International studies, Vol. II No. 4, 2002.
Review article
The Neutrality of Switzerland and its Membership in the UN
Gordan Grlić Radman
; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Croatia
Abstract
Switzerland made the greatest contribution to shaping state neutrality as an institution in international law terms considering its century long experience and international recognition. However, Swiss neutrality is still adjusted to the classical military and political
confrontation since the neutrality proved itself to be a successful security and political instrument in protection of independence and
territorial integrity. In modem international and political constellation there is almost no room for neutral stand if we take into consideration, on the one hand, global interdependence of the international community and collective security, and on the other hand, new threats and dangers that no longer bear a classical military dimension. For all these reasons solidarity and cooperation gain more and more importance with a view to ensuring protection that requires international efforts in security and political field in order to secure peace. The Swiss Government deems that cooperation in a collective security system, such as the UN, is congruent with its permanent neutrality because the UN Charter forbids war, i.e. it doesn't recognize it as a means of controlling over confrontations in international terms. The UN Charter also doesn't commit any of the UN countries to participate in military coercive measures. Finally, membership of permanently neutral Austria in the UN proved in practice compatibility between neutrality and collective security. The Swiss have raised the issue of membership in the UN quite a few times, but the citizens expressed their opposition to the membership on the occasion of the 1986 referendum only to change their attitude and. vote for the membership in the UN which, apart from the Holy Seat, only Switzerland didn't enjoy.
Keywords
neutrality; permanent neutrality; politics of neutrality; right to neutrality; international law; UN; UN Charter; international community; integration; globalization; collectice security; referendum; Switzerland
Hrčak ID:
286516
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2002.
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