On 17 December 2024, the Swiss National Council, the lower house of the Parliament, debated and then voted 96 to 80 with 16 abstentions to adopt a motion calling on the Federal Council to organize an international peace forum on Nagorno Karabakh next year.
The adopted motion, submitted by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council on 15 October 2024, says: “The Federal Council is instructed to organize an international peace forum on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the near future, but no later than within one year. The aim is to facilitate an open dialogue between Azerbaijan and representatives of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, conducted under international supervision or in the presence of internationally relevant actors, in order to negotiate the safe and collective return of the historically resident Armenian population.”
In its justification for the motion the Foreign Affairs Committee says:
Since Azerbaijan’s last military advance in September 2023, Nagorno-Karabakh has been emptied of its Armenian population, except for a few people unable to be transported. Fearing another genocide like the one committed against the Armenians in 1915, the historic population was forced to leave their homeland within a few days. Since then, the region has been experiencing documented ethnic cleansing: Armenian cultural heritage, such as churches, monasteries, and cemeteries, is systematically destroyed or reinterpreted with falsified historical documents under the guise of “renovation”. Despite these serious developments, the Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh remain committed to their desire to return to their homeland under security guarantees from the international community, to determine their own political future, and to exercise democratic self-government.
The international community has repeatedly taken a stand. On November 17, 2023, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Azerbaijan is obliged to ensure the “safe, unhindered and rapid return” of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and to prevent future displacement through violence or intimidation (see ICJ, Doc. No. 180-20231117-ORD-01-00-EN). On March 12, 2024, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on Azerbaijan to engage in a comprehensive and transparent dialogue with the Armenians from Karabakh. The aim is to respect their rights, guarantee their safety, and allow them to return to their homes with an international presence (see Joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0163/2024, para. 14).
The OSCE Minsk Group, which has so far been responsible for mediation, is severely limited in its ability to act due to geopolitical tensions. This underlines the need for a new negotiating format to resolve the conflict peacefully and protect the rights of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Switzerland has successfully acted as a neutral mediator in international conflicts on several occasions in the past. Most recently, the Federal Council hosted a peace conference on Ukraine on the Bürgenstock in June 2024. Switzerland has also provided valuable services with regard to Armenia: in October 2009, the “Zurich Protocols” were signed between Armenia and Turkey under Swiss mediation, which aimed to normalize bilateral relations. Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey was even awarded the Armenian Medal of Honour for her commitment.
In view of the close energy policy cooperation between Switzerland and Azerbaijan, it is in the economic interest of the Confederation to promote lasting and stable peace in the region. This includes, in particular, the restoration of the fundamental rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. An international peace forum organized by Switzerland could make a decisive contribution to resolving the conflict, enable the return of displaced persons, and thus contribute to the stabilization of the entire region.
Switzerland has a unique opportunity to use its proven role as a neutral mediator to initiate a constructive dialogue between the parties to the conflict. Such a commitment would not only continue Switzerland’s humanitarian tradition but also strengthen its position as a reliable partner in international diplomacy.
The motion now goes to the Council of States, the upper house of Parliament. The national government will be tasked with organizing the conference if the Council of States approves the proposal.
