HBC NNSC 2023 10 18 (2841 Kb)

On October 18, the Hans Blix Center organized a workshop in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy in Stockholm. The result were engaging discussions and fruitful insights about the history and role of cooperation in peacekeeping purposes, contemporary challenges and thoughts about the future of cooperation within the NNSC, which is particularly relevant due to Sweden's entry process into NATO. A wide range of participants, including researchers, diplomats, students and various officials, took part in the full-day program. After introductory words by Hans Blix, the Swiss ambassador François Voeffray-Peyro and HBC director Aryo Makko, Professor Sacha Zala from Berne presented his outstanding digitization project at DODIS - the archive of Switzerland's diplomatic documents, which is of great importance for historical research. The future is not only about the NNSC itself, but also about future research into the history of the NNSC. Another appreciated program item was the opportunity to get in direct contact with current representatives of the Swedish and Swiss defense forces at the NNSC (via video link). As mentioned above, the event offered a broad meeting place for interdisciplinary research and discussions on foreign policy – ​​for example, a discussion on the displacement of the concept of neutrality. We thank all participants, contributors and the Swiss Embassy for an appreciated full day about the past, present and future, as well as new perspectives on an often overlooked aspect of Swedish foreign policy and peacekeeping efforts in research..