Strengthening international arms control is a central pillar of Swiss security policy. Switzerland actively advocates disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It also puts a strong emphasis on measures against the uncontrolled proliferation of small arms and light weapons and on the prohibition of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.

Switzerland's war material export policy tends to be restrictive. The export of war material requires the approval of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (seco). The export of dual use goods, i.e. material that can be used for military as well as civilian purposes, also requires approval.

Since 1996 Switzerland has been a member of the Geneva Disarmament Conference. It has ratified all major disarmament accords. In international bodies it advocates a strengthening of the arms control and disarmament processes. Since joining the UN in 2002, Switzerland has also been able to use this multilateral platform. It cooperates actively in confidence and security building measures by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).