Switzerland has been regarded as a bastion of neutrality for nearly 200 years, based on a strict policy of no enemies, no alliances that kept them from intervening in any armed conflict. However, due to increasing globalisation in the international society, this neutrality seems to be losing its strength.
Neutrality is a luxury not many states can afford, and to be able to keep said neutrality, Switzerland has stuck to several key ideas, the main ones being: not engaging in war, ensuring its own defence, ensuring equal treatment to belligerent states, not allowing belligerent states to use their territory and not supplying mercenary troops. These principles ensure that Switzerland remains hands-off of any military conflict that may arise, while simultaneously keeping itself an undesirable target for invasion. The ability to enforce these principles, however, required a heavy amount of soft-power provided by the numerous trade/economic relationships established with other states (like infamously keeping Nazi gold during WW2), as well as a lot of hard-power provided by the material gains resulting from such relations, as well as a very thoughtfully laid out geo-defence plan (National Redoubt), that included exploding tunnels and border fortresses designed to halt any possible invaders, and a strong military force to defend their territory, kept in healthy numbers due to the conscription of able-bodied males into Swiss military service.
This foreign policy of non-conflict and realism, strictly interacting on trade relations and focusing on protecting their own sovereignty, has allowed Switzerland to thrive economically and keep their borders protected for nearly two centuries, as well as to establish the country as a neutral stage for international policy, including the Geneva Conventions that outline the ‘’rules of war’’ that most states abide by in international conflict. This stance has kept Switzerland from joining organisations like NATO or the EU, due to the bonds associated with being part of said organisations, relying instead on bilateral deals to integrate the EU’s single market, without the bonds inherent to normal member states.
Switzerland has been involved in global affairs resorting to multilateral activities focused on matters such as ''health, labour, digital and technology, peace and security, sustainable development, science, research and education, intellectual property, environment, and global governance’’ by engaging in formal and informal meetings with international agents, in ways that promote Swiss interests, as well as humanitarian affairs and disarmament/arms control. Geneva has been the core location for these initiatives, being the ‘’principal multilateral platform for disarmament and arms control’’, home to the Conference on Disarmament and several international disarmament treaties such as The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, The Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, The Anti-Personnel Landmine Convention, The Convention on Cluster Munitions. The Federal Council is also focusing on specific geographical strategies to improve Swiss foreign policy activities in the Middle-East/North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and China.
As the climate in the international society evolves and shifts into more of an international community, Switzerland continues to move their scope into issues outside of their own borders, evident in their ‘’Foreign Policy Strategy 2020-23'’, which focus on the Digitalisation of their foreign policy, aiming to ‘’raise its profile in global efforts to consolidate digital governance’’ and to ‘’position Geneva as a leading location for debates on digitalisation and technology’’, on Sustainability, aiming to ‘’promote environmental protection and the sustainable use of natural resources, as well as sustainable economic and social development’’, on Prosperity, focusing on the reinforcement of the bilateral deals already in place with the EU, and, most importantly, on Peace and Security with the goal to ‘’build bridges in the current volatile international environment to ensure a peaceful and safe world that allows people to live without fear or need’’, culminating in the candidacy for a seat on the UN Security Council in 2023–24. This last category marks a stark change in Swiss foreign policy, as it involves them in issues of international conflicts and security, proving to be controversial among agents in Swiss politics that support their traditionally aggressive neutrality.
Switzerland is virtually uncontested running for the UN council seats, their only competitor being Malta, however, the real opposition comes from within. Integrating the biggest security body in the world stage, with the ability to take military action if deemed necessary, may compromise Switzerland’s unique diplomatic situation as a truly neutral state.
‘’Switzerland’s neutrality is in both the country’s DNA and its legal system. Internationally, it was enshrined in the 1815 Congress of Vienna and under the 1907 Law of Neutrality’’, but the fact of the matter is that every action or commitment involving foreign policy or diplomacy, like taking part in action of the UN body or stances against Human Rights violations, can never be truly neutral, as it influences international agents in a positive or negative manner, despite not being an open act of military alliance or opposition. Consequently, it makes sense that Switzerland evolves into a more active role in international security by slowly eroding the ancient ‘’neutrality myth’’ it has relied on for nearly 200 years in its diplomatic relations.
Comentários
Enviar um comentário