Switzerland officially runs for OSCE Chairmanship
Published: Thursday, Dec 19th 2024, 16:50
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Switzerland is officially running for the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Switzerland had been approached by numerous states for the chairmanship, as the Swiss Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis officially informed the Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg, of the candidacy on Thursday, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) wrote in a press release. The candidacy underlines the fact that, particularly in difficult geopolitical times, dialog and cooperation are the only way to resolve crises peacefully and permanently.
The Federal Council approved the candidacy at its meeting last Friday. The Foreign Affairs Committees of the National Council and the Council of States were then consulted.
The participating states of the OSCE in Vienna would decide before the end of the year on Switzerland's candidacy to chair the organization in 2026. This would be Switzerland's third chairmanship after 1996 and 2014.
OSCE in a difficult situation
The OSCE is currently in a difficult situation, wrote the FDFA. The war in Ukraine, global power shifts, polarization and the growing influence of authoritarian government systems are putting pressure on the OSCE's fundamental values. These include dialog, promoting trust and cooperation.
This narrows the scope of the organization, which makes its decisions by consensus. Switzerland wants to ensure that the OSCE's ability to act and its inclusivity as a platform for dialog between all participating states is maintained, the FDFA added.
The OSCE, based in Vienna, is the world's largest regional security organization with 57 participating states. Switzerland has been a member of the organization since 1975.
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