In a vote held on 3rd March 2002, the people and the cantons of Switzerland accepted the popular initiative in favour of Switzerland's accession to the United Nations. As the results of this vote have been validated and published, the Federal Council is authorised to submit to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Switzerland's request for admission to the organisation. This request will be signed by the President of the Confederation, Kaspar Villiger, and the Federal Chancellor, Annemarie Huber-Hotz.

The signing ceremony, which photographers and cameramen will be able to attend, will take place at the Bernerhof in the office of the President at 2.45pm on 20th June 2002.

This request will then be submitted personally to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, in the course of the first half of July by the Head of Switzerland's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

The text of Switzerland's application was made public in October 2001, several months before the popular vote. As underlined in the text of the application, Switzerland will accede to the United Nations as a neutral State.

Based on the recommendation of the Security Council, the General Assembly will in all likelihood take a decision on Switzerland's membership on 10th September 2002 at the opening ceremony of its 57th Ordinary Session. The President of the Confederation, Kaspar Villiger, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Deiss, as well as several Swiss members of parliament will be in attendance for Switzerland's admission to the UN as well as at the ceremony at which the Swiss flag will be hoisted in front of the seat of the United Nations in New York.

Annexe: Switzerland's application to join the United Nations (pdf-file)

19 June 2002