A picture for the history books: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (middle) shakes hands on September 10, 2002 with the then Swiss president Kaspar Villiger (left) and foreign minister Joseph Deiss.
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Until September 10, 2002, what did Switzerland have in common with the Vatican and East Timor?
They were not members of the UN, and shared observer status at proceedings of the world body at its New York headquarters.
We dipped into the archives to see how swissinfo.ch covered the news of September 10, 2002 when the UN General Assembly welcomed Switzerland to the club. And we highlight our analysis of Swiss membership ten years on.
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Swiss take seat at world table
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After decades on the sidelines, it has pledged to play an active role in the world body. “The Swiss are here. We’ve waited a long time,” the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan joked as the Swiss flag was raised alongside the 189 flags of the other member states. Annan bade the Swiss welcome in all four…
Switzerland brings neutrality and solidarity to UN
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Villiger told the UN General Assembly that Switzerland would remain neutral – but act in the interests of global solidarity. Villiger was speaking shortly after the assembly had confirmed Switzerland as the UN’s 190th member. He pledged that Switzerland would play a full part in the world body. However, as if to demonstrate the independent…
In 2012, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke to the Swiss parliament in Bern to mark the 10th anniversary, calling Switzerland the ‘world’s watchmakers’.
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UN chief appeals for Swiss help on key issues
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Citing the Swiss contribution to reforming the Human Rights Council and its championing of human rights issues within the world body, Ban said Switzerland had been an “extremely generous” UN member. And he called on Switzerland to “help us” resolve key issues facing the fractious body such as climate change, nuclear disarmament and the crisis…
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Experts on both sides of the Atlantic agree that, despite some setbacks, the balance sheet of Switzerland’s first decade has been overwhelmingly positive. Switzerland has played key roles in structural and budgetary reform of the UN, as well as in the areas of human rights and international justice. “When it comes to fundamental rights, rule…
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It came after more than half a century of refusing to be part of the body, out of fears linked above all to safeguarding Switzerland’s cherished neutrality. “The Swiss have arrived. We have waited a long time,” said the then UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, as he welcomed the Swiss delegation ten years ago. Switzerland’s decision…
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