Switzerland will push for Security Council reform, minister tells UN

Swiss President and foreign minister Ignazio Cassis has been addressing the UN General Assembly in New York. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

By proposing its candidacy as a member of the United Nations Security Council, "Switzerland has shown that it is ready to take responsibility for safeguarding peace and security in the world", Swiss President Ignazio Cassis told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

He said Switzerland also wants to strengthen the effectiveness of the Security Council. “We have long been committed to greater efficiency of the Security Council, greater transparency in its work and the involvement of all relevant actors,” he said. “We will continue along this path within the framework of our mandate.”

Switzerland will, for the first time in its history, become a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 2023-24. It has been pushing for UN reformsExternal link since 2006. Earlier this year it supported an initiative to make the five permanent members of the Security Council more accountable if they use their veto power. This came after Russia vetoed a resolution that would have condemned its invasion of Ukraine and ordered Moscow to withdraw.

Cassis said Switzerland also wants to promote sustainable peace by making available its many years of experience in peacebuilding and conflict prevention, to protect the civilian population through respect of international humanitarian law and human rights, and to act for climate security.