Suchergebnisse

The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which was signed in 1990, is seen as one of the main pillars of European security. Until 1995, about 58,000 battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, pieces of artillery, combat aircraft, & attack helicopters were eliminated under the CFE regime. To control the implementation of the treaty, a unique information & verification system was established. Two developments forced an adaptation of the treaty: The old treaty construction, which was based on two "groups of States Parties," had become obsolete with the dissolution of the Warsaw Treaty & the enlargement of NATO. Additionally, intrastate conflicts especially in the Caucasus gave the "flank region" a new importance. After three years of negotiations, the 30 States Parties signed the adapted treaty at the Istanbul OSCE Summit in Dec 1999. The new treaty abandons the group principle & replaces it by a system of national & territorial ceilings. Adapted from the source document.

Contrary to common opinion, Switzerland is not a state of nationalities. It is the 23 cantons that represent the key to understanding the three-languages nation. These historically developed cantons are more than mere administrative units: they are political subjects each with a constitution of its own as well as distinctive features. Just as the cantons do not correspond to the ethnolinguistic regions, these regions are not identical with religious cleavages. This is why there are numerous overlapping identities. Following the American example, the Revolution of 1848 & the federal constitution brought about the reconciliation of the sovereignty of the single states with modern egalitarian democracy. The fact that Switzerland can be called a case of successful political integration is due to three factors: the political-integrative effects of direct democracy, the ideologization of a "nation of intent" since the late 19th century, & fortunate historic coincidences. Adapted from the source document.