Earlier this week, the Swiss Federal Council approved Switzerland's accession to the Protocol to the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal.
The protocol stipulates that there should be open and secure transit through the Panama Canal for all nations at all times.
The neutrality of the Panama Canal is outlined in the 1977 Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal, between Panama and the United States.
It means that the Panama Canal must be secure and open for the peaceful transit of vessels of all nations in times of both peace and war. This is intended to prevent it from becoming the target of armed conflict between nations.
"The neutrality of the Panama Canal is therefore a different kind of neutrality from that of nation states," the Federal Council said. "Countries that sign the protocol... undertake to observe and respect the permanent neutrality of the Panama Canal. They also ensure that vessels of their registry comply with the rules of the treaty."
The council said the accession does not give rise to any new rights or obligations for Switzerland.