality has been the decisive element in Switzerland's international relations ever since.

Neutrality combined with a conciliator foreign policy

As in other countries, the main purpose of Switzerland's foreign policy is to maintain her independence and protect her interests in world affairs. This policy is founded on several principles, the overriding one being that of permanent neutrality.

It slowly became an essential factor in the European balance of power, recognized in 1815 by the Vienna Congress and confirmed in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War.

But what are its implications? Even in peacetime Switzerland has to adopt a policy which limits, as far as possible, any risk of war. She therefore has to renounce any international involvement which could lead her directly or indirectly into conflict; thus she enters into no reciprocal offensive or defensive alliances, nor treaties guaranteeing collective security. She is in a permanent state of readiness to take arms against any threat to her independence.

Switzerland's neutrality does not prevent her pursuing an active foreign policy. The principle of solidarity has led her to lend humanitarian aid and cooperation to developing nations. A relief corps to help in major foreign catastrophes has also been formed and in recent year has been very effective in bringing aid to people in different countries stuck by natural disasters. The principle of universality means that Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with as many foreign States as possible, regardless of their political or social system.

Finally, by her principle of availability, Switzerland offers to intercede in matters of conflict and represents the interests of several countries in dealing with foreign Governments. In the light of this principle, she attaches great importance to Geneva's role as the headquarters of many international organizations, and as an international conference centre where delegates from all over the world gather together.

International law and human rights - a vital concern

Switzerland attaches particular importance to international law and its application in international relations. It is all a question of order and balance, which the defence of human rights and souvereignity in the smallest States, being of primordial importance. Many conventions have therefore been drawn up, relating to a wide variety of subjects and Switzerland has made an invaluable contribution, particularly in the field of humanitarian international law. As the cradle of the Red Cross, Switzerland presided over the 1977 conference which adopted two supplementary protocols to the Geneva Conventions.

Respect for human rights has become an important element of international relations and Swiss foreign policy even in peace time. Regard for human rights which are laid down in international law is an important prerequisite for stable peace as well as for national and international security. For this reason Switzerland intervenes at a bilateral level in countries where there is crass violation of human rights. Within the framework of the United Nations, the European Council and the European Conference for Security and Cooperation, Switzerland is playing an active role in promoting the drawing up of a new standard of human rights and has signed a series of international agreements in this connection.

Broad spectrum of international commitment, in the UN also

As part of its international relations and multilateral cooperation, even a small country like Switzerland has the possibility of contributing to the solution of problems which have to be seen in an international context, problems such as protection of the environment, economic development, health, etc. The desirability of a foreign policy commitment of this kind has never been questioned by the Swiss. Although Switzerland voted against membership of the UN umbrella organization in March 1986, it is nevertheless a member of nearly all the important independent UN specialized agencies in which the aim of achieving this made reality. It belongs to the following organizations, for example: 

to mention just a few of them.

Switzerland also plays an active part in numerous special UN bodies, such as the HCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees), UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) and UNCTAD (United Nations Conference for Trade and Development).

Switzerland makes voluntary financial contributions to the UN peace-keeping forces on Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the UN peace-keeping operations in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Moreover she supports the activities of the ceasefire observer organizations in the Near East (UNTSO) by placing a communications aircraft at their disposal. In addition Switzerland bears the costs of an ambulance service operated worldwide by the Swiss air rescue service (REGA) with aircraft aiding peace-keeping operations. For the first time, in 1990, Switzerland played an important role in a UN operation; a team of medical workers looked after the welfare of the UN observation forces during the independence procedure in Namibia (UNTAG). A further medical unit has been working in the Western Sahara since September 1991, looking after the members of the United Nations mission who are supervising the referendum (MINURSO). Finally, Switzerland has provided electoral observers in various African and Eastern European countries, as well as disarmament specialists, for example in Iraq.

Switzerland's position vis-à-vis European integration

The far-reaching political, economic and social upheavals in Europe and the resulting Pan-European trend towards integration are forcing Switzerland to make a fundamental reevaluation, which will be of historical importance of its political position vis-à-vis Europe. In view of the pronounced leading role and growing attraction exerted by the European Community (EC) in Europe, the question of Switzerland's joining the EC has become a major challenge for internal and foreign policy, not only for economic reasons but also with regard to Switzerland's future political and cultural position in Europe. From an economic point of view all the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries except Switzerland (Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Austria, Sweden) will gain access to the European Community's internal market during 1993 within the framework of the European Economic Area. The Swiss electorate and the cantons rejected Switzerland's jointing the European Economic Area in a referendum held on 6th December 1992. This means that economic relations between Switzerland and the EC will have to be further developed on the basis of the free-trade agreement drawn up in 1972. There exist, in addition, bilateral agreements in individual important fields such as research and development, and insurance.

Other organizations

Switzerland has been a member of the Council of Europe since 1963. She also plays an active role, in close collaboration with other neutral and non-aligned States, in the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and at the subsequent assemblies in Belgrade, Madrid and now in Vienna, as well as participating actively in the follow-up work to these conferences in Stockhom, Ottawa, Budapest and Berne.

It should be mentioned here that Switzerland is a member of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the forum of the western industrialized nations.

Participation in international development cooperation

Switzerland participates in international development cooperation through technical cooperation (projects deploying its own specialists), financial assistance (non-repayable loans or loans on preferential terms), commercial and economic measures (agreements on raw materials, preferential customs treatment and sales promotion for Third World products) and to an increasing extent by supporting economic reforms through social programmes which often make the former feasible in the first place. Priority is given to direct, bilateral cooperation and, for maximum efficiency, the emphasis is places mainly on around 20 countries and one region (Sahel). Switzerland supports the efforts of other developing countries to achieve independent development multilaterally, through international organizations such as the UNDP and UNICEF.