Twenty years ago, Switzerland spoke for the first time from this rostrum as a full Member of the United Nations (see A/57/PV.1). Switzerland’s joining the United Nations in 2002 was a special event. It was not solely a question of timing. Indeed, at the time Switzerland had already long been the host State of the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva. Switzerland was also active in various specialized agencies of the United Nations. No, the specificity of this event was quite different. Switzerland is the only country to have joined the Organization following a popular vote by its
people. That decision reflected the alignment between the values and goals of the United Nations and those anchored in the Swiss Constitution. That is why we feel so closely bound to the Charter of the United Nations. The principles enshrined in the Charter are more important than ever. Our world has rarely faced so many challenges as it does today. We are living in a pivotal moment, for ourselves, for the United Nations Charter and for the entire planet.
I was shocked by the military aggression launched by Russia, a great Power, against its neighbour Ukraine. Allow me to clarify that this military aggression violates the most basic principles of the Charter, which was adopted in the aftermath of the Second World War precisely with the aim of preventing wars. Switzerland reiterates its call on Russia to put an end to the war in Ukraine without further delay and to respect the latter’s territorial integrity. The consequences of this war affect the entire world, adding to the many other global crises that we must, of course, not forget.
Almost no continent today is spared by armed conflict. Tensions are growing among great Powers, among neighbouring States and even within certain countries. Every day, international humanitarian law and human rights are violated. That is intolerable and should alarm us. Serious human rights violations are indeed harbingers of possible escalations of violence and instability. If we examine a map of ongoing conflicts today, it becomes clear that a direct link almost always exists with other issues that destabilize our world, including: growing food insecurity; high energy prices and the issue of energy security; climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution; even global health challenges, such as the coronavirus pandemic, which we have just experienced and not yet overcome, and whose heavy economic and social consequences we continue to feel.
Strengthened by its qualities and the experiences accumulated over the course of its history, Switzerland is determined to contribute its stone to the building in order to collectively find “transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”, to quote the theme of this seventy-seventh session. My country, Switzerland, is distinguished not only by its system of direct democracy, its federalism, the stability that characterizes its politics and its economy, but also by its diversity and ability to derive innovative solutions therefrom. Those characteristics shape the way we manage conflicts and solve complex problems in our country. The Swiss culture of compromise and consensus is an appropriate one. Problems are tackled and resolved through dialogue that is sometimes difficult and slow, but that is peaceful. That certainly takes time, but it allows a broad consensus to be reached, leading to a final result more slowly than elsewhere. We have been a Member of the United Nations since 2002. We were not among the first. It was not a speedy process; however, it provides stability and durability to our situation.
That is precisely what happened when Switzerland joined the United Nations. I believe that our experience is also relevant to a world that, undoubtedly, is facing a new era due to the upheaval in Europe. Allow me therefore, in all modesty, to outline four elements that are of great value to Switzerland and that also seem to me to be decisive in meeting the many global challenges. The first is the importance of fundamental norms and values. The second is the inseparability of independence and cooperation. The third is the commitment to peace and security. The fourth is the courage to stay the course.
Let us take things in order. Starting with the importance of fundamental norms and values, public international law is essential. It is all the more essential the smaller a country is. We cannot allow the power of the strong to prevail over the rights of the weak. That is why Switzerland is committed to respecting public international law, which includes international humanitarian law and human rights. That is also why Switzerland is committed to the fight against impunity. We must all ensure that serious breaches of international law are punished. Those responsible must be held accountable for their actions, as for example in the case of the mass grave in the city of Izyum. In that context, values provide direction for our action.
We consider solidarity with the international community and sustainable development to be vital. In that regard, our common road map is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which must enable our societies to be more resilient, more sustainable and more inclusive in the future. Some global circumstances have significantly slowed the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Switzerland is proud, however, to have presented its second national report on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda this year. That report reveals the progress made, even if additional efforts must be made to achieve all the Goals. I therefore invite Member States to return to the fundamental values of the 2030 Agenda and to redouble their collective efforts towards its implementation.
The second point concerns the inseparable nature of independence and cooperation, which are not mutually contradictory. Under the Charter of the United Nations, each country is sovereign and thus independent. Like any country, Switzerland values its independence. That allows us to give the diversity of our culture and our population the attention it deserves. Switzerland has four national languages and great cultural diversity. It is made up of 26 distinct cantons, all of which were politically active long before the federal State. Given those characteristics, we have learned that cooperation, mutual respect and continuous dialogue are the only way to deal with difficulties. Independence and cooperation are actually two closely related concepts. Without cooperation, independence would mean isolation, and without independence, cooperation would be a constraint. An open dialogue between equals, a climate of trust and collaboration are also of paramount importance for international cooperation. Thanks to the international character of Geneva, Switzerland contributes to that dialogue. Geneva is the centre of multilateral diplomacy for matters relating to global governance, peace, human rights, disarmament, the environment and health. More recently, Geneva has become significant in terms of anticipating technological challenges. For all of us, the United Nations is a unique and universal platform for dialogue and cooperation. We must take full advantage of it.
My third point concerns the commitment to peace and security. Switzerland is a neutral country. That means that we strictly respect the right of neutrality anchored in public international law. We do not involve ourselves in conflicts or provide military support to either side of a conflict. Nothing can call that into question. However, neutrality does not mean indifference or the absence of solidarity. We are committed to safeguarding the principles of freedom, democracy and the rule of law — all values also anchored in the Swiss Constitution.
Switzerland was elected to the Security Council in this Hall on 9 June with 187 votes (see A/76/PV.79). We thank Member States for the strong mandate they have entrusted to us and for the trust they have shown in us. In submitting its application, Switzerland demonstrated that it, too, is ready to assume its responsibilities for safeguarding peace and security in the world. We will work tirelessly to live up to the trust Member States have placed in us and to embody our slogan, “A Plus for Peace”.
With that in mind, we have four priorities.
The first is to promote lasting peace. We want to make available our long-standing experience in the field of peace promotion and conflict prevention. In that context, we place special emphasis on the participation of women in peace processes.
Our second priority is to protect the civilian population. It is they who pay the heaviest price in conflicts. We will commit to the protection of civilians and to respect for international humanitarian law and human rights.
Our third priority is to strengthen the effectiveness of the Security Council. We have long been committed to the improved effectiveness of that fundamental organ of the United Nations, greater transparency in its work and the involvement of all actors concerned. We will pursue that path within the framework of our mandate.
Our fourth priority is to act for climate security. Climate change, one of the greatest challenges we face, also threatens peace and security. Therefore, we will mobilize to ensure that this issue is also dealt with within the Security Council.
Of course, our commitment to a more peaceful world is not limited to the Security Council. Switzerland hosted, alongside its Ukrainian partners, the conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine in the canton of Ticino, my birthplace. The resulting Lugano principles set widely accepted criteria for reconstruction and reform in Ukraine. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the involvement of our partners, the United Kingdom and Germany, in pursuing this process in 2023 and 2024, respectively. If the parties concerned so wish, Switzerland is always ready to provide its long and extensive experience of good offices.
The fourth element of great value to Switzerland is the courage to stay the course. We face complex challenges, yet we have limited resources. It is therefore essential to prioritize our action. What does that mean for multilateralism? It means that we must focus on the essential question of the peaceful and lasting coexistence of peoples and States. It means that we need a strong and effective United Nations, and it can be effective only if it is concentrated and focused. It means that a clear division of labour and better connectedness
of United Nations agencies is needed. It will then be possible to harness all the existing synergies.
It also means we need to further leverage science. I greatly appreciated the fact that the President of Assembly mentioned that collaboration with science in his statement this morning. We call it science diplomacy. The momentum offered by this new branch of diplomacy paves the way for new approaches and advances that can lead to concrete solutions.
The Swiss Government, with the canton of Geneva, is proud to have created in that spirit the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) Foundation. GESDA aims to anticipate the challenges posed by new technologies so as to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks for human beings, and to guarantee a sustainable future on our planet. Or, if I may put it another way, the targeted strengthening of multilateralism and the refocusing on core tasks are precisely the instrument that will allow us to jointly find a way out of these troubled times in which we live and to move towards a better future.
The United Nations offers a unique framework—the only current framework at the global level — to give concrete expression to the resolution enshrined in the preamble of its Charter, namely, to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security. That is our focus — we are partners, not adversaries.