The InterDependent

The InterDependent met with the new General Assembly president, Joseph Deiss of Switzerland, in August. Deiss, 64, a career politician, has held posts that include president of the Swiss confederation and economic minister. He was also the foreign minister heading the membership process of his country into the UN in 2002, after decades of Switzerland’s holding observer status. Deiss was elected to the General Assembly in June 2010 for a one-year term, replacing Ali Treki of Libya, starting in September. He is married with three sons and speaks French, German, English and Italian. He received his education at the College Saint-Michel in Fribourg, the University of Fribourg and King's College, Cambridge.

Chika Moses/UNA-USA

Joseph Deiss, the new Swiss president of the General Assembly. His country joined the UN in 2002.

In the interview, which took place in Deiss’s office one block from the United Nations, he discussed the Swiss accession into the UN and its implications for the country’s sovereignty; his plans and priorities as president of the General Assembly; and his views on his new job.

Switzerland is known for being historically the most neutral country in the world. Was this the reason it took the Swiss until 2002 to join the UN?

In our Constitution, membership to an international organization needs to be accepted through referendum. We are the only UN member state where membership has to be decided by referendum vote. Our first referendum to join the UN was in 1986 and it was a very clear no. In this case, for the Swiss people, neutrality was one of the major contentious issues and it took some time for the situation to change.

The UN today has evolved in terms of how it functions, compared to its beginnings. It is more universal. It became progressively evident to the Swiss people that membership was not a contradiction to neutrality. We could join and keep our neutrality. The UN has always had great support from the Swiss government – even as a host to UN headquarters in Geneva. Membership gave us an opportunity to make our commitment and support much more visible.

I think it is important for Switzerland to be integrated into the international community. It is much easier for our foreign policy to be represented and gives us more opportunities to give voice to our positions and priorities. We did not lose our neutrality or sovereignty.

How did you help lead the accession campaign? What did you, as foreign minister, hope to achieve?

It took several hundred public debates for me to explain and convince the public of the merits of the UN. My goal as foreign minister was to explain why it was important for Switzerland to be present in this organization. It was not acceptable for my country to only watch what was happening, even while we helped finance the UN. We didn’t have a say or vote. I had to explain that my country had the same rank in the international community as any other country. I didn’t want to sit in the observer booth, apart from other nations. This was my main aim. For me it was important for the Swiss flag to fly at the UN. We want to be equal to all others.

How do you intend to influence the General Assembly?

My role will not be to influence the General Assembly, but to allow all members to use debate to find solutions. I will be a facilitator. I won’t come in with my own agenda, nor will I influence debate. I will give the General Assembly the power to assume its role as a global debate forum.
Efficiency will be important. For the public, this means reaching consensus on essential topics, such as the Millennium Development Goals. There are many hopes and we have to deliver. The efficiency has to be measured against results. We need momentum at the MDG [Millennium Development Goals] summit and we need momentum to achieve the MDGs in 2015. If I can help infuse energy and momentum, then I think we will have had some success.

How will you focus on the Millennium Development Goals? What other initiatives will you push for during your term?

It is important for the General Assembly to achieve an outcome on the Millennium Development Goals. It is the most important action ever created to combat the suffering of humans all over the world. Therefore it is important for us to succeed. But this is just one of my priorities this year.

Other issues that are important for me include environmental and climate change issues. As an economist by training, I will look to promote the discussion on green economy. Global governance is another issue. The General Assembly should be the pre-eminent place of global debate – it is the only place where nations can really form global governance. It gets everybody on board for major issues.

I will also focus on reforms of the United Nations such as the revitalization of the General Assembly, the reform of the Security Council or the review of the Human Rights Council.

Chika Moses/UNA-USA

Deiss in his New York office, August 2010.

How will you gain consensus and support from other member countries for the initiatives you propose?

I think networking is important even though opening doors to everyone is difficult because you might be overrun. I want to know all of the permanent representatives of the member states. I have had meetings with almost all of the regional groups of the UN. It has given representatives a sense of who I am.

I will work with all member states, and I will not have preference towards any. I will not represent a Swiss interest. I will be the president for all 192 members. There will be no special case for Switzerland and no special case for others.

On a more particular issue at the General Assembly, what is the point of passing resolutions when they don’t seem to be enforced?

A parliament is here to speak, to debate. It is remarkable that all members come and take the floor. They all listen. The fact that they are able to bring together so many different views into one resolution is an achievement in itself.

The fact that we have commitments is very important. In terms of outcomes, yes, we have to work to do better. But you cannot say that nothing at all happens. Something does, in fact, happen. We are here to respect the sovereignty of our members and find solutions to problems that are based on consensus.

How will you try to bring the Geneva-based Human Rights Council’s work into the General Assembly?

We believe we can advance in parallel if we ensure that we are complementing each other’s work.

What is your annual salary?

I have no salary. But even the Swiss government understands that I have to sleep somewhere. There is a budget from the Swiss government to pay for my position and there are accommodations made for me. There is also a United Nations budget for my office. My plane tickets are also paid for, but not for my family. My family is not here. For one year, this can be difficult.

Do you plan to continue working with the UN when your term is completed?

As I have always been, I will remain fully committed to the United Nations.