20th anniversary of Switzerland joining the United Nations
Switzerland is Host State of the United Nations in Europe since 1945 (and before that was Host State of the League of Nations) and became a Member State of the UN on 10 September 2002.
Switzerland is the only country in the world that joined the UN as a consequence of popular initiative (accepted by popular vote on 3 March 2002).
The activity of the Swiss Mission in Geneva reflects those two aspects of the relationship between Switzerland and the UN (Host State and Member State) and their intertwinning is a characteristic pattern of Switzerland's multilateral policy.
This page includes portraits of Swiss citizens working at the UN, as an illustration of the many aspects of what Switzerland and the UN are doing for one another.