Relationship dossier
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Switzerland
Relationship assessment
Swiss treaty rights apply to Svalbard; Svalbard and Jan Mayen have no independent foreign policy.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen toward Switzerland
Not assessedSwitzerland toward Svalbard and Jan Mayen
+15Switzerland is a party to the Svalbard Treaty, accepting its framework for Norwegian sovereignty and equal rights for treaty parties in specified economic activities in Svalbard. The treaty does not establish the same relationship with Jan Mayen.
Overall relationship
Not assessedHow to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Svalbard and Jan Mayen are Norwegian territories and do not conduct an independent foreign policy toward Switzerland. Switzerland is a party to the Svalbard Treaty, which recognizes Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard and provides treaty parties equal rights in specified economic activities there. That treaty relationship concerns Svalbard, not Jan Mayen.
Key developments
Switzerland became a party to the Svalbard Treaty, which recognizes Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard and sets out rights for treaty parties.
Major uncertainties
- The practical scope of Switzerland's treaty-related activity in Svalbard is unclear.
- The governance of Svalbard and Jan Mayen differs; bilateral arrangements concerning Jan Mayen are unclear.