The hour of birth of Swiss military peace support was in 1953 when the Federal Council sent 146 military personnel armed for-self defence to Korea to participate in the two commissions NNRC (Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission) and NNSC (Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission). The NNRC interrupted its work again by the end of February 1954 as it had accomplished its mission of conducting and completing the exchange of prisoners. The NNSC still exists today, however with a different mandate, and is supported by the Swiss Armed Forces with five officers in Panmunjom.

Unarmed Swiss military observers have been deployed since 1990. There are currently Swiss officers as military observers (also known under the term ‘UN Military Expert on Mission’) as well as staff officers involved in peace support operations in the following countries: in the Middle East (UNTSO), in South Sudan (UNMISS), in Mali (MINUSMA), in Kashmir (UNMOGIP) and in Western-Sahara (MINURSO). As extended arm of the UN Security Council on location they make an important contribution to peace in these areas of conflict.

Furthermore, the Swiss Armed Forces have been participating in the KOSOVO peace mission KFOR since 1999 on the basis of UN Resolution 1244 and the decision of the Federal Council of 23 June 1999. The mandate was limited by parliament to terminate by the end of 2023. Currently, SWISSCOY is composed of up to 195 volunteers who are armed for self-protection and includes the following elements: six LMT (liaison and monitoring teams), engineer platoon, transport platoon, national support element (national logistic tasks and bi-national services), medical team, military police (multi- and national) as well as one EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) team. In addition, KFOR has at its disposal an air transport detachment with two operational helicopters of the type Super  Puma/Cougar.

Since the end of November 2004, Switzerland has been participating in the EUFOR ALTHEA mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina. 16 officers and non-commissioned officers currently form two what are known as liaison and observation teams (LOT) in Mostar and Trebinje. In addition four staff officers are working at the LOT Coordination Center (LCC) and at EUFOR headquarters in camp Butmir in Sarajevo. In June 2011, Switzerland expanded its support of EUFOR to include a Mobile Training Team (MTT). Within this multinational team of experts, six specialists for small weapons, ammunition and languages are instructing the armed forces of Bosnia-Herzegovina in ammunition and weapons storage management. In every case, they are on location for temporally limited, specific training sequences.

With regard to humanitarian demining Swiss nationals are working in various functions in Southern Sudan, DR Congo, Mali and Sudan. As logistical consultants for instance, as IMSMA specialist, security officer or operations officer. 

For UNOPS (UN Office for Project Services) four Swiss are based at UN
headquarters in New York and one Swiss at the UN office in Geneva. Other Swiss work for the benefit of UNMAS (UN Mine Action Service, 1) and OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 1) also in New York. In addition, two members of the Swiss Armed Forces have been stationed in Vienna in support of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Other officers are working in the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Ghana (3), in the Ecole de Maintien de la Paix Alioune Blondin Bèye (EMP-ABB) in Mali (1) and in the International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC) in Kenya (2).