Switzerland is a federal state composed of 26 states ("cantons") (each with its own constitution parliament, government and courts) across four language regions (French, German, Italian, Romanch). The federal parliament is composed of two chambers, the National Council and the Council of States. Seven Federal Councillors form the federal government (“Conseil fédéral” or “Bundesrat”) with each of the Councillors heading a government department. The federal Supreme Court is the highest court in Switzerland. Its decisions and the final rulings of the Federal Criminal and administrative Courts may be referred to the European Court of Human Rights. Swiss citizens are frequently called upon to vote on parliamentary decisions (referendum) and they have the right to a popular initiative. Since 1815 (Vienna Congress), Switzerland enjoys “permanent neutrality”, which remains an important guiding theme of Swiss foreign policy. Because of its neutrality, Switzerland is not a party to any military alliance. Also on the grounds of its neutrality, Switzerland did not become a full member of the United Nations (UN) until September 2002. Political and legal neutrality considerations also played a role in recent debates about Swiss exports of war materials, Switzerland's participation in international peacekeeping operations, and the reform of its armed forces. Switzerland has a militia army, made up largely of conscript adult males. Until now, soldiers were in principle required to store their army gun at home, which led to a high rate of small arms per capita. In November 2009, the Federal Council decided to change this (revision enters into force in January 2010). Switzerland’s global humanitarian commitment has a long tradition. The international Red Cross/Red Crescent movement was founded in Geneva, and Switzerland is the depository of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and has been instrumental in hosting diplomatic conferences for the development of international humanitarian law (IHL). The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS) and many UN bodies and agencies and other humanitarian organizations have their headquarters in Geneva. The International Humanitarian Fact Finding Commission is based in Berne and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) manages its secretariat. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, with which it has concluded far-reaching bilateral agreements, though. This overview is in part adapted from the BBC country profile of Switzerland, the Federal Chancellery's "The Swiss Confederation - A brief guide", 2009 and from the website of the FDFA. Last updated: 11 October 2009. |
