Need a diplomatic messenger? Switzerland is eager to help

Building bridges between states, which takes the form of good officesExternal link and protecting power mandatesExternal link, is a crucial part of Switzerland's peacebuilding strategy, especially in times of conflict around the world. The small Alpine nation uses this long-standing tradition to represent states that are at odds with each another and to build trust.

Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost every country around the world. Neutrality and good offices are two pillars of Swiss foreign policy.

Switzerland currently has eight protecting power mandates (see details below). For example, it represents the interests of the United States in Iran.

“A protecting power mandate is not a mediation mission,” former Swiss ambassador Tim Guldimann told SWI swissinfo.ch a few years ago. As Swiss ambassador to Iran from 1999 to 2004, he served as a channel of communication between Washington and Tehran. In this role, he was more of a messenger.

“And the transmission of information under this mandate is very discreet,” says the former diplomat.

A protecting power mandate ensures that conflicting states maintain at least minimum contact after they have broken off diplomatic or consular relations.

As a protecting power, Switzerland assumes diplomatic and consular tasks on behalf of another country. It transmits messages between the countries at odds, guarantees the protection of the represented country’s property and ensures that passports and visas are issued.

Switzerland is one of the few countries that has adopted protecting power mandates as a pillar of peacebuilding activities. But it is not the only one: Sweden has numerous mandates for and in North Korea.

Ongoing Swiss protecting power mandates:

– Ecuador in Venezuela: Switzerland has represented Ecuador’s diplomatic interests in Venezuela since December 2024. Consular activities for Ecuadorians in Venezuela continue to be carried out by Ecuadorian staff.

– Mexico in Ecuador/Ecuador in Mexico: Since June 2024, Switzerland has been Mexico’s protecting power in Ecuador and Ecuador’s protecting power in Mexico. Both countries conduct their consular affairs locally with their own staff.

– Iran in Canada: Switzerland has represented Iran’s interests in Canada since 2019. This mandate does not include consular services.

– Russia in Georgia/Georgia in Russia: Switzerland has had a protecting power mandate for Georgian interests in Russia and for Russia in Georgia since 2009. Switzerland took over these protecting power mandates after the war between the two states in 2008. In view of recent developments in the region, the future of these mandates is open.

– United States in Iran: Switzerland has represented the interests of the US in Iran since the hostage-taking at the US embassy in Tehran in 1980. This includes matters such as the consular protection of persons with US citizenship.

– Iran in Egypt: This protecting power mandate dates to 1979 and is the oldest of Switzerland’s current mandates.

– Japan and Cuba: from the Second World War to the present day.

Switzerland also represented Saudi Arabia in Iran and Iran in Saudi Arabia for several years until 2023. This cancelled protecting power mandate is part of a lengthy list of countries that have resumed diplomatic relations.

Second World War to Cuba Crisis

Switzerland took on most protecting power mandates during the Second World War. With hundreds of mandates at times, neutral Switzerland represented the interests of dozens of states elsewhere. For a few days, Swiss good offices also gained global attention: Swiss officials in Bern and Washington transmitted messages between Japan and the US. On August 14, 1945, an official sent a coded message to the Swiss representation in Washington about Japan’s surrender before US President Harry S. Truman declared the end of the Second World War.

Even during the Cold War, Switzerland’s good offices remained in demand. Just one day after the US broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba, it asked Switzerland to represent its interests in Cuba in 1961. During the critical phase of the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was the Swiss ambassador’s job to “correct misperceptions on both sides”, as one Swiss diplomat once described.  

After the end of the Cold War, Switzerland also represented Cuba’s interests in the US. The phase of Swiss representation ended after the two countries re-opened their embassies in 2015.

In search of new protecting power mandates

Switzerland would like to acquire new mandates and is seeking to actively offer its good offices. However, the fact is that when accepting protecting power mandates both countries must agree to the representation. This is not always possible.

In 2019, for example, Venezuela rejected a mandate whereby Switzerland would have represented US interests in Venezuela. Similarly, in August 2022, Russia rejected a protecting power mandate that would have allowed Switzerland to represent the interests of Ukraine, which was under attack, in Russia. Russia justified its rejection with reference to the sanctions supported by Switzerland.

Edited by Benjamin von Wyl/sb

This article was updated on February 11, 2025, from an earlier version published on March 10, 2020.