Key legal question
Effectiveness of UN human-rights reports and Switzerland's possible role as a UN member
Extracted holding
The Federal Council stated that such reports are important because they identify concrete violations, stimulate international discussion, raise public awareness, maintain vigilance, and create pressure on violators.
Extracted reasoning
Although Switzerland was not then a UN member and could not take part in UN decisions, it had condemned the Soviet intervention, intervened with Soviet authorities on humanitarian-law violations, and welcomed closer UN scrutiny of human-rights abuses in Afghanistan.