Austria and the United Nations

Austria has always attached great importance to the United Nations’ activities and regards her UN policy as an integral part of foreign policy. Since her last EU Presidency in 1998, Austria has been endeavouring to make UN policy an important component of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union.

On 14 December 1955, about six months after regaining her independence with the signing of the State Treaty, Austria became the 70th state to join the United Nations. Since then she has participated actively in the global organisation’s work and has gained an outstanding reputation in this regard. The fact that Austria has been twice elected a member of the Security Council (1973/74 and 1991/92) can be seen as a recognition of her commitment. Austria’s continuous commitment to the UN is also expressed by the fact that she is applying for non-permanent membership of the Security Council for a third time for the period 2009/2010. Between 1971 and 1981, the Austrian Kurt Waldheim was Secretary-General of the United Nations, one of the seven persons to have held this office to date. Austria also demonstrates her close links with the United Nations by contributing to the organisation in various ways.

Thus Austria is one of the largest providers of troops for peacekeeping operations. All in all, more than 54,000 Austrians to date have served under the UN flag all over the world as soldiers, military observers, civilian police officers and civilian experts. In each of the years 2004 and 2005 Austria contributed 0.859 per cent to the United Nations budget, i.e. more than 20 million euros for these two years. Moreover, Austria has acted repeatedly act as a mediator and has contributed substantially to the further development international law ("Vienna Conventions"). The Vienna headquarters has also become an important centre for addressing topical issues such as nuclear safety or the fight against organised crime.

Austria attaches priority to the ongoing process of comprehensive reform of the global organisation and the implementation of the recommendations adopted at UN conferences and in the Millennium Declaration. Apart from peacekeeping and conflict prevention, Austria’s co-operation within the United Nations focuses primarily on human rights, human security, combating drugs and crime, disarmament, the environment and the further development of international law.

Vienna is the third headquarters of the United Nations Secretariat, alongside New York and Geneva. The Vienna International Centre, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in October 1999, is the seat of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) of the Organization for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and other units belonging to the UN system, such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Vienna has also established itself as a major international conference centre, hosting a large number of conferences and meetings under the auspices of the United Nations every year.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Austria’s accession to the United Nations a ceremony was held in the Vienna Hofburg on 14 December 2005 that brought together leading members of the Austrian government and senior representatives of the Vienna-based UN organisations. Federal President Heinz Fischer, Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, Federal Minister Ursula Plassnik, the Mayor of Vienna Michael Häupl, the Director General of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and 2005 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, and the Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna (UNOV) Antonio Maria Costa all spoke at this event. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan sent a video message of greeting.

A ceremonial act attended by State Secretary Hans Winkler also took place on 14 December 2005 at the UN headquarters in New York to mark the 50th anniversary of Austria’s UN membership. Austria was represented musically at this commemorative event by the Vienna Boys’ Choir.

The comprehensive process of reform of the United Nations initiated by Secretary-General Kofi Annan culminated in September 2005 in the UN World Summit - a three-day meeting held in New York attended by heads of state and government of some 160 countries.
A final declaration was elaborated and adopted on the basis of the reform report "In Larger Freedom -Towards Development, Security and Human Rights" submitted by Kofi Annan in March. This 2005 World Summit Outcome, delineates very specific reforms in the four areas of development, peace and security, human rights and management.

The goal and task to be accomplished by member sates now consists in implementing the reforms adopted by the international community and preparing the United Nations for the global challenges of the 21st century.

Within this reform process Austria attaches particular importance to the establishment of a Peacebuilding Commission with allowance for the special role played by women in the peacebuilding process, to the setting up of a Human Rights Council, and to the rule of law.