In 2026, Switzerland assumes the chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) – the world’s largest regional security organisation – for the third time. It is thus continuing a commitment that began with the drafting of the CSCE Final Act in 1975. Fifty years on, we look back on the history of the CSCE process and discuss the past and present challenges facing the OSCE.
On Friday, 30 October 2026, Dodis organised a historical workshop at the University of Bern. Through an interplay of primary sources and personal recollections, the significance of the CSCE and the OSCE for Switzerland was discussed together with around 50 researchers and eyewitnesses.
Following historical presentations by Philip Rosin, Christian Nünlist and Lucas Renaud, Marianne von Grünigen, Raimund Kunz, Hans-Jörg Renk, Bruno Rösli and Walter Thurnherr, along with other former Swiss CSCE and OSCE diplomats, shared their experiences and memories spanning five decades.
In the evening, Dodis Director Sacha Zala presented the new source edition «Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa. Diplomatische Dokumente der Schweiz von den Anfängen des KSZE-Prozesses bis zum ersten Schweizer OSZE-Vorsitz 1969–1996» in his keynote address. During the subsequent panel discussion, organised jointly by Dodis and the Swiss Association for Foreign Policy (SGA | ASPE), former senior diplomat Heidi Tagliavini and Christoph Späti, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship for the South Caucasus, discussed Switzerland’s role in the OSCE.
The panel discussion was also a great success and attracted keen interest from around 150 attendees. The lively discussion and high turnout underlined the enduring relevance of the topics addressed.
The events took place as part of the SAGW’s «Recto Verso» series, which, in the 2026/27 cycle, provides a forum for reflection and debate on truth, interpretative authority and the conditions for social cohesion.
The evening event was recorded and can be viewed on the Dodis YouTube channel.
Programme
Historischer Workshop 15:15 Uhr | Universität Bern, Raum 115
Input-Referate
Philip Rosin: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen schweizerischer KSZE-Politik am Beispiel
des Wirkens von Edouard Brunner
Christian Nünlist: Verpasste Gelegenheiten? Die Wurzeln geteilter europäischer
Sicherheit nach dem Kalten Krieg
Lucas Renaud: 1996, 2014, 2026: Schweizer Rekord und Ausdruck einer Organisation
in der Krise
Diskussion und Austausch mit Zeitzeuginnen und Zeitzeugen: Marianne von Grünigen,
Raimund Kunz, Hans-Jörg Renk, Bruno Rösli und Walter Thurnherr
Moderation: Thomas Bürgisser
Abendveranstaltung 18:30 Uhr | Universität Bern, AULA
Begrüssung durch den Vizepräsidenten der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Aussenpolitik, Rudolf Wyder
Keynote
«Die Rolle der Schweiz in der KSZE/OSZE» und Präsentation des Bandes: Sacha Zala, Direktor der Forschungsstelle Dodis, Professor an der Universität Bern
Podium
Heidi Tagliavini | alt Botschafterin, ehemalige OSZE-Spitzendiplomatin
Christoph Späti | Botschafter, Sonderbeauftragter des OSZE-Vorsitzes für den Südkaukasus
im Gespräch mit Ivana Pribaković, SRF