OSCE Ministerial Council in Lugano: Armed Forces support and restriction on the use of airspace

Press releasePublished on 18 September 2026

OSCE Ministerial Council in Lugano: Armed Forces support and restriction on the use of airspace

Bern, 18.09.2026 - At its meeting on 18 September 2026, the Federal Council approved the deployment of the Armed Forces in a supporting role to assist the civilian authorities with security arrangements during the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council, which is to be held in Lugano on 3 and 4 December 2026. This deployment, which is subsidiary in nature, complements the security measures put in place by the civilian authorities.

Switzerland will bring its OSCE chairmanship to a close by hosting the annual meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council on 3 and 4 December 2026 in Lugano. To mark the occasion, the city will welcome high-level delegations from the 57 participating states and the partner states. These official delegations will be accompanied by numerous representatives from the media, international organisations and civil society.

Up to 2,000 military personnel on support duty

The cantonal government of Ticino has requested support from the Confederation to guarantee security during the Ministerial Council meeting. As part of the planned security measures, the Federal Council has approved the contingent deployment of up to 2,000 military personnel in a supporting role.

The Armed Forces will support the Ticino Cantonal Police, in particular by carrying out tasks relating to the protection of sites, aerial surveillance and reconnaissance, transport and logistics. These measures will complement the security measures taken by the cantonal authorities. The Armed Forces will be deployed on the ground and in the air and will act in coordination with the Ticino Cantonal Police.

Airspace restrictions between 30 November and 4 December 2026

The Federal Council also approved the introduction of a temporary restriction on the use of airspace in the Lugano region. This measure is necessary to ensure the security of the meeting. Switzerland has an obligation to ensure the security of guests who are entitled to special protection under international law. Milan Malpensa Airport is expected to be the main point of arrival for the delegations.

The airspace restriction will be in force from 7.00am local time on Thursday 30 November 2026 until 11.59pm local time on Thursday 4 December 2026, and will be limited to an area centred on Lugano, with a radius of 46 kilometres. The Swiss Air Force, in collaboration with the Ticino Cantonal Police and the Italian Air Force, will provide air policing and enhanced airspace surveillance. The restriction will apply to visual flight rules traffic, non-commercial instrument flight rules traffic and unmanned aircraft.