The UN Security Council today adopted a resolution recommending that Switzerland's application to join the United Nations be approved.
The resolution, adopted without a vote, recommended that the General Assembly, which has the final call on new admissions to the world body, admit Switzerland.
The country should be officially welcomed as the 190th UN member during the September 10th opening ceremony of the General Assembly, a UN spokesman said.
Mr Jeremy Greenstock, Britain's UN ambassador and current head of the Security Council, congratulated Switzerland on what he described as "this historic occasion."
"We look forward to the day in the near future when the Swiss confederation will join as a member of the UN and to working with its representatives," he said.
Staunchly neutral Switzerland did not join the United Nations when it was created in 1945 and has remained on the sidelines of the organisation as a UN observer nation since 1948.
Swiss President Mr Kaspar Villeger submitted his country's formal application earlier this month, after an historic referendum on March 3rd in which 54.6 per cent of voters backed their country's bid for full UN membership.
Switzerland is now set to become the only country in the world body whose membership was directly backed by a majority of its people.
AFP