Switzerland and the United Nations
Despite the approaching universality of the United Nations, Switzerland continues to be a non-member. Her traditional policy of permanent neutrality, which is theoretically incompatible with the United Nations collective security system, and an unsatisfactory experience as a member of the League of Nations largely explain this absence. Ironically enough, however, Switzerland has played in effect as active a role in the United Nations as have many actual members. Switzerland belongs to most of the specialized agencies and many of the Organization's ancillary organs. She has even involved herself in numerous peacekeeping activities. Geneva serves as the Organization's European headquarters. Thus, the Swiss freely participate in what they refer to as the “technical,” as distinguished from the “political” United Nations. The increased prestige of neutrality and neutral Austria's successful membership, approaching universality, the waning of collective security, and a desire to participate fully in international relations are encouraging a gradual reorientation towards the United Nations which may some day lead to formal Swiss membership.
From Armed Neutrality to External Dependence: Swiss Security in the 21st Century
:  Historically, Swiss identity was founded on beliefs in federalism, direct democracy and armed neutrality. Given continued popular support for autonomous self-defense in an era of transnational threats, it is worth examining whether a small economically interdependent state, such as Switzerland, is single-handedly capable of providing for its own security. To preview our conclusions, every facet of Switzerland’s security, whether against military threats, terrorism or natural disasters, today benefits from substantial international inputs. At base, Switzerland’s increasing security dependence has been driven by the following dynamics: 1) the general development of institutionalized international cooperation; 2) the evolving nature of the threats Switzerland faces; and 3) political efforts to “securitize” issues not hitherto considered as security problems. Because Swiss security dependence owes more to broad structural factors than deliberate choices, policymakers would be better off embracing this reality by proactively using international organizations to address transnational challenges. 
 
Von bewaffneter Neutralitat zu Auslandsabhangigkeit: Schweizer Sicherheit im 21. Jahrhundert 
 
Foderalismus, direkte Demokratie und bewaffnete Neutralitat bilden die historischen Grunpfeiler schweizerischer Identitat. Auch in Zeiten transnationaler Bedrohungen halt die Unterstutzung in der Bevolkerung fur eine autonome Selbstverteidigung weiter an. Vor diesem Hintergrund stellt sich die Frage, inwiefern ein Kleinstaat wie die Schweiz heute in der Lage ist, selbststandig fur die eigene Sicherheit zu sorgen. Wie dieser Artikel zeigt, werden alle Facetten von Sicherheit, sei es vor klassischen militarischen Bedrohungen, Terrorismus oder Naturkatastrophen, durch sicherheitsschafende Aktivitaten auf internationaler Ebene begunstigt. Insbesondere drei Dynamiken bestimmen die zunehmenden Sicherheitsabhangigkeit der Schweiz: 1) Die Entwicklung institutionalisierter internationaler Zusammenarbeit; 2) das veranderte Gefahrenbild, mit dem sich die Schweiz konfrontiert sieht; und 3) politische Bemuhungen, Aspekte zu “versicherheitlichen”, die bis anhin nicht als Sicherheitsprobleme betrachtet wurden. Da die Schweizer Sicherheit mehr von breiten Strukturfaktoren als von internen Entscheidungen abhangt, waren politische Entscheidungstrager gut beraten, dieser Realitat proaktiv entgegenzutreten und mittels internationaler Organisationen transnationalen Herausforderungen zu begegnen. 
 
De la neutralite armee a la dependance externe : la securite suisse au XXIeme siecle 
 
Historiquement l’identite Suisse a ete fondee sur ces convictions : le federalisme, la democratie directe et la neutralite armee. Etant donne le soutien populaire constant apportea une auto-defense independante a une epoque de menaces transnationales, cela vaut la peine d’examiner si un etat independant ayant une petite dimension economique, tel que la Suisse, est capable a lui tout seul d’assurer sa propre securite. En anticipant sur nos conclusions, nous pouvons dire des maintenant que chaque facette de la securite Helvetique, qu’il s’agisse des menaces militaires, du terrorisme ou des catastrophes naturelles, beneficie aujourd’hui d’apports internationaux substantiels. Fondamentalement la dependance toujours plus grande de la Suisse en matiere de defense est due aux phenomenes suivants : le developpement general d’une cooperation internationale institutionnalisee; la nature evolutive des menaces que la Suisse doit affronter; les efforts politiques pour admettre l’aspect securitaire de certaines questions qui jusqu’ici n’etaient pas considerees comme telles. Parce que la dependance de la Suisse en matiere de securite releve davantage de grands facteurs structurels que de choix deliberes, les decideurs politiques feraient mieux d’admettre cette realite en utilisant les organisations internationales pour affronter les defis transnationaux.
International Actions and Neutrality
Despite a widespread hope that in the United Nations mankind had created an organization which would eliminate warfare, events have unfortunately proved that international conflict, with all its attendant legal problems, is not yet a dead issue. Although the United Nations has not extirpated armed conflict, it has, by its very existence and by its actual and potential role as a participant in, and even as an originator of, military actions, altered, of necessity, the status both of Members and nonMembers in the course of such an action. This is a study of that status, together with a consideration of the necessary concomitant changes in the concept of neutrality in the modern world. The laws of neutrality will first be briefly considered; the effect of the League of Nations period will then be examined as background for a comparison with the current period; and the effect and influence of the United Nations will then be studied in greater detail.