Compendium of Standards, Good Practices and Recommendations Box 8.3: Procedures for implementing conscientious objection in Switzerland300 The Swiss Army is organized according to the principles of a reservist system, based on general conscription. Professional armed forces personnel are called career officers and NCOs, and are recruited to and discharged from the armed forces based on civil law contracts. Career officers and NCOs are tasked with training and command responsibilities. Any member of the reserve, including career officers and NCOs, has the right to conscientious objection, which is recognized by law. Specific motivations for conscientious objection are not required, nor are they the object of any examination by the authorities. The applicants declare that they are motivated to make a conscientious objection to military service and that they accept a longer duration of alternative civilian service. A written application must be submitted to the competent civilian authority, the Executive Office of the Civilian Service (Vollzugsstelle für den Zivildienst), a specialized administrative unit within the Swiss federal administration, attached to the Ministry of Economy, Education and Research. After submitting the application, the applicant must attend a one-day information session organized by the civilian authority, followed by a written confirmation that the application is upheld. The applicant is then admitted to alternative civilian service and discharged from the armed forces. The duration of alternative civilian service is one-and-a-half times longer than military service. It is served at authorized non-profit organizations that carry out activities in eight areas of public interest, with most alternative service conducted in healthcare, social services and environmental protection. Reasons for conscientious objection Some religious groups (for example, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Quakers) have religious objections to military service. However, conscientious objections are not limited to religious grounds. In Resolution 1998/77, the UN Human Rights Commission stated that “conscientious objection to military service derives from principles and reasons of conscience, including profound convictions, arising from religious, moral, ethical, humanitarian or similar motives”. The Commission also calls upon states “not to discriminate between conscientious objectors on the basis of the nature their particular beliefs”.301 In a 2001 report to the Commission on Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief stated that: 300 Switzerland’s response to the ODIHR-DCAF 2018 questionnaire. 301 UN Commission on Human Rights, “Conscientious Objection to Military Service”, 22 April 1998, E/CN.4/ RES/1998/77. 135