Switzerland turned its back on centuries of "splendid isolation" this week and voted to join the United Nations. The decision acknowledges the evolution within the international community since the end of the Cold War and within Switzerland itself. With its historic vote, the country can now play a more active role in global politics with a voice that matches its international contributions.
Switzerland has practiced neutrality since the 13th century. The major European powers recognized the value of a permanently neutral country at the heart of the continent -- it forestalled diplomatic competition -- and formalized that status at the Congress of Vienna. In the 1815 Treaty of Paris, European powers guaranteed the "perpetual neutrality" of Switzerland. The Swiss made neutrality part of their constitution a couple of decades later.
Switzerland clung tightly to its neutrality. Even during World War II, the country adhered scrupulously to a policy that favored no side. In retrospect, world opinion has concluded that the country was closer to Germany than was appropriate, but for many Swiss the matter is far from settled. Nonetheless, the international community has been well served by Switzerland's neutrality: The country has been an oasis of calm in an often turbulent continent, a haven for individuals and assets.