Latest Headlines about International Organizations and UN Bodies

Read the latest headlines about developments at international organizations and the United Nations family in Vienna and Austria

EU Commissioner Hahn Says Only a United Europe Can Succeed in a Globalized World

On the occasion of Europe Day on May 9th, the European Commission recently organized a ceremony under the motto "Europe - Together for Democracy, Peace and Sovereignty" at the Austrian Parliament. EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of Europe's global political capacity for its future success.

May 5, 2023

OSCE Experts Present Findings on Child Abductions in Ukraine to Permanent Council

A recent report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) demonstrates that practices that violate international humanitarian law have been used in the abduction of Ukrainian children to areas controlled by Russia, or even as far away as Russia itself. OSCE experts were tasked to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding possible violations of OSCE commitments and possible cases of war crimes.

May 4, 2023

OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration: Promoting Peaceful Dispute Resolution

The OSCE Court of Arbitration is an important institution within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and recently the President and Vice-President of the OSCE Court met with the leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to further strengthen it. But what is the OSCE Court of Arbitration and why is it important?

May 3, 2023

New Deputy Director at the Austrian Centre for Peace

Eva Huber has recently been appointed as the new deputy director of the Austrian Centre for Peace (ACP), succeeding Lukas Wank, who has left the institute to pursue new endeavors. The appointment of Huber to the ACP is a noteworthy development in the organization's ongoing efforts to promote peace, justice, and human rights worldwide.

May 3, 2023

Space Diplomacy: International Space Partnership Funding by the UK Space Agency

In support of international partnerships, the UK Space Agency is launching a £20 million fund to leverage the UK's strengths, support new capabilities, and catalyze investment.

April 26, 2023

Austria Foreign Minister Schallenberg Travelled to Luxembourg for EU Meeting

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg traveled to Luxembourg for the Foreign Affairs Council. The meeting of EU foreign ministers focused on the fierce fighting in Sudan, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and its global impact, and the situation in Iran.

April 25, 2023

Tax Burden in Austria Still High According to OECD

According to a study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), taxes and duties for Austrian employees continue to be high in international comparison.

April 25, 2023

Austrian Armed Forces in Global NATO Cyber Drill "Locked Shields 23"

This year, an Austrian team is once again taking part in NATO's largest military cyber defense exercise. The specialists will practice protecting information and communication technology systems and critical infrastructures against cyber attacks.

April 24, 2023

Austria May Step In to Chair the OSCE According to the Media

Russia has been opposing Estonia's leadership of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2024 for months. Citing diplomatic circles, it was reported that the Austrian Foreign Ministry (BMEIA) was considering stepping in for the rotating chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Vienna.

April 24, 2023

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Pejčinović Burić visiting Vienna

Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić met the Austrian President and key ministers and personalities during an official visit to Austria. Among others, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg received the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić for a working meeting in Vienna.

April 23, 2023

Austrian Leadership Programs Begins With the Subject of “Life Science”

The Austrian Leadership Programs (ALPs) will run its 15th edition this year from April 17 to 21. Young leaders from around the world will gather in Vienna to discuss and represent the topic of “Life Science”

April 18, 2023

European Anti-Semitism Conference in Vienna

Anti-Semitism is still widespread in Europe and must be curbed. The European conference on anti-Semitism is taking place in Vienna for the second time.

April 17, 2023

Austrian World Heritage Day Presents UNESCO World Heritage

The joint action day of the Austrian World Heritage Sites takes place on and around April 18 and invites you to rediscover the 12 United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites.

April 17, 2023

Minister Schallenberg Discussed Earthquake Aid and the Russian Aggression with Turkish Foreign Minister

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg welcomed Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Vienna. Together they discussed – among other topics - the Russian aggression on Ukraine, and aid for the earthquake victims in Türkiye.

April 16, 2023

New Chinese Ambassador Held Welcome Reception at Vienna International Center

The new permanent representative of the People's Republic of China to the international organizations in Vienna, Li Song, held a Welcome Reception at the Vienna International Center.

April 13, 2023

Schallenberg Doubles Down on Edtstadlers Statement about Putin

Austrian Europe and Constitution Minister Karoline Edtstadler said yesterday that if Russian President Vladimir Putin comes to Austria, he will be arrested. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg confirmed those statements today.

April 12, 2023

Putin Would Be Arrested If He Came to Austria, Says Minister Edtstadler

Austrian Europe and Constitution Minister Karoline Edtstadler said in an interview that if Putin would come to Austria, the country would fulfill its international obligation by arresting the Russian President.

April 11, 2023

Viennese NGO Accuses ICMPD of Building Austrian Guantanamo

Plans for the Lipa refugee camp in Bosnia-Herzegovina have recently caused a stir. A deportation center with a prison is to be built at the facility, which is to be built in 2020, according to reports. At the same time, the NGO SOS Balkan Route raised the accusation that Austria was co-financing the construction of the prison; media reports named the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), headed by former Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger, as a partner in the project.

April 11, 2023

Russia Must Be Held Accountable for Its War Crimes, Says Schallenberg

Exactly one year after the liberation of Bucha, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has spoken in a video statement at the Bucha Summit in Kyiv, condemning the massacres committed by the Russian Army.

April 3, 2023

OPEC+ Surprisingly Cuts Oil Production

The OPEC+ alliance has announced a surprise cut in oil production. There will probably be a reduction of about one million barrels per day from May onward.

April 3, 2023

IAEA Head Grossi is Concerned about the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has once again expressed concerns about the fighting around the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Zaporizhzhya. Head of IAEA Rafel Grossi holds on to the implementation of a security concept.

March 30, 2023

OSCE Will Investigate Allegations Against Russia on Child Abductions

The abduction of Ukrainian children in the wake of Russia's war of aggression is to be investigated within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

March 30, 2023

Patents Issued by Austria Reached Record Levels

In 2022, Austrian companies have filed more inventions with the European Patent Office than ever before. Semiconductors increased strongly.

March 29, 2023

Austria Wants to Bring New EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority to Vienna

Austria is bidding for the seat of the new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) and wants to bring it to Vienna, Finance Minister Magnus Brunner said. However, it is still unclear whether this is feasible in the current climate of Austrian politics.

March 23, 2023

Minister Schallenberg Reassured Support for Ukraine at EU Ministers Meeting

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg participated in a meeting of foreign Ministers of all European Union states. He reassured support for Ukraine and the Western Balkans was a subject of this meeting.

March 20, 2023

Austria's Cooperation with EU Drugs Agency Exemplary

The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) is the leading European institution in the field of drugs. EMCDDA Executive Director Alexis Goosdeel is meeting with the Austrian ministries responsible for drug policy issues, in particular with Health Minister Johannes Rauch and Justice Minister Alma Zadić, as part of a three-day working visit to exchange views.

March 20, 2023

Justice Minister Zadic Welcomes the International Arrest Warrant against Putin

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an International arrest warrant against Russian president Vladimir Putin that Austrian Minister of Justice Alma Zadic has welcomed it.

March 19, 2023

UNODC Warns of Rise in Cocaine Smuggling

After a slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, global cocaine production has exploded in the past two years, according to a new report from the Vienna-based United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

March 19, 2023

OPEC Fund Approves New Financing to Fulfill its Climate Action Plan

The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) approved more than $300 million in new funding in the first quarter of 2023, reflecting the institution's commitment to fulfilling its Climate Action Plan. Three of the four projects approved by the OPEC Fund's Governing Board directly support climate finance.

March 15, 2023

IAEA Informs Tons of Uranium Disappeared in Libya

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), tons of uranium have disappeared in Libya. The natural uranium is no longer in the facility where it was stored, according to an IAEA letter to the organization's member states.

March 15, 2023

Minister Schallenberg Welcomed Bolivias Vice President David Choquehuanca

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has met with Bolivian Vice President David Choquehuanca. Together they talked about the good relations between the two countries and the consequences of the Russian aggression on Ukraine.

March 14, 2023

Foreign Minister Schallenberg and His Italian Counterpart Traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina where they talked to several representatives of the country about the EU support for the country's reform and its general path towards the EU.

March 13, 2023

Austrian Justice Minister Zadic Wants to Strengthen the International Criminal Court

EU justice ministers have met again in Brussels to discuss the legal consequences of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. Austria's Justice Minister Alma Zadic wants to strengthen the International Court of Justice in the fight against war crimes in the Ukraine war.

March 12, 2023

Secretary-General Tieffenthal Participated in the European Ministers Council

A Council Meeting between all Development Ministers of the European Nations took place in Stockholm. Secretary-General Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal represented Austria in the meeting, where they discussed global healthcare and the rebuilding of Ukraine.

March 9, 2023

Challenges of the OSCE in Montenegro's Presidential Election

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) opened an election observation mission for the March 19 presidential elections in Montenegro. The OSCE mission taking place in the former Yugoslav republic of Montenegro faces a country that had problems with the legality of elections and the circumstances in which they are conducted, now in the shadow of the Ukraine war and after a turbulent past few months of political conflict between the ruling parties in the country.

March 9, 2023

Space Diplomacy: Petition to UN COPUOS by ESO and Astronomy Groups

In a paper submitted to the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), an international collaboration involving the European Southern Observatory (ESO) proposes a new Expert Group to protect dark and quiet skies.

March 8, 2023

Foreign Minister Schallenberg Wants to Promote More Women in Foreign Politics

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg amidst International Woman’s Day said that he wants the equality of women and the protection of their rights to be a living priority in international politics.

March 7, 2023

Edtstadler Wants to Help Implement Project for a Safer Internet with the IGF

Austrian Europe Minister Karoline Edtstadler and State Secretary Florian Tursky Discussed in a panel in Vienna the promotion of the “Global Digital Impact” by the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

March 7, 2023

A Historic Agreement Was Reached After Years of Talks to Protect the World's Oceans

After more than a decade of talks, the UN member states have agreed on a treaty to protect the oceans beyond state jurisdiction better. Climate organizations praised the treaty.

March 5, 2023

SOS Children’s Villages under Pressure for the Abduction of Ukrainian Children

Already last week, the internationally active aid organization SOS Children's Villages, founded in Austria, was confronted with accusations of being involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children to Russia.

March 2, 2023

IAEA Confirms Traces of Highly Enriched Uranium in Iran

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found particles of very highly enriched uranium in Iran. As the Director-General of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, officially confirmed for the first time, the uranium had a purity level of 83.7 percent. The value is not far from 90 percent, which would be necessary for nuclear weapons.

March 2, 2023

Austria Should Do More to Fight and Prevent Corruption

An evaluation report published by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has found that the Austrian state is doing too little to fight corruption in some areas and needs to improve its strategy on it.

March 1, 2023

Zaporizhzhya Power Plant Under Attack Says IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported attacks at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. Several Detonations were heard near the power plant, which is worrying the Agency.

March 1, 2023

Diplomats in Vienna Express Solidarity with Ukraine

The various and numerous embassies as well as foreign missions in Vienna expressed their solidarity with war-torn Ukraine on the anniversary of the Russian invasion. Especially the embassies that condemn Russia for the war, demand that Russia finally withdraws its troops from Ukraine.

February 27, 2023

Schallenberg Condemns Russia and Shows Support for Ukraine in OSCE Speech

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg held a speech at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) sharply condemning Russia and reassuring the ongoing support for Ukraine.

February 26, 2023

More than 40 Incidents at Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plants since the Beginning of the War

Since the war in Ukraine began a year ago, the country's nuclear power plants have been affected by more than 40 incidents. Nuclear security in Ukraine is still at a worrying risk. This is according to a report published by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.

February 24, 2023

Secretary General of the Austrian Foreign Ministry Shows Solidarity With Ukraine at UN General Assembly

Secretary General of the Austrian Foreign Ministry Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal held a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York promoting peace and condemning the violation of human rights.

February 23, 2023

Young Austrians Invited to Attend Paris Internet Conference as WSA Experts by UNESCO

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is holding a consultation on Internet content on February 22-23. Young social media activists from Austria are invited as World Summit Award (WSA) experts.

February 21, 2023

Essl Foundation and UN in Vienna Mark 10 Years of Partnership

In 2013, the UN Office at Vienna (UNOV), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Essl Foundation formed a partnership to achieve the UN's commitment to building a better world for people with disabilities. A partnership of 10 years between the United Nations in Vienna and the Essl Foundation has resulted in significant achievements for disability inclusion.

February 21, 2023

Minister Edtstadler Defends Visa Exemptions for Russians

Austrian Europe Minister Karoline Edtstadler has defended Austria’s decision to grant visas to the Russian Delegation amidst the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly.

February 21, 2023