Switzerland is a candidate for the presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2026. Many states had approached the Confederation to ask it to take on this mandate.
Switzerland wants to commit to preserving the capacity for action and the inclusiveness of the OSCE as a platform for dialogue between all participating states, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) informed Thursday.
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis sent a letter to the current Chairman of the OSCE, his Maltese counterpart Ian Borg, to officially inform him of Switzerland’s candidacy.
Delicate geopolitical situation
The OSCE currently finds itself in a difficult situation. The war in Ukraine, geopolitical upheavals, growing competition between great powers, polarization and divergent interests and values and the growing influence of authoritarian regimes are putting the organization and its fundamental values under pressure, underlines the DFAE.
This situation restricts the room for maneuver of the OSCE, whose decisions are taken by consensus. The organization nevertheless continues to make valuable contributions to security.
Switzerland underlines that, particularly in delicate periods in terms of security policy, dialogue and cooperation with all participating States are the only way forward to develop peaceful and lasting solutions to wars, crises and conflicts. .
Two Swiss presidencies in the past
The OSCE participating States in Vienna will decide before the end of the year on the Swiss candidacy. This would be the third Swiss presidency, after those of 1996 and 2014.
Made up of 57 members, the OSCE is the world’s leading regional security organization. It focuses primarily on overcoming differences and building trust. Switzerland joined in 1975.
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