Democracy Newsletter – June

Dear readers,

In a few short months five new non-permanent members will settle into the dark grey chairs in the Norwegian Room at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Switzerland will be among them, as it occupies for the first time in its history a seat (for the 2023-2024 period) on what is perhaps the world’s most powerful decision-making body: the Security Council which, according to Article 24 of the UN Charter, bears the “primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security”.

The historic election of Switzerland, which for over a decade has been preparing to take on this role, comes at an extremely difficult time. Russia’s invasion of another UN member, Ukraine, in contravention of the UN Charter and international law has resulted in a war that is now four months old. As one of the five permanent members of the Council that hold veto power, Russia under President Vladimir Putin is brutally challenging the world order that has been in place since the end of the Second World War.

As a future member of the Security Council, Switzerland now faces some major challenges. How can this small country in the centre of Europe contribute to “world peace” under these difficult conditions? What possibilities and limits does Switzerland’s neutrality entail? And how can Switzerland use its new platform at the UN Security Council to fulfil its constitutional mandate to promote human rights and democracy around the world?

SWI swissinfo.ch has examined these and other questions and debates surrounding Switzerland’s candidacy and election to the Security Council in a series of articles. You, dear readers, are invited to have your say in our democracy debates, available in ten languages – or get in touch with me directly by email (check my bio link above for my email).

Bruno Kaufmann

Global democracy correspondent and coordinator of the SWI democracy beat