Security Council Approves Application of Switzerland for UN Membership

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, July 25, 2002

Security Council Approves Application of Switzerland for UN Membership

The UN Security Council Wednesday decided to admit Switzerland as the 190th member of the United Nations and the General Assembly is expected to complete the process and vote on Sept. 10.

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The UN Security Council Wednesday decided to admit Switzerland as the 190th member of the United Nations and the General Assembly is expected to complete the process and vote on Sept. 10.

"The Security Council has decided to recommend to the General Assembly that the Swiss Confederation be admitted as a member of the United Nations," said the council president, Jeremy Greenstockof Britain.

"I wish to extend my congratulations to the Swiss Confederation on this historic occasion. The council notes with great satisfaction the Swiss Confederation's solemn commitment to uphold the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations to fulfill all the obligations contained therein," he said.

Switzerland's admission on Sept. 10, on the first day of the 57th session of the General Assembly will by followed on Sept. 27 by the Pacific nation of East Timor, which became independent fromIndonesia in May after two years of U.N. administration.

Swiss President Kaspar Villiger is expected to be on hand for the Sept. 10 ceremonies and accompany Secretary-General Kofi Annanto the raising of the Swiss flag in the courtyard of U.N. headquarters.

Voters in Switzerland, which is host to U.N. European headquarters in Geneva, approved membership in a referendum in March by a comfortable 55-44 percent. But the required vote among the country's cantons or states passed by a much narrower result of 12-11, with French-speaking areas outvoting reluctance among rural German-language regions.

Switzerland formally requested membership to the United Nationson July 17, months after Swiss voters endorsed the move.

"Switzerland is in many ways a vivid example of what the UnitedNations stands for -- a tolerant, peaceful and multicultural society built on democratic values," Annan said.

Switzerland's UN observer Jeno Staehelin handed a letter from President Kaspar Villiger requesting membership to Annan. Voters approved the move in March.

Only the Vatican now remains outside the world body. East Timor,which declared its independence from Indonesia in May, is also seeking admission and its request has been approved by the Security Council.

Switzerland has been a longtime observer at the United Nations,but membership will allow it to vote in the General Assembly, introduce resolutions, and serve on UN bodies.

Annan noted that Geneva is already the second-largest UN centerand that Switzerland has been a member of many UN agencies and programs and has ratified many UN treaties.

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