The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) welcomes this nomination, as it is convinced that Peter Burkhard, with his extensive experience and numerous qualities, has all the necessary prerequisites to assume this role. The OSCE Mission to Serbia was created pursuant to a decision of the Permanent Council on 11 January 2001. Currently the third-largest OSCE field operation, it is working hard to promote institutional democratisation, tolerance, the rule of law and the protection of human rights, in particular the rights of those belonging to national minorities.
Ambassador Peter Burkhard joined the FDFA in 1987. A career diplomat, he has accumulated a great amount of experience in difficult political situations. Furthermore, he possesses an in-depth knowledge of the OSCE, the largest regional security organization, which brings together all the countries of continental Europe, newly-formed countries resulting from the break-up of the Soviet Union, as well as the United States and Canada. Moreover, Ambassador Burkhard speaks all six of the OSCE’s official languages.
Following postings to Bonn, where he witnessed German reunification, and Moscow, where he was in charge of following Russian domestic politics, Peter Burkhard joined the team responsible for preparing Switzerland’s chairmanship of the OSCE in 1996. He then led the task force charged with investigating Switzerland’s role during the Second World War. Named Ambassador by the Federal Council in 2000, Peter Burkhard has exercised the function of Head of the OSCE Missions in Ukraine and Azerbaijan successively. Based in Tashkent from 2004 to 2009, Peter Burkhard represented Switzerland in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Since 2009, Peter Burkhard has been in Havana as Switzerland’s Ambassador to Cuba.
Switzerland, a member of the OSCE since 1975, conducts a foreign policy concentrating on the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Peter Burkhard’s candidature was submitted to the OSCE in anticipation of Switzerland’s chairmanship of the OSCE in 2014, to further its objective of seeing a greater number of Swiss holding high-level positions within this Organization.
Further questions:
Jean-Marc Crevoisier
Head of FDFA Information
+41 79 763 84 10
Address for enquiries:
Information FDFA
+41 31 322 31 53
