Switzerland - International cooperation

Although it was a member of and served as the site for the League of Nations and is today the headquarters of many UN committees, Switzerland was not a member of the UN until 2002, partly from a fear of compromising traditional Swiss neutrality. The country participates in ECE and in all the non-regional specialized agencies; has actively participated in the OSCE; and has long played host to international organizations, such as ILO, UPU, and the International Red Cross. The nation is also a member of the Asian Development Bank, Council of Europe, EFTA, and OECD; holds permanent observer status in the OAS; and is a signatory to the Law of the Sea and a member of the WTO. However, it is not a member of ECSC, the EU, or EURATOM, again partly because of its neutralist posture. Switzerland is also the repository of the Geneva Convention, governing treatment of civilians, prisoners, and the wounded in wartime.