-On September 10, 2002, Switzerland became a member of the United Nations. Because of its long history of neutrality, Switzerland became the favored site of international conferences and the headquarters of many organizations. Swiss neutrality was strengthened after World War I when the League of Nations, also based in Geneva, issued a 1920 declaration that recognized Switzerland’s permanent neutrality and guaranteed its territorial integrity.
At the end of World War II the League of Nations was disbanded and replaced by the United Nations (UN). Switzerland declined to join the UN, convinced that remaining outside the organization would help preserve its independent position as a neutral. The nation did, however, acquire permanent observer status at the UN, becoming a member of many UN agencies. In addition, Switzerland permitted the organization to establish its European headquarters and several of its agencies—including the International Labor Organization and the World Health Organization—on Swiss soil. In 1948 Switzerland became a member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), an international trade organization replaced in 1995 by the World Trade Organization (WTO). WTO headquarters are in Geneva.
In recent years, Switzerland has continued to test the meaning of neutrality. While some Swiss have argued in favor of a strict interpretation bordering on isolationism, others have supported a policy of greater international engagement, citing the nation’s robust foreign trade and the increasingly multinational character of Swiss businesses. Matters culminated in March 2002 when, following a fiercely contested campaign, Swiss voters approved a national referendum in favor of joining the UN.
In September 10, 2002, the UN General Assembly recognized Switzerland as the 190th member of this organization that should pay an annual membership fee of $42 million.