Country detail - yourHRC.org

Switzerland

Regional group:

Western European & Others Group

Council member:

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Council Bureau membership:	Vice-president (2006-2007, 2013, 2017)
Coordinator of regional group:	–
Voluntary financial contribution to OHCHR (2024) :

Other HRC positions:	Member of Consultative Group (2007-2008)
OHCHR presence:	OHCHR Headquarters
NHRI accreditation status:	C

National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up (NMIRF): Ad hoc

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Fifteenth anniversary of the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, as enshrined in the World Summit Outcome of 2005; Child, early and forced marriage in humanitarian settings; Contribution to the implementation of the joint commitment to effectively addressing and countering the world drug problem with regard to human rights; Promoting the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States in the work of the Human Rights Council; Terms of reference for the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States in the Work of the Human Rights Council; The right to privacy in the digital age; Human rights and the environment; Human rights and transitional justice; Cultural rights and the protection of cultural heritage; Human rights education and training; The promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests; The question of the death penalty; Strengthening efforts to prevent and eliminate child, early and forced marriage; Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence; World Programme for Human Rights Education; Safety of journalists; United Nations declaration on human rights education and training; Contribution of the Human Rights Council to the special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem of 2016; High-level panel discussion to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action; Consequences of child, early and forced marriage; Equal pay; High-level panel discussion on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States in the Work of the Human Rights Council; The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

Voting record

Since it first became a member of the Council in 2006, Switzerland has either voted in favour of or has joined consensus on every resolution tabled under item 4 (situations that require the Council’s attention), and country-specific resolutions under item 2. For item 7 resolutions (human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories), Switzerland usually votes in favour or (somewhat less frequently) abstains. It has never voted against an item 7 resolution. For thematic resolutions dealing with civil and political rights, Switzerland has mainly joined consensus. Resolutions that it usually (or always) votes against include: OIC resolutions on defamation of religions; Cuba’s resolutions on right to peace; some African Group resolutions on racism and the Durban Review Conference; and African Group resolutions on complementary standards to CERD. It has abstained on certain item 9 resolutions, and on Cuba’s text on the right to peace. It has voted in favour of resolutions on: arms transfers; the question of the death penalty; human rights, democracy and rule of law; sexual orientation; torture; and religious discrimination. For thematic resolutions dealing with economic, social and cultural rights, Switzerland has joined consensus on a majority of texts. Resolutions that it tends to vote against include: Cuban resolutions on the effects of foreign debt; Cuban resolutions on international solidarity; and NAM resolutions on unilateral coercive measures. Switzerland votes in favour of NAM resolutions on the right to development.

HRC participation

During HRC general discussions, panel debates and interactive dialogues with the Special Procedures, during the past three years, either as an HRC member or not, the State has joined:

Regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 78

Subregional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 50

Political group
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 109

Cross-regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 96

Other joint
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 5

HRC member empty chair?

Overall, as a HRC member, has participated in more than 10% of panel discussions, general debates and interactive dialogues.

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Completed
Invitation sent by the State not (yet) accepted by the SP
Accepted / date set
Visit request by the SP and not (yet) accepted by the State
Postponed / cancelled

Longest visit request not (yet) accepted by the State >
IE on African descent, 2018

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Ratification status
Party Not Party
Individual complaint procedure accepted.
Reporting status

Submitted on time
Submitted late
Not applicable

On schedule
Overdue (outstanding)

CAT

ICCPR

CED

CEDAW

CERD

ICESCR

CRC

CRPD

Most overdue report

ICCPR
3 Months

OP-CAT

Ratified

NPM established

Received Sub-Committee visit

Universal Periodic Review

Reported

(2008, 2012, 2017)

Mid-term report

1st cycle

Level of delegation

State Secretary

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 98 / 192

2^nd cycle: 137 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Cited in the Secretary General’s reports on 'alleged reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights' (2010-2024)?

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 24

Switzerland presented voluntary obligations and commitments in support for its candidature for membership for the period 2016-2018 in February 2015.

Key pledges include: Develop a national ad hoc mechanism to coordinate the preparation of periodic reports and to follow-up on the implementation of recommendations; Implement, in good faith, accepted UPR recommendations; Consider the establishment of a NHRI; Elaborate a national strategy to implement the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights; Keep under review the possibility of withdrawing Switzerland’s reservations under certain conventions; Step up efforts to ratify CED and CRC-OP-IC; Continue efforts towards: the universal abolition of the death penalty; universal recognition of the right to water and sanitation; ending discrimination, including of people based on their sexual orientation; Maintain strong commitment to the prevention torture and to human rights in the context of peaceful protests; Convene a high-level meeting in 2016 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Council; Enhance the participation of NGOs and NHRIs in the work of the Council; and Support the work of OHCHR, including financially.

An analysis of steps taken by Switzerland in fulfilment of its international pledges shows that it has participated actively in Council debates (e.g. 69% of interactive dialogues, 57% of panels), and has maintained its financial support for OHCHR. Switzerland ratified the CED (2016) and the CRC-OP-IC, as pledged. Switzerland maintains a strong commitment to the prevention of torture, and received its first visit from the Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture on 2019.

Switzerland

Western European & Others Group

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Voting record

HRC participation

HRC member empty chair?

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Universal Periodic Review

Participation in other reviews 1st cycle: 98 / 192

2nd cycle: 137 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 24

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 98 / 192

2^nd cycle: 137 / 192