BERN (voa) – Switzerland has voted by a narrow margin to join the United Nations. Official results from all 23 Swiss cantons show 54.6 percent of voters nationwide, and a slender majority in 12 of the cantons, said “yes” to the referendum proposal to join the world body.
The result paves the wave for Switzerland to formally become the 190th member of the United Nations when the General Assembly convenes in September in New York.
The Swiss government supported the referendum, saying U.N. membership was necessary for Switzerland to have a full role in world affairs. The country has long been host and paid membership dues to U.N. agencies and programs. Opponents said U.N. membership would force Switzerland to abandon its cherished neutrality and undermine the country’s sovereignty by forcing it to submit to the will of the U.N. Security Council.
The Swiss have maintained some form of neutrality on and off for centuries. The principle was formalized in writing in the 1815 Treaty of Paris that ended the Napoleonic Wars, when European powers guaranteed Switzerland’s “perpetual neutrality.” The Swiss made neutrality a part of their constitution in 1848.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he is “delighted” by Sunday’s results. Mr. Annan says Switzerland will now be able to make its voice heard in all aspects of U.N. work.
