Swiss President calls for UN membership

Swiss Finance Minister Kaspar Villiger has taken over as president with a call for his country to join the United Nations.

We have an interest in ensuring that human rights are respected, in defusing conflicts, in combating hunger and preventing attacks on the environment

Kaspar Villiger

In a New Year's Day speech Mr Villiger urged a serious national debate on the UN, which he called the only body able to resolve global issues.

He said it was impossible for one country to deal with global problems.

"We have an interest in ensuring that human rights are respected, in defusing conflicts, in combating hunger and preventing attacks on the environment."

The Swiss will vote on the issue in a referendum on 3 March.

Switzerland rejected UN membership 15 years ago by a three to one majority, fearing that it would endanger Switzerland's traditional neutrality.

Switzerland is one of the few countries not to be a full member of the UN.

Assertive

But recently the Swiss political establishment has been increasingly active in trying to force the issue on another referendum, especially in the wake of the 11 September attacks against the US.

Villiger: UN membership is his top priority

Only a week after that the country's parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the UN.

In one of his earlier interviews, Mr Villiger, whose post is largely ceremonial and is rotated annually, said membership of the UN was his top priority.

"We are affected by other countries' problems...The UN deals with international problems. It is important that we join such an organisation, no matter how imperfect it may be," he told the Swiss Radio International.

Mr Villiger also called the nation not to lose confidence after a string of recent tragedies in the country, which has seen a mass shooting, the bankruptcy of the national airlines Swissair, and a fatal tunnel fire in the Alps.