Permanent Representative

Ambassador Christian Strohal serves as Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations Office at Geneva since July 2008.

His current functions include Vice-President of the UN Human Rights Council and President of the main Governing Bodies of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Prior to his appointment to Geneva, from 2003 to 2008, Mr. Strohal was the Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). From 2000 until 2003, Mr. Strohal was the Austrian Ambassador to Luxembourg. Earlier in his career, from 1988 to 1992, Mr. Strohal served as the Deputy Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Mr. Strohal has a strong background in human rights. From 1994 to 2000, Mr. Strohal was the Director for Human Rights at the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and the Austrian representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. From 1992 to 1993, Mr. Strohal was the Ambassador and Special Representative for the World Conference on Human Rights.

Mr. Strohal studied law, economics and international relations in Vienna, London and Geneva, and received his doctorate degree in law in Vienna in 1975. He joined the Austrian Foreign Service in 1976.