Saggi di Dodis 4 (2022/2)

The Alpine Convention, which was adopted in 1991, is often referred to as a «paper tiger». Based on the political processes surrounding the drafting and implementation of the international treaty for the protection of the Alps in Switzerland, the article sheds light on the reasons why the Alpine Convention is denied any impact. An important role is played by the dialogue between researchers and representatives of the administration and authorities, as well as their differing expectations of the document. The position of the Alpine Convention in the context of Swiss mountain region policy is examined in more detail, as is the effectiveness of the political representatives of the mountain cantons. The article thus enables a better understanding of the co-operation between the Confederation and the cantons at the interface of regional, environmental and foreign policy.

Romed Aschwanden, (*1988), Dr. phil., Historiker, forscht zu Umweltschutz in den Alpen im Kontext der Europäischen Integration. Er ist Geschäftsführer der WWF Sektion Zug.