Switzerland assumes OSCE chairpersonship in 2026

The current Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, officially opened Switzerland's OSCE Chairmanship for 2026 on 15 January 2026. Speaking before the Permanent Council, with its 57 participating States, the head of the FDFA emphasised that Europe once again finds itself in a situation reminiscent of 1975, the year the OSCE was founded: a fragmented continent marked by tensions and competing spheres of influence. At that time, diplomacy prevailed. ‘When instability takes hold, we can and must act with courage and clarity,’ emphasised Federal Councillor Cassis.

Russia's war against Ukraine has confronted the OSCE with the greatest challenge in its history. ‘Our consensus has been eroded, our capacity for action reduced, and our trust deeply damaged,’ the head of the FDFA explained in Vienna. In light of this situation, Switzerland’s OSCE Chairmanship is guided by a clear conviction: ‘The current crisis must strengthen the OSCE, not marginalise it.’

Switzerland is pursuing a clear approach for its chairmanship: the OSCE must remain effective, credible and able to act in order to seize opportunities – particularly in relation to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine – as soon as they arise. The focus is on the organisation's core competencies: serving as a platform for inclusive dialogue and promoting cooperative security. It is important to restore trust. Equally essential is the restoration of consensus in order to assume joint responsibility. The OSCE must therefore remain an inclusive forum for dialogue – even when this proves difficult – and a credible actor for peace and security.

The priority is to contribute to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as circumstances allow. The OSCE must remain part of the dialogue and be ready to play a targeted and complementary role as soon as de-escalation or a ceasefire becomes possible.

Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, 15 January 2026

Press release: Chairman-in-Office Ignazio Cassis presents Switzerland’s 2026 programme to OSCE Permanent Council

Press release: Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis opens Swiss OSCE chairpersonship in Vienna, FDFA, 12.01.2026

Today, Switzerland assumes the chair of the OSCE. This mandate is part of Switzerland's ongoing commitment to peace, security and stability in Europe and beyond. 

Switzerland intends to promote inclusive dialogue on security among all participating states. "We are approaching our term as chair in the knowledge that the OSCE plays an essential role despite existing tensions. We will work with a simple conviction, that when diplomacy seems impossible, it becomes indispensable," explains Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, chairman-in-office of the OSCE. "We will use our expertise in mediation to promote dialogue, trust and security."

Consensus is the founding principle of the OSCE, which at the same time demands responsibility from all participating states. Last September, the head of the FDFA emphasised to the OSCE Permanent Council that Switzerland's political system is based on dialogue and listening to all parties, and that Switzerland will chair the OSCE in this spirit. 

Switzerland has set out five priorities for its term as chair: the Helsinki principles for lasting peace; inclusive multilateral diplomacy; anticipatiing technologies – for a secure and humane future; democracy, the rule of law and human rights; and the OSCE's ability to act.  

Press release: Switzerland takes over OSCE chair in 2026, OSCE, 01.01.2026

Switzerland has set out five priorities for its 2026 chairpersonship: the Helsinki Principles for sustainable peace; inclusive multilateral diplomacy; anticipating technologies for a safe and humane future; democracy, the rule of law and human rights; and the OSCE's ability to act. Switzerland's priorities highlight its commitment to putting its recognised expertise in mediation, human rights, technology governance and scientific cooperation at the heart of joint security efforts.

To bring these ideas to life, four international conferences will be held in Switzerland.

Switzerland will wrap up its chairpersonship by hosting the annual OSCE Ministerial Council meeting on 3-4 December 2026, for which it has proposed Lugano as the host city. This will be a key political event to consolidate the year's achievements and give renewed momentum to multilateral cooperation and dialogue.

In addition to these conferences, the Swiss chairpersonship will be particularly focused on direct engagement with key OSCE states and regions. Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, who will serve as OSCE chairman-in-office, will make a number of trips to various OSCE priority zones in order to support efforts to promote dialogue, stability and trust, and to support pragmatic solutions to current tensions. Furthermore, Switzerland will work to maintain the OSCE's ability to act and to secure funding for its instruments.

With 57 participating states, the OSCE is the world's leading regional security organisation. Its primary focus is on bridging differences and fostering trust among participating States. Switzerland has been a member since the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) was founded in Helsinki in 1973, later renamed the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 1994.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis is in Vienna on 3-4 December 2025 to represent Switzerland at the annual Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The meeting provides an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing the European security architecture, particularly the war in Ukraine.

As incoming OSCE chairman-in-office, Federal Councillor Cassis emphasised in his address to the Ministerial Council that Switzerland will assume the chairpersonship in 2026 guided by a simple conviction: "When diplomacy seems impossible, it becomes indispensable. It is up to us to show that it meets the expectations by acting courageously and clearly. In an unstable world, clarity is a responsibility."

The head of the FDFA also took this opportunity in Vienna to reiterate the five priorities of Switzerland's upcoming term of office. In the face of war in Europe, Switzerland remains committed to a just peace in Ukraine based on international law and the Helsinki principles. It will continue to foster inclusive multilateral diplomacy and security dialogue between all stakeholders. It will promote people-centred governance of new technologies by linking science and diplomacy. It will also focus on strengthening democracy, the rule of law and human rights, in particular through missions and election observation. In addition, it will work to maintain the OSCE's ability to act and to secure funding for its instruments.

At the invitation of the Finnish foreign minister, Elina Valtonen, in her capacity as current OSCE chairperson-in-office, representatives of all 57 OSCE participating states and the OSCE's 11 partners for cooperation meet in Vienna on 4 and 5 December 2025. The Ministerial Council comprises the foreign ministers of all OSCE participating states and is the organisation's central decision-making and governing body. 

Address by Federal Councillor Cassis at the OSCE Ministerial Council 2025

Press release

On 18 September, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, as future OSCE chairman-in-office, presented Switzerland's priorities to the OSCE Permanent Council. Switzerland has set five priorities for its chairpersonship:

• Helsinki Principles - for lasting peace
• Inclusive multilateral diplomacy
• Anticipating technologies – for a safe and humane future
• Democracy, the rule of law and human rights
• OSCE's ability to act

Detailed information on Switzerland's priorities

In his speech, the head of the FDFA also announced three conferences, the first on combatting anti-Semitism at the beginning of the year, followed by a second on forward-looking diplomacy and finally a conference on cyber security.

In his speech, Federal Councillor Cassis emphasised the relevance of the OSCE: «However, despite these roadblocks, the OSCE remains indispensable:  because it takes concrete action on the ground, because it brings all the actors to the same table, and because it remains the only forum where Europe, the United States and Russia still talk to each other about security.»

By assuming the OSCE chairpersonship, Switzerland is fulfilling its responsibility for peace and security in Europe and underlining the importance of dialogue, inclusion and cooperation in overcoming crises and conflicts. This is in line with the objectives of the Foreign Policy Strategy 2024–2027.

During his meeting with the Ticino State Council, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis confirmed to the cantonal authorities the FDFA's intention to hold the annual OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Lugano at the beginning of December. The head of the FDFA emphasised, the event will enhance the profile of Italian-speaking Switzerland and highlight Switzerland's strength in peacefully bringing together different cultures and languages – an important signal given the current geopolitical situation. In addition, the experience gained by the canton of Ticino and the city of Lugano at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2022 can be put to good use in planning and implementing the meeting.

Press release

At its meeting on 21 May 2025, the Federal Council defined the thematic priorities for Switzerland's term as chair of the OSCE in 2026. The five priorities include complying with and promoting the principles laid down in the Helsinki Final Act for lasting peace in Europe and strengthening inclusive dialogue among the 57 OSCE participating states. Switzerland also intends to promote proactive science diplomacy with a view to ensuring cooperative security and supporting democracy, the rule of law and human rights. A further priority is to maintain the OSCE's ability to act – a concern shared not just by European countries, but also by the US and Russia. The foreign affairs committees of the National Council and Council of States will now be consulted and the issues discussed with other OSCE participating states.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will present Switzerland's final priorities for its upcoming term as chair to the OSCE Permanent Council in mid-September. 

Press release

The chairperson-in-office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Finland's foreign minister Elina Valtonen, has appointed Christoph Späti as the Special Representative of the Finnish OSCE Chairpersonship for the South Caucasus. The Swiss expert, who most recently served as programme manager for the South Caucasus in the FDFA's Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD), took up the post of Special Representative on 21 January 2025.

Press release (fr, de)

Yesterday, Switzerland took part in its first meeting as a member of the Troika, alongside Finland (2025 chairpersonship) and Malta (2024 chairpersonship). The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the first initiatives of the Finnish chairpersonship, in particular the visit of the OSCE chairperson-in-office, Elina Valtonen, to Ukraine and Moldova. The Troika also discussed the Finnish chairpersonship's introductory day and the annual meeting planned with the heads of OSCE field missions, which will take place on 23 and 24 January.

The leadership of the OSCE is usually ensured by a troika consisting of the preceding, the current and the succeeding chair. Switzerland will therefore form the troika together with Malta and Finland from January and will be primarily responsible for relations with the Mediterranean states outside the OSCE in 2025. The tasks of the troika also include personnel decisions.

Switzerland is taking over the chairpersonship of the OSCE at a time when the organisation has little room for manoeuvre owing to geopolitical developments and Russia's war against Ukraine. In assuming the chairpersonship, Switzerland underscores how essential it is to ensure dialogue and cooperation with all participating states, especially in politically difficult times. Several participating states had asked Switzerland beforehand to stand as a candidate.

Having chaired the OSCE in 1996 and 2014, Switzerland has already gained the experience required for the chairpersonship role. Switzerland also faced numerous challenges during both previous chairpersonship years. These included the conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Chechnya, as well as the political upheavals in Ukraine following the Maidan revolution.

After Flavio Cotti in 1996, in 2014 the head of the FDFA and president of the Swiss Confederation, Didier Burkhalter, became the second Swiss national to chair the OSCE.From the outset, Switzerland's chairpersonship was shaped by the Ukraine crisis. The Swiss approach was characterised by active, bridge-building diplomacy. Thanks to Mr Burkhalter’s dual role as OSCE chairman-in-office and president of the Swiss Confederation, Switzerland was able to establish key contacts with the highest authorities of all the main actors in the crisis. Dialogue was fostered both in Vienna, at the OSCE headquarters, and within Ukraine.

The Swiss OSCE chairpersonship's involvement in the Trilateral Contact Group, where senior representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE sought solutions to the crisis, was also pivotal.Within this framework, the Minsk agreements were signed with the aim of serving as a foundation for de-escalation in eastern Ukraine.

Under the Swiss chairpersonship, a consensus was reached for the first time in over a decade on launching new OSCE field missions: an observation mission at two Russian border posts and the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM). This mission became a key instrument for advancing de-escalation efforts in Ukraine.

Switzerland held its first OSCE chairpersonship in 1996. After the war between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia ended in 1995, the OSCE was tasked with overseeing the preparation and conduct of free and fair elections in the war-ravaged country, as well as monitoring the human rights situation. The OSCE mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina helped the parties to establish the framework for the elections: a politically neutral environment, the right to vote by secret ballot without fear of intimidation, and the right to freedom of expression.

Switzerland's efforts in both advocating for an appropriate election date and ensuring the successful organisation of the elections were widely recognised at the international level at the time. A contingent of Swiss Yellow Berets provided logistical support to the OSCE in organising the first elections after the war.

Another notable achievement for Switzerland in 1996 was overseeing the OSCE mission to Chechnya under the leadership of Swiss diplomat Tim Guldimann. As head of the mission, Mr Guldimann played a key role in the peace agreement during the first Chechen war. The mission in Grozny successfully facilitated contacts between the parties to the conflict.