SWITZERLAND: Switzerland made its first tentative step on to the world stage yesterday after voters opted to join the United Nations.
The UN's European home will become the organisation's 190th member later this year, after 54.6 per cent of the population voted in favour of joining.
"The result shows that Switzerland no longer needs its hedgehog-like approach, shielding itself against everything from the outside world," said the pro-membership Christian Democrat Party.
But Mr Gerold Bührer, leader of the liberal FDP and a proponent of UN membership, said the tight result showed "the mythical special Swiss case is not yet overcome".
The anti-membership Swiss People's Party said the result marked the beginning of the end of Switzerland's neutrality. The party said:"With its entry to the UN, Switzerland has lost the chance to be credibly neutral in the future. With that, we lose a further part of our civil rights, our independence and our freedom of choice."
The UN General-Secretary, Mr Kofi Annan, welcomed the result, calling Switzerland "a living example of the aims of the UN, a tolerant, peaceful and multicultural society".
Switzerland is already a fee-paying member of the World Health Organisation and other UN agencies.
It is expected to join the UN in September, leaving the Vatican behind as the only state on the observer bench.
In simple voting terms a clear majority, over 55 per cent, voted in favour.
But it was close race past the second post, to win a canton majority, where 12 of the country's 23 cantons voted in favour, the slimmest majority possible.
Unsurprisingly, the highest yes vote was in Geneva, the European seat of the UN and a huge local employer, where three-quarters of the electorate backed the proposal.
Swiss voters rejected UN membership by a decisive three-to-one margin in a 1986 referendum.
President Kaspar Villiger, who campaigned against joining the UN in 1986, said the end of the Cold War and the rise of global problems like human trafficking and terrorism made UN membership essential.
He said it was "a good day for Switzerland" and rejected claims of opponents that joining the UN was the first step to EU membership.
"That would be like saying that Madagascar joining the UN would see the country preparing for joining the EU. The UN has nothing to do with the EU."
