What Kim Jong Un’s missiles have to do with the Swiss seat on the UN Security Council What Kim Jong Un’s missiles have to do with the Swiss seat on the UN Security Council

Switzerland will simulate an emergency for three weeks from Tuesday: each meeting of the UN Security Council will determine how you would express yourself as a full member and how you would vote. According to information from the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), in preparation for the two-year membership starting January 1, 2023, “the processes and coordination of decision-making” must be tested.

As a prospective member, Switzerland has been allowed to attend all Security Council meetings as an observer since early October. In August, the Federal Council confirmed that the three months would be used as a training camp of sorts in preparation for membership. The second Security Council meeting, which Switzerland attended as an observer on October 5, was a tough one. The employees of the Swiss UN mission in New York who attended the meeting had a cold start in major world politics.

The only item on the agenda was North Korea. The situation around the Korean peninsula had been deteriorating for some time. Between September 25 and October 1, communist North Korea had launched eight ballistic missiles. On October 4, Pyongyang fired another missile — and with it the next level of escalation.

The cruise missile, believed to be a Hwasong-12 type, flew east over the Sea of ​​Japan, crossed the northernmost part of Japan’s main island of Honshu and crashed into the Pacific Ocean after flying an estimated 4,600 km. According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, this was the longest distance a North Korean missile has ever traveled. She crossed the skies over Japan for the first time since 2017. In the trajectory of the projectile, civilians were called to go to bunkers and train services were temporarily suspended.

The second session with Swiss participation was already tough

The next day, the Security Council met at the famous horseshoe-shaped table in his room. The meeting started at 3:05 PM local time. The public portion of the October 5 session lasted an hour and 25 minutes. The members then continue the discussions in the framework of informal consultations – behind closed doors.

In the 85 minutes leading up to it, it became clear what challenges Switzerland will face during its two years in the Security Council. As in many other areas – not least the war in Ukraine – the committee was also divided over North Korea’s missile tests. Cause of the block: the fundamental differences between the five permanent members, also known as P5.

The US, Britain and France have strongly condemned North Korea’s latest missile test – the 39th since the beginning of the year. US Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield spoke of “dangerous and destabilizing behavior by Pyongyang” and a clear violation of Security Council resolutions. But Thomas-Greenfield didn’t just criticize Kim Jong Un and his regime. Without naming them, she accused permanent members China and Russia of having had a protective hand over North Korea for years.

The two countries left no stone unturned to “justify North Korea’s repeated provocations”, making Kim Jong-un stronger. The image China and Russia have of North Korea’s behavior as a result of allegedly hostile actions by the US and its allies is wrong and unacceptable. The Security Council must live up to its responsibilities and act as one to enforce current resolutions and sanctions against North Korea: “Let’s do our job,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

China and Russia responded with equally harsh words. North Korea’s missile launches are “clearly a result of short-sighted, confrontational US military maneuvers” in the region, Russian representative Anna Evstigneeva said. It is the United States’ fault that the Security Council cannot help ease tensions, Evstigneeva said. Her Chinese counterpart Geng Shuang called on the US to “take concrete steps to show its sincerity” in response to “North Korea’s legitimate and reasonable concerns”.

This is how Switzerland would have behaved

How would Switzerland have positioned itself in this exchange of battles between the great powers? The FDFA’s Foreign Affairs Department does not provide a concrete answer on request. It indicates that the three-week testing phase had not yet started at this point. But Switzerland could have relied on positions established at the October 5 meeting – as in most cases – the FDFA writes: “This is also Switzerland’s position regarding missile tests by North Korea, which opposes UN resolutions. -Security Council who have been violated , clearly and has been expressed in several multilateral fora.”

In principle, “the proven consultation and decision-making mechanisms are applied” to requests to speak and position references for votes in the Security Council, the FDFA writes. These are already used in the main UN bodies, such as the General Assembly or the Human Rights Council.

The United Nations Coordination Office (UNOK), based in the FDFA, plays a central role. Under her leadership, since Switzerland joined the United Nations in September 2002, Switzerland’s position has been formulated – with the involvement of all interested agencies in the federal government. Normally, the federal agencies or state secretariats that deal with the content participate in this process. According to a September 2020 Federal Council report, in the case of transactions with a “certain domestic or foreign policy dimension”, the position will be consolidated at a higher hierarchical level – Business also discussed throughout the Federal Council.

A decision by the state government is also mandatory if the Security Council decides on a new sanctions regime. Switzerland was also able to follow this closely as an observer: on 21 October the Security Council decided on new sanctions for Haiti. If such a decision is repeated during Switzerland’s full membership, the chairs of Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committees (APK) should also be consulted beforehand, as the FDFA explains.

Swiss UN mission expands personnel

Almost two months before joining the Security Council, Switzerland is stepping up preparations at various levels. In the past year, federal government employees, who will serve on the Security Council for the next two years, participated in virtual and physical training courses. According to information from CH-Media, which the FDFA confirms, two representatives of the NGO Security Council Reports traveled to Bern last week. The organization has been closely monitoring the daily affairs and long-term development of the Security Council for years.

The preparations are also in full swing on a practical level. There are currently two vacancies at the Swiss UN mission in New York. We are looking for a person to support the five-person communications team during the “decisive phase” of Security Council membership. This also ensures extra public activities such as receptions. The mission is therefore looking for a “Household / Event Manager” who can guarantee that processes run as smoothly as possible. “Excellent organizational skills, good manners and professional discretion” are required.

Talents that Switzerland will also deploy in the UN Security Council.