GENEVA The prospect of hosting two major international conferences at the same time – the World Economic Forum in Davos and Syria II in Montreux – threatens to overload Switzerland’s security capacity. Another issue is who pays for all this? Last July’s G8 meeting in Northern Ireland cost the British and Belfast governments £80 million (CHF 112.7 million). When the G8 was held in Evian in 2003, it was Switzerland that bore the brunt of the security costs given that US president George W. Bush stayed with friends outside Lausanne provoking local protests.
The annual meeting of the WEF, which has been held toward the end of January for over 40 years, attracts 2,500 politicians and business executives from all over the world, thus posing an enormous security risk. Nevertheless, the Swiss have fine-tuned their operations in a manner that is now highly efficient, ranging from fighter aircraft overflights and helicopter monitoring to military commandoes, dog teams and cantonal police coupled with private security firms. Yet when high profile leaders bring their own entourages of security support teams, the Swiss have to contend with added coordination challenges.
Syria II, which is due to start on 22 January, is not only being convened at the complete opposite end of Switzerland, but will move to Geneva two days later. This means preparing security details for the luxury Montreux Palace before transferring to the United Nations. The talks are still very much up in the air given that Iran has not been invited. The United States, one of the two conveners alongside Russia, does not wish to sit down with the Iranians. Deciding who represents the Syrian opposition is another issue. The head of the National Coalition, Ahmad Jarba, has even demanded that the talks be postponed. Regardless of whether the talks take place or not, they have to be figured into Switzerland’s overall security plan since Montreux will bring in high-level officials, such as US Secretary of State John Kerry.
The main concerns are terrorism and civil disruption. Anti-WEF protests are a regular Davos phenomenon. While police check trains and cars, some opponents have sought to ski in from the other side. The Swiss authorities are imposing a 46-kilometre security cordon around the Graubünden resort, and civil aircraft are being asked to stick to designated corridors. The Swiss Air Force, which commands 32 F/A-18 Hornet combat jets and some 40 F-5 Tiger tactical fighters, fears that the grounding of even one plane could throw its preparations into disarray. “With both Montreux and Davos, we will be at the limit of our capabilities,†a defence ministry source told the Tribune de Genève.
Security measures at Davos are normally paid for by the WEF, Bern and various cantons. With costs estimated at hundreds of millions of Swiss francs, some countries also contribute for their own leaders. Security expenditure for meetings such as Syria II is largely borne by the Swiss, but such gatherings are being lambasted by some who do not feel that local taxpayers should bear the burden. Others argue that this is Switzerland’s responsibility as a neutral arbiter and enhances its role in the international arena.
Edward Girardet and Christopher Woodburn
