«Perché il dialogo è importante – specialmente quando siamo in disaccordo» (en)
Lugano, 02.11.2026 — Discorso del consigliere federale Ignazio Cassis all’Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) di Lugano. Fa fede la versione orale
Madame President of the University, dear Monica Duca Widmer,
Dear Professors,
Dear Students,
Let me start with a simple question.
Why should we talk to people – or countries – with whom we strongly disagree?
Wouldn't it be easier to simply stop talking to them?
Perhaps. But history teaches us something important: when countries stop talking to each other, the risk of conflict grows.
And this brings me to the OSCE.
You may have heard these four letters before.
But what exactly is the OSCE? And why should it matter to you?
Let me take you back fifty years.
In 1975, Europe was divided by the Cold War. East and West faced each other with nuclear weapons. Trust was almost non-existent.
And yet, 35 countries – including the United States, the Soviet Union and Switzerland – decided to sit around the same table - in Helsinki.
They didn’t agree on much. But they agreed on something essential: security could not be built against each other. It had to be built together.
They adopted principles such as respect for borders, sovereignty, human rights and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
This was the beginning of what would later become the OSCE – the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Europe changed. The Cold War ended. The organisation grew, developed new institutions and started working on the ground to prevent conflicts, support democracy and observe elections.
Today, the OSCE brings together 57 countries, from Vancouver to Vladivostok – including Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
It is the world's largest regional security organisation. It covers a territory of 1.5 billion people.
But today, its founding principles are deeply challenged.
Russia, one of its participating States, is waging a war against another participating State: Ukraine.
Europe is facing its most serious security crisis since the Cold War.
And this raises a difficult question: what can an organisation based on cooperation achieve when some of its members are at war?
The answer is not simple.
The OSCE cannot stop this war on its own. It has no army. And its decisions require consensus – meaning that all 57 countries must agree.
But remember: the OSCE was not created to bring friends together. It was created to allow adversaries to talk to each other.
And this is precisely why it remains so important today.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Switzerland is chairing the OSCE this year, for the third time.
Our motto is simple: Dialogue. Trust. Security.
We have focused on three things.
First, keeping the organisation alive and able to act.
In March, after five years without an agreed budget, we finally reached consensus among all 57 countries.
It may sound like a small administrative success. But in today's political climate, getting Ukraine, Russia, the United States and all the others to agree on something is no small achievement!
Second, preparing for peace.
In February, I travelled to Kyiv and Moscow.
My message was the same in both capitals: the OSCE has experience and tools that could help when the time comes – for example, monitoring a ceasefire or supporting future elections.
We do not know when that moment will come.
But when an opportunity for peace appears, we must be ready.
Third, preparing for tomorrow's security challenges.
Security is no longer just about soldiers, tanks and borders.
It is also about cyberattacks, disinformation, artificial intelligence, new technologies and access to essential resources such as water.
These are challenges that concern your generation directly.
That is why, during our presidency, we have brought together diplomats, scientists and experts to discuss how to prevent tomorrow's conflicts – not only how to manage today's.
And that is also why your workshop here at USI is so relevant.
Dear Students,
In exactly one month, on 3 and 4 December, Lugano will welcome foreign ministers and delegations from across the OSCE area for our Ministerial Council.
They will not all agree. Some will have fundamentally opposing views.
But they will come to the same city, sit around the same table and have the opportunity to speak to one another.
This is not a guarantee of peace. But it is a necessary condition for peace.
I would like to leave you with one final thought.
Your generation is growing up in a world that is more connected than ever – but also increasingly polarized and fragmented.
Technology allows us to communicate instantly with almost anyone on the planet. Yet understanding each other seems to be getting harder. And finding commun solutions is even more difficult.
You will be the scientists, entrepreneurs, diplomats, journalists, and political leaders of tomorrow.
Whatever path you choose, remember that dialogue is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of responsibility.
And that is the message I would like to send from Lugano to the world:
When diplomacy seems impossible, it becomes indispensable.
Thank you.