Switzerland takes over the OSCE Chairpersonship in 2026

01.01.2026

At the beginning of January 2026, Switzerland took over the one-year Chairpersonship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) from Finland. It intends to fulfil its role based on the tradition of neutrality, dialogue and mediation.

Przewodniczący OBWE i minister spraw zagranicznych Szwajcarii Ignazio Cassis oraz Sekretarz Generalny OBWE Feridun Sinirlioğlu

The decision to elect Switzerland as the Chairpersonship of the Organisation was made by consensus of all 57 OSCE participating States. Switzerland is the first country in history to hold the OSCE Chairmanship for the third time, the previous presidencies were in 1996 and 2014.

Switzerland has identified five key areas for action during its Chairpersonship. The most important of these is the commitment to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on international law and the principles of the Helsinki Final Act.

Another priority is to promote an open dialogue on security issues, including the development of cooperation between states in the field of cybersecurity, political and military instruments and conflict prevention. The Swiss OSCE Chairpersonship plans to pay particular attention to the role of new technologies in the management of water and energy resources, so that they serve human security and are based on scientific knowledge and diplomacy.

An important goal of Switzerland's Chairpersonship of the OSCE in 2026 is also to strengthen democratic institutions and protect human rights and freedoms. In this context, Switzerland plans to support OSCE reforms, the development of field missions and election observation, and to ensure stable funding for these activities.

Ignazio Cassis, the head of Swiss diplomacy, took over the position of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in 2026. His main tasks include political leadership of the organization. In his inaugural speech at the OSCE Permanent Council on 15 January, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office described Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine as the most serious challenge the Organisation has faced since its inception. He also stressed the importance of adopting the OSCE budget as soon as possible, identifying it as one of the key priorities, alongside the long-awaited institutional reforms.

During the year, Switzerland will also host a number of thematic conferences, devoted to combating anti-Semitism, the future of technology development and cybersecurity, among others. The annual meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council will be held in Lugano in December.