Revisiting neutrality: demand for Swiss diplomacy's "good offices" has fallen sharply since the Berlin wall collapsed in 1991. But a Zurich scholar says a more activist "peace facilitator" role now fills that gap well.
| Auteur | Shepard, Lyn |
| Fonction | Politics |
Swiss historian Daniel Trachsler recently wrote his doctoral thesis at the University of Zurich on the role of a post-World War II foreign minister (1945-1961), Max Petitpierre and the doctrine that bears his name.
It's still a timely topic, since neutral Switzerland became the world's leading mediator between countries not on speaking terms throughout the Cold War period. To be sure, this discreet "good offices" role crumbled along with the fall of the Berlin wall and now seems all but passe to many.
New Policy
Yet Petitpierre's promotion of "good offices"--the notion of a third country acting as a mediator between two conflicting states--had its day and seems overrated today. Trachsler tells Swiss News during an interview at the Federal Institute for Technology in Zurich that the old foreign policy has been recently replaced by one that is far more dynamic, namely an upfront role in and outside the United Nations championing peace and human-rights issues.
At the same time, the Zurich scholar explains that this shift to activism has come in for mounting criticism from those favouring a traditional behind-the-scenes Swiss stance. In Parliament these voices rise mainly from the Swiss People's Party (SVP).
Defending Neutrality
"They don't want Switzerland to become too active," Trachsler explains. "They don't want the country "exposed." They don't want to see the Swiss flag burnt (as it was by Israelis protesting the Geneva Accord in the Middle East.)"
The critics point with pride to the International Committee of the Red Cross as an example of prominent Swiss engagement at the international level--what Trachsler calls "service without exposing oneself." He says the critics prefer a "help only if asked" role.
This limited role fitted neatly into the Petitpierre doctrine--a notion holding that neutrality prevented Switzerland from joining the UN, but the Swiss would compensate for this in other ways such as by sheltering refugees, offering emergency aid, and upholding human rights.
"Give peace a chance"
The new peace role adds a fresh dimension. Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey defended it in late 2003 when her country's announced its public commitment for the Geneva Initiative.
"The Geneva Initiative," she insisted, "is a solitary light shining in the darkness. Even if it is weak, it enlightens the goal to reach. This light is welcome and must be kept alive."
As Trachsler points out, Calmy-Rey has linked Swiss hopes for greater...
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