Swiss delegation to the OSCE

The Swiss Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is part of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland in Vienna. The delegation represents Switzerland's interests and positions in the OSCE.

The 57 OSCE participating States meet regularly for political dialogue in meetings at the Hofburg in Vienna. — © Micky Kroell

Switzerland has been represented by a delegation at the OSCE in Vienna since 1993. The delegation promotes Switzerland's interests and positions in accordance with the objectives and priorities defined in the Federal Constitution and relevant strategic documents.

Tasks of the delegation

The delegation is headed by an ambassador who attends the weekly meetings of the Permanent Council, the OSCE's main political decision-making body, on behalf of Switzerland.

The delegation represents Switzerland at the weekly meetings of the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), in which the participating States take decisions on politico-military aspects of security in the OSCE area, in particular on confidence- and security-building measures.

Furthermore, the delegation supports the preparation of the annual Ministerial Council, the central decision-making body of the OSCE, which brings together the foreign ministers of the participating States.

The three dimensions of the OSCE

The members of the delegation express their views on all important issues of the three dimensions of the OSCE:

• the politico-military dimension;
• the economic and environmental dimension;
• the human dimension.

Special mandates

Switzerland seconds high-ranking diplomatic personnel to the OSCE and takes on special mandates when needed.

From July 2017 to July 2020, Swiss diplomat Thomas Greminger was Secretary General of the organisation. Another Swiss diplomat, Ambassador Heidi Grau, was Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group from 2020 to 2021.

Team OSZE

Raphael Nägeli
Ambassador, Head of Mission

Nicolas Plattner
Minister, Deputy Head of Mission OSCE

Flavio Milan
Minister, Deputy Head of Mission OSCE

Hanna Bodenmann
Counsellor

Leila Rais
Counsellor, Head of Politico-Military Dimension

Colonel (GS) Christian Steiner
Military Advisor DDPS

Ariel Wyler
Colonel, Military Advisor DDPS

Luc Despotovic
Political Advisor, Political-Military Dimension

Tim Kränzlein
Counsellor, Head of Economy and Environment

Robin Fröhlich
Political Advisor

Simone Guerrini
Special Advisor

Anne-Cathérine Stolz
Political Advisor