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This UPR tool reflects the global recommendations made to Austria by all countries world-wide during the Universial Priodic Review process (UPR) at the UN Human Rights Council and their current status of implementation. The League coordinates a significant part of Austrian civil society in the UPR process. 

The recommendations can be filtered in the menu below by human rights topics, SDGs, proponent states etc. also a search function is available. 

 

We welcome your comments and suggestions at upr@liga.or.at.

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Progress: No progress

Take all appropriate measures to promote tolerance, intercultural dialogue and respect for diversity in the society

Proponent:

Turkmenistan


Republic of Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan


Republic of Turkmenistan

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

An open letter from Asylum Coordination Austria calls on the federal government to expand the range of services in the areas of youth and social work as well as political education and participation. Barrier-free and equal opportunities should be created, especially for people affected by racism, in order to involve them more strongly in democratic processes. This is particularly important for young people. (see: https://archiv2022.asyl.at/de/info/news/offenerbriefandiebundesregierung/index.html). The letter emphasises the need to promote cultural integration through such measures in order to improve participation and coexistence in society. Despite the introduction of the World Programme for Human Rights Education by the United Nations in December 2004, human rights education measures are being implemented in Austria, but there is still a need for increased commitment in this area in order to promote social cohesion and counteract discrimination. 

Progress: In progress

Strengthen efforts to combat anti-Semitism and promote religious tolerance by continuing its work in education and policing

Proponent:

USA


United States of America

USA


United States of America

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):

A large number of measures have been taken since 2021 to combat all forms of antisemitism. A central coordination centre for the topic of anti-Semitism has been established at the Federal Chancellery and a national strategy against anti-Semitism has been published (National Strategy of the Republic of Austria to Prevent and
Combating all forms of antisemitism, 2021: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/dam/jcr:8bd2975f-0483-4e74-abd9-d66446195d7c/antisemitismusstrategie.pdf ). Even though the position has now been downgraded to a department in the Policy Section, it still exists in principle. Two implementation reports are available (for 2021 and 2022). For the education sector, a strategy paper on the „Prevention of antisemitism through education“ was drawn up in 2022, which contains recommendations for the implementation of the National Strategy against Antisemitism for the Austrian education administration and teacher training institutions (Strategy paper, 2022: https://www.erinnern.at/themen/artikel/massnahmenpaket-praevention-von-antisemitismus-durch-bildung). These recommendations were discussed in September 2022 at the symposium on „Preventing antisemitism through education“. A working group was established to document antisemitic incidents with the aim of learning from the experiences of other organisations that already document racist, antisemitic, etc. incidents. The aim is to learn from the experiences of other organisations that already document racist, anti-Semitic, etc. incidents in order to set up an anti-Semitism documentation centre that meets current requirements.   Parliament also commissioned a study on anti-Semitism in Austria, which was presented in April 2023 (Study, 2023: https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/fachinfos/publikationen/Langbericht-Antisemitismus-2022-Oesterreichweite-Ergebnisse.pdf ). A large number of measures have been taken since 2021 to combat all forms of antisemitism. A central coordination centre for the topic of anti-Semitism has been set up at the Federal Chancellery and a national strategy against anti-Semitism has been published (see https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/dam/jcr:8bd2975f-0483-4e74-abd9-d66446195d7c/antisemitismusstrategie.pdf). Even though the position has now been downgraded to a department in the Policy Section, it still exists in principle.   There are two implementation reports (for 2021 and 2022). For the education sector, a strategy paper on the „Prevention of antisemitism through education“ was developed in 2022, which contains recommendations for the implementation of the National Strategy against Antisemitism for the Austrian education administration and teacher training institutions (see: https://oead.at/fileadmin/Dokumente/oead.at/KIM/Downloadcenter/OeAD_E.AT_Strategiepapier_FIN_01.pdf). These recommendations were discussed at the symposium on „Preventing antisemitism through education“ in September 2022. In 2022, the National Forum against Antisemitism was also established to pool knowledge, combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life in Austria. The body is made up of representatives from the federal government, the provinces, municipalities, social partners, academia, religious communities, Jewish museums and civil society.   A working group on the documentation of anti-Semitic incidents has been established with the aim of learning from the experiences of other organisations that already document racist, anti-Semitic, etc. incidents. The aim is to learn from the experiences of other organisations already documenting racist, anti-Semitic, etc. incidents in order to set up an anti-Semitism documentation centre that meets current requirements.   Parliament also commissioned a study on anti-Semitism in Austria, which was presented in April 2023 (see https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/fachinfos/publikationen/Langbericht-Antisemitismus-2022-Oesterreichweite-Ergebnisse.pdf).   As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the federal government is pursuing this goal through close cooperation with all stakeholders (see Government Plan 2ß025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).There are currently no specific programmes or legal regulations in Austria that focus exclusively on the topic of religious tolerance. However, this does not mean that religious tolerance is not important in society. In general, it is strengthened by various general anti-discrimination measures and the promotion of diversity and inclusion. 

Progress: No progress

Take further measures to promote tolerance and respect for cultural diversity in order to eradicate existing prejudices and stereotypes against migrants and foreigners

Proponent:

Bahrain


Kingdom of Bahrain

Bahrain


Kingdom of Bahrain

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

An open letter to the federal government from Asylkoordination Österreich calls for the expansion of youth and social work programmes as well as political education and participation. Affected people in Austria, especially young people, should be given equal and barrier-free participation in democratic processes in order to support them, especially in times of racism (see: https://archiv2022.asyl.at/de/info/news/offenerbriefandiebundesregierung/index.html).    Although the World Programme for Human Rights Education was launched by the United Nations in December 2004, various measures to promote human rights education are being implemented in Austria. These include training courses for prospective judges and policewomen as well as the integration of human rights education into the curricula of Austrian schools. The training of prison guards, including topics such as human rights and anti-discrimination, is carried out in consultation with the staff representatives (see Federal Law Gazette II No. 129/2011, Overall legal regulation for basic training for employees in pay group v1 in the prison service: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=20007252).  Although progress in human rights education is recognisable, it should be noted that there is still a considerable need for action. The positive approaches such as training for prospective judges and police officers and the integration of human rights education into curricula should be further strengthened. The mention of the training of judicial guards is commendable, but additional efforts are needed to achieve comprehensive social sensitisation.   The Federal Government is called upon to take the demands formulated in the open letter seriously and to take effective measures. It is to be hoped that increased efforts will be made to create a fair and inclusive society in Austria that guarantees the equal participation of all those affected in democratic processes. 

Progress: In progress

Continue to promote measures in combating racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance

Proponent:

Barbados


Barbados

Barbados


Barbados

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):

Racism remains a serious social problem in Austria. The latest report by SOS Mitmensch and other studies show that racist discrimination and hate crimes are on the rise. Anti-Muslim racism in particular has increased in recent years, partly fuelled by political rhetoric and campaigns targeting Muslim communities. Anti-Muslim hate crimes are common and are often supported by certain political groups. In 2023, the Documentation Centre on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism recorded a total of 1522 racist attacks against Muslims and people perceived to be Muslim. Compared to the previous year, 263 more cases were reported to us offline, which represents an increase of over 100 per cent of active case reports. The report shows a striking increase in case reports from the education sector. See report: here).
Austria has various laws in place to combat racism, including the Prohibition Act and the Equal Treatment Act. However, these legal frameworks are not always applied consistently, leading to calls for stronger policy measures and more rigorous enforcement of existing laws. Education and awareness-raising measures are also crucial to raise awareness of racial discrimination in the population and bring about long-term change (see SOS-Mitmensch report: https://www.sosmitmensch.at/site/momagazin/alleausgaben/7/article/395.html&ts=1720702499859).
ZARA’s report for the year 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the extent and various forms of racism in Austria. A total of 1302 reports were documented and processed, almost 60% of which concerned online racism. This underlines the importance of digital platforms as a place for racist incidents, which can often be documented and reported using simple screenshots. The public sphere and the goods/services sector were particularly affected, with 58.2% and 15.9% of reports respectively. State authorities and institutions were involved in 11% of cases, while racist incidents in the police were only formally complained about in 4 out of 58 cases. In most of the other cases, those affected sought support from ZARA through counselling sessions and legal advice. A significant number (almost 78%) of reports came from witnesses, while 22% were submitted by those directly affected. The report also criticises the lack of implementation of a National Action Plan against Racism in Austria, although the need for structural change and combating institutional racism is obvious. There are still challenges in dealing with racism in Austria and the need for social support and structural changes to effectively address these issues (see Racism Report 2023, March 2024 edition: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf).  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the federal government is pursuing this goal through close cooperation with all stakeholders (see Government Plan 2ß025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).It should be noted that in Austria, both the development and implementation of measures to combat discrimination have been driven forward in close cooperation with various civil society organisations. However, it must be noted that the public discourse often focuses on so-called „immigrant anti-Semitism“ and thus accuses people with migration experience from Turkey and Arabic-speaking countries in particular of anti-Semitism across the board. However, there is a lack of clear responsibility at federal level to combat anti-Black racism, anti-Muslim racism and racism in general. Few concrete measures have been taken so far. There is a lack of targeted awareness-raising measures that address discrimination against people with disabilities and limited abilities as well as aspects of self-empowerment and human rights. In 2023, the Ombud for Equal Treatment reported an increase in discrimination complaints, which indicates a greater sensitisation of the population. A recent update on xenophobia in Austria shows that the issue remains highly relevant to society. New studies and surveys confirm that xenophobia remains a significant issue, although exact figures and trends may vary depending on the source and methodology. One of the more recent studies, conducted by institutions such as the University of Vienna or SORA (Institute for Social Research and Empirical Methods), shows that a significant proportion of the Austrian population remains sceptical about immigration and foreigners. These attitudes manifest themselves in the rejection of cultural diversity, different religious practices and the perception of economic effects on jobs and social security. In addition to traditional forms of xenophobia as measured in the past, new forms of xenophobia often manifest themselves in the form of online hate speech and on social media. These platforms can act as a catalyst for negative attitudes and actions towards foreigners. Political debates and events, both within Austria and internationally, often influence public perceptions and attitudes towards migrants and foreigners. For example, immigration policy issues and security concerns related to refugee flows have continued to fuel debate and possibly changes in attitudes in recent years. Overall, xenophobia in Austria remains a complex and highly debated issue that continues to shape political, social and cultural dynamics and poses challenges for integration and social coexistence. 

Progress: In progress

Take urgent and long-term measures to prevent the resurgence of far-right-wing and other groups inspired by extremist national socialist ideologies and neo-Nazism

Proponent:

Belarus


Republic of Belarus

Belarus


Republic of Belarus

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):

On 1 February 2022, Section 4(3a)(2) of the Ordinance of the Federal Minister of Justice of 16 June 1986 on the Implementation of the Public Prosecutor’s Office Act (DV-StAG) was amended in order to enshrine in law the establishment of special competences for terrorist criminal cases in public prosecutor’s offices with more than ten systematised posts (see DV-StAG: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/eli/bgbl/1986/338/A1P4/NOR40241334). At the same time, Section 32 (5) of the Court Organisation Act (GOG) created the legal obligation to also introduce special jurisdiction for criminal terrorism cases at the regional courts. With the entry into force of the Counter-Terrorism Act (TeBG, Federal Law Gazette I No. 159/2021) on 1 September 2021 and 1 January 2022, additional measures were taken to combat terrorism (see: TeBG, Federal Law Gazette I No. 159/2021: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2021_I_159/BGBLA_2021_I_159.html). The law contains comprehensive provisions that enable the authorities to take more effective action against terrorist and anti-state offences, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Criminal Records Act also introduced a separate labelling of such crimes (see MVAG, BGBI. I No. 223/2022: https://ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2022_I_223/BGBLA_2022_I_223.). The Coordination Unit for the Prevention of Extremism and Deradicalisation in Prisons aims to gain information and insights through closer cooperation with prisons, courts, public prosecutors‘ offices and authorities. It deals with risk assessments, the monitoring of external contacts, the definition of training and further education programmes, the implementation of inter-agency case discussions and the monitoring of measures and structures in the prison system. The target group is offenders convicted under the Prohibition Act or for terrorist offences or international crimes, as well as inmates suspected of radicalisation (see BMJ website: https://www.bmj.gv.at/themen/Strafvollzug/Koordinationsstelle-Extremismuspr%C3%A4vention-und-Deradikalisierung-(KED).html). A national action plan to combat right-wing extremism and prevent extremism and radicalisation may be planned, but has not been implemented. In 2018, an „Austrian Strategy for the Prevention of Extremism and Deradicalisation“ was adopted, which has led to changes in parts (see PDF: https://www.dsn.gv.at/501/files/Praevention/767_Strategie_Extremismuspraevention_und_Deradikalisierung_publikation_210x297mm_DE_WEB_20190115.pdf).   In general, it should be noted that comprehensive measures have been taken in this area. However, there is concern that the strong emphasis on combating extremism in security policy practice does not jeopardise other fundamental rights and freedoms. It should be noted that in recent years, the responsible members of government have repeatedly gone to great lengths to advertise specific large-scale actions against extremism (e.g. the media-famous Aktion Luxor), while in many of these cases the measures and investigations actually carried out did not stand up to subsequent judicial review for the most part.
  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government has set itself the goal of countering extremism with targeted measures and strengthening social resilience (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).The website of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) presents current developments and measures in the area of „Preventing extremism and deradicalisation in Austria“ (see website: here). The focus is on the implementation of the „Austrian Action Plan for the Prevention of Extremism and Deradicalisation“, which was published in July 2023 (see NAP: https://www.dsn.gv.at/216/files/BNED_NAP_Deutsch_web_bf_20240527.pdf). The DSN emphasises the importance of coordinated cooperation between state authorities, educational institutions and civil society organisations in order to effectively counter extremist tendencies.   
An important aspect of current efforts is to raise awareness among the population and provide preventative educational programmes. The DSN also provides various resources and information to better educate professionals and the general public about the risks and signs of extremism. The aim is to increase security in Austria and counter extremist influences through early intervention and targeted deradicalisation programmes;
There are currently clear challenges in the prevention of extremism in Austria. The Extremism Advice Centre points out existing gaps, particularly in the accessibility and availability of prevention services for young people. There is a lack of sufficiently specialised contact points and long-term projects that address the diverse needs of different target groups. In addition, the „RE:WORK – Preventing extremism in schools“ project was launched to provide schools with more support in their prevention work. The project aims to train teachers and pupils in dealing with extremist tendencies and provide them with tools for effective prevention.
 
As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government has set itself the goal of countering extremism with targeted measures and strengthening social resilience (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html). One of the current priorities in the fight against terrorism in Austria is the need for basic research. In November 2021, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer emphasised the importance of a deep understanding of radicalisation processes and the ideological motives behind terrorism for the development of effective prevention strategies. The research should help to improve targeted measures to prevent terrorist attacks and combat extremist networks.
In addition, the 5th Prevention Summit on Extremism and Terrorism was held in March 2024. The summit serves as a platform for the exchange of best practices and the development of new concepts for preventing extremism and terrorism.
Overall, these developments show that a comprehensive understanding and continuous exchange are essential elements for optimising security strategies in Austria and taking effective action against terrorism and extremism.
  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the federal government has set itself the goal of countering extremism with targeted measures and strengthening social resilience (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).In April 2021, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution reported an increasing threat from right-wing extremism in Austria. The 2021 constitutional protection report emphasises that right-wing extremist groups and individuals are increasingly spreading violent and extremist ideologies, particularly through their presence on the internet. These actors often use conspiracy theories and pseudo-scientific arguments to spread their messages (see the 2021 Report on the Protection of the Constitution, page 20ff: https://www.dsn.gv.at/501/files/VSB/VSB_2021_bf_012023.pdf).   In addition, a parliamentary question was submitted in June 2021, which emphasised the need to combat right-wing extremism in Austria more effectively. The answers to this enquiry made it clear that, in addition to monitoring and criminal prosecution, preventative measures are also essential. These include increased education and awareness-raising initiatives as well as closer cooperation between security authorities and civil society organisations in order to curb the spread of right-wing extremist ideologies at an early stage and reduce their influence on society (see Action Plan against Right-Wing Extremism 2021: <a href=https://www.parlament.gv.at/gegenstand/XXVII/A/1656< https://www.parlament.gv.at/gegenstand/XXVII/A/1656).
  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government has set itself the goal of countering extremism with targeted measures and strengthening social resilience (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).The problems in the school environment were particularly emphasised, where preventative work against racism is urgently needed. Several measures are proposed to prevent discrimination in Austria, based on the current findings of the ZARA Racism Report 2023. These include educational initiatives to promote awareness and sensitivity to discrimination, as well as the strengthening and consistent implementation of anti-discrimination laws. Public campaigns should support tolerance and diversity, while counselling centres and support services help those affected. These approaches aim to create a more inclusive and non-discriminatory society. Further details can be found in the full report (see Zara Report 2023: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf ). The ZARA Racism Report 2023 emphasises the need for strict measures to prevent discrimination in Austria. This includes the consistent application and enforcement of anti-discrimination laws to ensure that offences are effectively punished. In addition, specialised counselling centres and support services should be easily accessible for those affected. Law enforcement agencies must be sensitised and trained to recognise and combat discrimination in order to ensure an appropriate response to racist incidents. These measures help to promote a discrimination-free society. Organisations such as SOS Mitmensch and the Ombud for Equal Treatment are also calling for improved legislation and stronger prosecution to prevent discrimination. They emphasise the importance of monitoring and reporting in order to measure progress and identify gaps. 

Progress: In progress

Intensify further efforts to address extremist and discriminatory attitudes and behaviours through preventive and repressive measures

Proponent:

Cambodia


Kingdom of Cambodia

Cambodia


Kingdom of Cambodia

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):

On 1 February 2022, Section 4(3a)(2) of the Ordinance of the Federal Minister of Justice of 16 June 1986 on the Implementation of the Public Prosecutor’s Office Act (DV-StAG) was amended in order to enshrine in law the establishment of special competences for terrorist criminal cases in public prosecutor’s offices with more than ten systematised posts (see DV-StAG: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/eli/bgbl/1986/338/A1P4/NOR40241334). At the same time, Section 32 (5) of the Court Organisation Act (GOG) created the legal obligation to also introduce special jurisdiction for criminal terrorism cases at the regional courts. With the entry into force of the Counter-Terrorism Act (TeBG, Federal Law Gazette I No. 159/2021) on 1 September 2021 and 1 January 2022, additional measures were taken to combat terrorism (see: TeBG, Federal Law Gazette I No. 159/2021: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2021_I_159/BGBLA_2021_I_159.html). The law contains comprehensive provisions that enable the authorities to take more effective action against terrorist and anti-state offences, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Criminal Records Act also introduced a separate labelling of such crimes (see MVAG, BGBI. I No. 223/2022: https://ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2022_I_223/BGBLA_2022_I_223.). The Coordination Unit for the Prevention of Extremism and Deradicalisation in Prisons aims to gain information and insights through closer cooperation with prisons, courts, public prosecutors‘ offices and authorities. It deals with risk assessments, the monitoring of external contacts, the definition of training and further education programmes, the implementation of inter-agency case discussions and the monitoring of measures and structures in the prison system. The target group is offenders convicted under the Prohibition Act or for terrorist offences or international crimes, as well as inmates suspected of radicalisation (see BMJ website: https://www.bmj.gv.at/themen/Strafvollzug/Koordinationsstelle-Extremismuspr%C3%A4vention-und-Deradikalisierung-(KED).html). A national action plan to combat right-wing extremism and prevent extremism and radicalisation may be planned, but has not been implemented. In 2018, an „Austrian Strategy for the Prevention of Extremism and Deradicalisation“ was adopted, which has led to changes in parts (see PDF: https://www.dsn.gv.at/501/files/Praevention/767_Strategie_Extremismuspraevention_und_Deradikalisierung_publikation_210x297mm_DE_WEB_20190115.pdf).   In general, it should be noted that comprehensive measures have been taken in this area. However, there is concern that the strong emphasis on combating extremism in security policy practice does not jeopardise other fundamental rights and freedoms. It should be noted that in recent years, the responsible members of government have repeatedly gone to great lengths to advertise specific large-scale actions against extremism (e.g. the media-famous Aktion Luxor), while in many of these cases the measures and investigations actually carried out did not stand up to subsequent judicial review for the most part.
  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government has set itself the goal of countering extremism with targeted measures and strengthening social resilience (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).The website of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) presents current developments and measures in the area of „Preventing extremism and deradicalisation in Austria“ (see website: here). The focus is on the implementation of the „Austrian Action Plan for the Prevention of Extremism and Deradicalisation“, which was published in July 2023 (see NAP: https://www.dsn.gv.at/216/files/BNED_NAP_Deutsch_web_bf_20240527.pdf). The DSN emphasises the importance of coordinated cooperation between state authorities, educational institutions and civil society organisations in order to effectively counter extremist tendencies.   
An important aspect of current efforts is to raise awareness among the population and provide preventative educational programmes. The DSN also provides various resources and information to better educate professionals and the general public about the risks and signs of extremism. The aim is to increase security in Austria and counter extremist influences through early intervention and targeted deradicalisation programmes;
There are currently clear challenges in the prevention of extremism in Austria. The Extremism Advice Centre points out existing gaps, particularly in the accessibility and availability of prevention services for young people. There is a lack of sufficiently specialised contact points and long-term projects that address the diverse needs of different target groups. In addition, the „RE:WORK – Preventing extremism in schools“ project was launched to provide schools with more support in their prevention work. The project aims to train teachers and pupils in dealing with extremist tendencies and provide them with tools for effective prevention.
 
As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government has set itself the goal of countering extremism with targeted measures and strengthening social resilience (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html). One of the current priorities in the fight against terrorism in Austria is the need for basic research. In November 2021, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer emphasised the importance of a deep understanding of radicalisation processes and the ideological motives behind terrorism for the development of effective prevention strategies. The research should help to improve targeted measures to prevent terrorist attacks and combat extremist networks.
In addition, the 5th Prevention Summit on Extremism and Terrorism was held in March 2024. The summit serves as a platform for the exchange of best practices and the development of new concepts for preventing extremism and terrorism.
Overall, these developments show that a comprehensive understanding and continuous exchange are essential elements for optimising security strategies in Austria and taking effective action against terrorism and extremism.
  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the federal government has set itself the goal of countering extremism with targeted measures and strengthening social resilience (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).In April 2021, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution reported an increasing threat from right-wing extremism in Austria. The 2021 constitutional protection report emphasises that right-wing extremist groups and individuals are increasingly spreading violent and extremist ideologies, particularly through their presence on the internet. These actors often use conspiracy theories and pseudo-scientific arguments to spread their messages (see the 2021 Report on the Protection of the Constitution, page 20ff: https://www.dsn.gv.at/501/files/VSB/VSB_2021_bf_012023.pdf).   In addition, a parliamentary question was submitted in June 2021, which emphasised the need to combat right-wing extremism in Austria more effectively. The answers to this enquiry made it clear that, in addition to monitoring and criminal prosecution, preventative measures are also essential. These include increased education and awareness-raising initiatives as well as closer cooperation between security authorities and civil society organisations in order to curb the spread of right-wing extremist ideologies at an early stage and reduce their influence on society (see Action Plan against Right-Wing Extremism 2021: <a href=https://www.parlament.gv.at/gegenstand/XXVII/A/1656< https://www.parlament.gv.at/gegenstand/XXVII/A/1656).
  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government has set itself the goal of countering extremism with targeted measures and strengthening social resilience (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).The problems in the school environment were particularly emphasised, where preventative work against racism is urgently needed. Several measures are proposed to prevent discrimination in Austria, based on the current findings of the ZARA Racism Report 2023. These include educational initiatives to promote awareness and sensitivity to discrimination, as well as the strengthening and consistent implementation of anti-discrimination laws. Public campaigns should support tolerance and diversity, while counselling centres and support services help those affected. These approaches aim to create a more inclusive and non-discriminatory society. Further details can be found in the full report (see Zara Report 2023: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf ). The ZARA Racism Report 2023 emphasises the need for strict measures to prevent discrimination in Austria. This includes the consistent application and enforcement of anti-discrimination laws to ensure that offences are effectively punished. In addition, specialised counselling centres and support services should be easily accessible for those affected. Law enforcement agencies must be sensitised and trained to recognise and combat discrimination in order to ensure an appropriate response to racist incidents. These measures help to promote a discrimination-free society. Organisations such as SOS Mitmensch and the Ombud for Equal Treatment are also calling for improved legislation and stronger prosecution to prevent discrimination. They emphasise the importance of monitoring and reporting in order to measure progress and identify gaps. 

Progress: In progress

Strengthen its ongoing work and take effective measures to combat discrimination, intolerance, racism and xenophobia

Proponent:

Nicaragua


Republic of Nicaragua

Nicaragua


Republic of Nicaragua

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

The 2020 EU Action Plan against Racism calls on the member states to draw up National Action Plans against Racism by the end of 2022. In Austria, the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media in the Federal Chancellery is responsible for drawing up the National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination. This National Action Plan is also anchored in the current government programme (EU Action Plan against Racism 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/union-equality-eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en). Austria has also referred to the planned National Action Plan against Racism in various other recommendations regarding the implementation and promotion of measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. This shows its particular importance. Contrary to this assurance and contrary to the agreement in the last government programme, no national action plan to combat racism was adopted and no significant other programmes in the area of anti-racism work were implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism.  

Progress: In progress

Scale up efforts in combatting racism, racial discrimination and hate crimes

Proponent:

Nigeria


Federal Republic of Nigeria

Nigeria


Federal Republic of Nigeria

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):

The 2020 EU Action Plan against Racism calls on the member states to draw up National Action Plans against Racism by the end of 2022. In Austria, the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media in the Federal Chancellery is responsible for drawing up the National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination. This National Action Plan is also anchored in the current government programme (EU Action Plan against Racism 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/union-equality-eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en). Austria has also referred to the planned National Action Plan against Racism in various other recommendations regarding the implementation and promotion of measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. This shows its particular importance. Contrary to this assurance and contrary to the agreement in the last government programme, no national action plan to combat racism was adopted and no significant other programmes in the area of anti-racism work were implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism.  Racism remains a serious social problem in Austria. The latest report by SOS Mitmensch and other studies show that racist discrimination and hate crimes are on the rise. Anti-Muslim racism in particular has increased in recent years, partly fuelled by political rhetoric and campaigns targeting Muslim communities. Anti-Muslim hate crimes are common and are often supported by certain political groups. In 2023, the Documentation Centre on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism recorded a total of 1522 racist attacks against Muslims and people perceived to be Muslim. Compared to the previous year, 263 more cases were reported to us offline, which represents an increase of over 100 per cent of active case reports. The report shows a striking increase in case reports from the education sector. See report: here).
Austria has various laws in place to combat racism, including the Prohibition Act and the Equal Treatment Act. However, these legal frameworks are not always applied consistently, leading to calls for stronger policy measures and more rigorous enforcement of existing laws. Education and awareness-raising measures are also crucial to raise awareness of racial discrimination in the population and bring about long-term change (see SOS-Mitmensch report: https://www.sosmitmensch.at/site/momagazin/alleausgaben/7/article/395.html&ts=1720702499859).
ZARA’s report for the year 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the extent and various forms of racism in Austria. A total of 1302 reports were documented and processed, almost 60% of which concerned online racism. This underlines the importance of digital platforms as a place for racist incidents, which can often be documented and reported using simple screenshots. The public sphere and the goods/services sector were particularly affected, with 58.2% and 15.9% of reports respectively. State authorities and institutions were involved in 11% of cases, while racist incidents in the police were only formally complained about in 4 out of 58 cases. In most of the other cases, those affected sought support from ZARA through counselling sessions and legal advice. A significant number (almost 78%) of reports came from witnesses, while 22% were submitted by those directly affected. The report also criticises the lack of implementation of a National Action Plan against Racism in Austria, although the need for structural change and combating institutional racism is obvious. There are still challenges in dealing with racism in Austria and the need for social support and structural changes to effectively address these issues (see Racism Report 2023, March 2024 edition: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf).  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the federal government is pursuing this goal through close cooperation with all stakeholders (see Government Plan 2ß025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).The Federal Ministry of the Interior has published the situation report „Hate Crime 2022“ (see Hate Crime 2022 Report: The core results, p.10: https://www.bmi.gv.at/bmi_documents/3042.pdf). It shows an increase in offences motivated by prejudice, with 5,865 cases reported. These offences mainly concern ideology, national/ethnic origin and religion. One third of the offences reported were violations of the Prohibition Act. Interior Minister Karner emphasised the importance of prevention, especially among young people, in order to recognise and combat extremist tendencies at an early stage. Measures to sensitise and train the police have been intensified. On a positive note, it should be emphasised that the Federal Ministry of the Interior has integrated the systematic recording of prejudiced motives in intentional criminal offences into police work as part of an EU project. For this purpose, the category „Hate crime“ was introduced in the police logging programme (PAD) as a separate „Motive“ tab with the title „Prejudice motives (hate crime) according to victim groups“. The recorded data is transmitted to the justice system via a separate interface: Electronic Legal Transactions (ERV) and subjected to quality assurance by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. In 2022, the Report of the Federal Ministry of the Interior on „Hate Crime“ in Austria – Annual Report 2021 was published for the first time. In the period from January to December 2021, 5,464 offences motivated by prejudice were recorded by the police (Report of the Federal Ministry of the Interior on „Hate Crime“ in Austria 2021: here). With the systematic recording of hate crimes motivated by prejudice and the publication of statistics on hate crimes recorded by the police, a first important step has been taken to make hate crimes visible. It is important to observe the extent to which the views of the police and victim protection organisations or community organisations agree on whether an incident should be classified as a hate crime or not. These observations are an important basis for the reliability of the statistics on hate crimes that are now being collected. ECRI has also emphasised that politicians should take a firm stance against racist hate speech and that political parties should introduce codes of conduct that prohibit the use of hate speech. So far, these recommendations have gone unheeded.   As part of a European mapping project on hate crimes, work is being done on a victim-centred referral system for affected people. In Austria, ZARA is working on this project together with CEJI. Other civil society organisations, the Ombud for Equal Treatment, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Ministry of Justice are also involved (project homepage: http://scan-project.eu/). Further measures are needed to create a victim-centred, easily accessible referral system for people affected by hate crimes that protects them from (re)traumatisation and re-victimisation. In particular, the police, social workers, teachers, the judiciary, etc. must be further sensitised in order to quickly recognise hate crimes and refer those affected to the right places. Such a referral system should make it easier for those affected by hate crimes to gain access to support and criminal prosecution of the perpetrators. The publication of data by the judiciary is important in order to gain an insight into how many of the reported hate crimes are followed up and what can be learned from them for prevention measures (a detailed catalogue of recommendations is available at: https://standup-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A4_policy_brief_standUP_DE.pdf). According to the ZARA Racism Report 2023, people with migration experience, especially from African or Asian countries, are disproportionately affected by discrimination. This discrimination manifests itself in various areas of life, including the labour market, education and access to public services (see ZARA Report 2023: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf). The ECRI report by the Ombud for Equal Treatment emphasises that despite progress in the legal framework to combat discrimination, practical implementation is often inadequate. To meet these challenges, comprehensive measures are needed to promote equal treatment and combat racism. This includes both political initiatives and social efforts to raise awareness and education. 

Progress: In progress

Strengthen its efforts to combat acts or advocacy of racial or religious hatred, including consider adopting a national plan of action against racism

Proponent:

Thailand


Kingdom of Thailand

Thailand


Kingdom of Thailand

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):

The 2020 EU Action Plan against Racism calls on the member states to draw up National Action Plans against Racism by the end of 2022. In Austria, the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media in the Federal Chancellery is responsible for drawing up the National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination. This National Action Plan is also anchored in the current government programme (EU Action Plan against Racism 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/union-equality-eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en). Austria has also referred to the planned National Action Plan against Racism in various other recommendations regarding the implementation and promotion of measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. This shows its particular importance. Contrary to this assurance and contrary to the agreement in the last government programme, no national action plan to combat racism was adopted and no significant other programmes in the area of anti-racism work were implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism.  Racism remains a serious social problem in Austria. The latest report by SOS Mitmensch and other studies show that racist discrimination and hate crimes are on the rise. Anti-Muslim racism in particular has increased in recent years, partly fuelled by political rhetoric and campaigns targeting Muslim communities. Anti-Muslim hate crimes are common and are often supported by certain political groups. In 2023, the Documentation Centre on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism recorded a total of 1522 racist attacks against Muslims and people perceived to be Muslim. Compared to the previous year, 263 more cases were reported to us offline, which represents an increase of over 100 per cent of active case reports. The report shows a striking increase in case reports from the education sector. See report: here).
Austria has various laws in place to combat racism, including the Prohibition Act and the Equal Treatment Act. However, these legal frameworks are not always applied consistently, leading to calls for stronger policy measures and more rigorous enforcement of existing laws. Education and awareness-raising measures are also crucial to raise awareness of racial discrimination in the population and bring about long-term change (see SOS-Mitmensch report: https://www.sosmitmensch.at/site/momagazin/alleausgaben/7/article/395.html&ts=1720702499859).
ZARA’s report for the year 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the extent and various forms of racism in Austria. A total of 1302 reports were documented and processed, almost 60% of which concerned online racism. This underlines the importance of digital platforms as a place for racist incidents, which can often be documented and reported using simple screenshots. The public sphere and the goods/services sector were particularly affected, with 58.2% and 15.9% of reports respectively. State authorities and institutions were involved in 11% of cases, while racist incidents in the police were only formally complained about in 4 out of 58 cases. In most of the other cases, those affected sought support from ZARA through counselling sessions and legal advice. A significant number (almost 78%) of reports came from witnesses, while 22% were submitted by those directly affected. The report also criticises the lack of implementation of a National Action Plan against Racism in Austria, although the need for structural change and combating institutional racism is obvious. There are still challenges in dealing with racism in Austria and the need for social support and structural changes to effectively address these issues (see Racism Report 2023, March 2024 edition: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf).  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the federal government is pursuing this goal through close cooperation with all stakeholders (see Government Plan 2ß025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).According to the ZARA Racism Report 2023, people with migration experience, especially from African or Asian countries, are disproportionately affected by discrimination. This discrimination manifests itself in various areas of life, including the labour market, education and access to public services (see ZARA Report 2023: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf). The ECRI report by the Ombud for Equal Treatment emphasises that despite progress in the legal framework to combat discrimination, practical implementation is often inadequate. To meet these challenges, comprehensive measures are needed to promote equal treatment and combat racism. This includes both political initiatives and social efforts to raise awareness and education.  A large number of measures have been taken since 2021 to combat all forms of antisemitism. A central coordination centre for the topic of anti-Semitism has been set up at the Federal Chancellery and a national strategy against anti-Semitism has been published (see https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/dam/jcr:8bd2975f-0483-4e74-abd9-d66446195d7c/antisemitismusstrategie.pdf). Even though the position has now been downgraded to a department in the Policy Section, it still exists in principle.   Two implementation reports are available (for 2021 and 2022). For the education sector, a strategy paper on the „Prevention of antisemitism through education“ was developed in 2022, which contains recommendations for the implementation of the National Strategy against Antisemitism for the Austrian education administration and teacher training institutions (see: https://oead.at/fileadmin/Dokumente/oead.at/KIM/Downloadcenter/OeAD_E.AT_Strategiepapier_FIN_01.pdf). These recommendations were discussed at the symposium on „Preventing antisemitism through education“ in September 2022. In 2022, the National Forum against Antisemitism was also established to pool knowledge, combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life in Austria. The body is made up of representatives from the federal government, the provinces, municipalities, social partners, academia, religious communities, Jewish museums and civil society. A working group on the documentation of anti-Semitic incidents was also established with the aim of learning from the experiences of other organisations that already document racist, anti-Semitic, etc. incidents. The aim is to learn from the experiences of other organisations already documenting racist, anti-Semitic incidents in order to set up an anti-Semitism documentation centre that meets current requirements.   Parliament also commissioned a study on anti-Semitism in Austria, which was presented in April 2023 (see https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/fachinfos/publikationen/Langbericht-Antisemitismus-2022-Oesterreichweite-Ergebnisse.pdf). While there are political strategies against anti-Semitism, there is no comparable approach to anti-Muslim racism. Instead, measures are taken that lead to prejudgements of people perceived as Muslim. The establishment of the Documentation Centre for Political Islam and Operation Luxor reinforce a general suspicion of Muslims and lead to people withdrawing from social discourse, a reduction in diversity of opinion and restrictions on participation. Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly can be restricted on the basis of membership of a particular group, which has a negative impact on basic democratic principles (website of the Federal Chancellery – Documentation Centre for Political Islam: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/nachrichten-der-bundesregierung/2020/integrationsministerin-raab-dokumentationsstelle-politischer-islam-nimmt-arbeit-auf.html). Regarding hate speech on the internet, the Hate on the Net Act was introduced to help victims of online hate, including group-focused misanthropy (HiNBG see: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2020_I_148/BGBLA_2020_I_148.html). 

Progress: In progress

Strengthen its efforts to combat acts or advocacy of racial or religious hatred, including by bringing those responsible to justice and adopting of a national action plan against racism and resurgence of neo-Nazism

Proponent:

North Korea


Democratic People's Republic of Korea

North Korea


Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

The 2020 EU Action Plan against Racism calls on the member states to draw up National Action Plans against Racism by the end of 2022. In Austria, the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media in the Federal Chancellery is responsible for drawing up the National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination. This National Action Plan is also anchored in the current government programme (EU Action Plan against Racism 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/union-equality-eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en). Austria has also referred to the planned National Action Plan against Racism in various other recommendations regarding the implementation and promotion of measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. This shows its particular importance. Contrary to this assurance and contrary to the agreement in the last government programme, no national action plan to combat racism was adopted and no significant other programmes in the area of anti-racism work were implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism.  A large number of measures have been taken since 2021 to combat all forms of antisemitism. A central coordination centre for the topic of anti-Semitism has been set up at the Federal Chancellery and a national strategy against anti-Semitism has been published (see https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/dam/jcr:8bd2975f-0483-4e74-abd9-d66446195d7c/antisemitismusstrategie.pdf). Even though the position has now been downgraded to a department in the Policy Section, it still exists in principle.   Two implementation reports are available (for 2021 and 2022). For the education sector, a strategy paper on the „Prevention of antisemitism through education“ was developed in 2022, which contains recommendations for the implementation of the National Strategy against Antisemitism for the Austrian education administration and teacher training institutions (see: https://oead.at/fileadmin/Dokumente/oead.at/KIM/Downloadcenter/OeAD_E.AT_Strategiepapier_FIN_01.pdf). These recommendations were discussed at the symposium on „Preventing antisemitism through education“ in September 2022. In 2022, the National Forum against Antisemitism was also established to pool knowledge, combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life in Austria. The body is made up of representatives from the federal government, the provinces, municipalities, social partners, academia, religious communities, Jewish museums and civil society. A working group on the documentation of anti-Semitic incidents was also established with the aim of learning from the experiences of other organisations that already document racist, anti-Semitic, etc. incidents. The aim is to learn from the experiences of other organisations already documenting racist, anti-Semitic incidents in order to set up an anti-Semitism documentation centre that meets current requirements.   Parliament also commissioned a study on anti-Semitism in Austria, which was presented in April 2023 (see https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/fachinfos/publikationen/Langbericht-Antisemitismus-2022-Oesterreichweite-Ergebnisse.pdf). While there are political strategies against anti-Semitism, there is no comparable approach to anti-Muslim racism. Instead, measures are taken that lead to prejudgements of people perceived as Muslim. The establishment of the Documentation Centre for Political Islam and Operation Luxor reinforce a general suspicion of Muslims and lead to people withdrawing from social discourse, a reduction in diversity of opinion and restrictions on participation. Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly can be restricted on the basis of membership of a particular group, which has a negative impact on basic democratic principles (website of the Federal Chancellery – Documentation Centre for Political Islam: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/nachrichten-der-bundesregierung/2020/integrationsministerin-raab-dokumentationsstelle-politischer-islam-nimmt-arbeit-auf.html). Regarding hate speech on the internet, the Hate on the Net Act was introduced to help victims of online hate, including group-focused misanthropy (HiNBG see: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2020_I_148/BGBLA_2020_I_148.html).  According to the ZARA Racism Report 2023, people with migration experience, especially from African or Asian countries, are disproportionately affected by discrimination. This discrimination manifests itself in various areas of life, including the labour market, education and access to public services (see ZARA Report 2023: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf). The ECRI report by the Ombud for Equal Treatment emphasises that despite progress in the legal framework to combat discrimination, practical implementation is often inadequate. To meet these challenges, comprehensive measures are needed to promote equal treatment and combat racism. This includes both political initiatives and social efforts to raise awareness and education. Around 30,000 police officers throughout Austria were prepared for this task by completing e-learning seminars and receiving training as multipliers. The police now work on the basis of a victim-centred approach, actively listening to the victims and investigating consistently to ensure appropriate prosecution. These measures are designed to help tackle bias crime and improve safety for all citizens. With the systematic recording of hate crimes motivated by prejudice and the publication of statistics on hate crimes recorded by the police, a first important step has been taken to make hate crimes visible. It is important to observe the extent to which the views of the police and victim protection organisations or community organisations agree on whether an incident should be classified as a hate crime or not. These observations are an important basis for the reliability of the statistics now collected on hate crimes (Report of the Federal Ministry of the Interior on „Hate Crime“ in Austria 2021: https://www.bmi.gv.at/408/Projekt/files/218_2021_Hate_Crime_Bericht_2021_GESAMT_V20220510_barrierefrei.pdf).
In addition, relevant amendments to criminal legislation have been introduced to improve the handling of hate crimes. The amendments to the Criminal Code (StGB) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO) contain new regulations to combat hate crime more effectively and to strengthen the rights of victims. It is important to regularly review and adapt these legal changes in order to meet current challenges. 

Progress: No progress

Combat all forms of racial discrimination and develop a national plan of action against racism

Proponent:

Egypt


Arab Republic of Egypt

Egypt


Arab Republic of Egypt

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

The 2020 EU Action Plan against Racism calls on the member states to draw up National Action Plans against Racism by the end of 2022. In Austria, the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media in the Federal Chancellery is responsible for drawing up the National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination. This National Action Plan is also anchored in the current government programme (EU Action Plan against Racism 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/union-equality-eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en). Austria has also referred to the planned National Action Plan against Racism in various other recommendations regarding the implementation and promotion of measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. This shows its particular importance. Contrary to this assurance and contrary to the agreement in the last government programme, no national action plan to combat racism was adopted and no significant other programmes in the area of anti-racism work were implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism.   According to the ZARA Racism Report 2023, people with migration experience, especially from African or Asian countries, are disproportionately affected by discrimination. This discrimination manifests itself in various areas of life, including the labour market, education and access to public services (see ZARA Report 2023: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf). The ECRI report by the Ombud for Equal Treatment emphasises that despite progress in the legal framework to combat discrimination, practical implementation is often inadequate. To meet these challenges, comprehensive measures are needed to promote equal treatment and combat racism. This includes both political initiatives and social efforts to raise awareness and education. 

Progress: No progress

Strengthen measures to combat racism, hate crime, and hate speech, including by adopting a national plan of action against racism

Proponent:

Namibia


Republic of Namibia

Namibia


Republic of Namibia

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):

Racism remains a serious social problem in Austria. The latest report by SOS Mitmensch and other studies show that racist discrimination and hate crimes are on the rise. Anti-Muslim racism in particular has increased in recent years, partly fuelled by political rhetoric and campaigns targeting Muslim communities. Anti-Muslim hate crimes are common and are often supported by certain political groups. In 2023, the Documentation Centre on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism recorded a total of 1522 racist attacks against Muslims and people perceived to be Muslim. Compared to the previous year, 263 more cases were reported to us offline, which represents an increase of over 100 per cent of active case reports. The report shows a striking increase in case reports from the education sector. See report: here).
Austria has various laws in place to combat racism, including the Prohibition Act and the Equal Treatment Act. However, these legal frameworks are not always applied consistently, leading to calls for stronger policy measures and more rigorous enforcement of existing laws. Education and awareness-raising measures are also crucial to raise awareness of racial discrimination in the population and bring about long-term change (see SOS-Mitmensch report: https://www.sosmitmensch.at/site/momagazin/alleausgaben/7/article/395.html&ts=1720702499859).
ZARA’s report for the year 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the extent and various forms of racism in Austria. A total of 1302 reports were documented and processed, almost 60% of which concerned online racism. This underlines the importance of digital platforms as a place for racist incidents, which can often be documented and reported using simple screenshots. The public sphere and the goods/services sector were particularly affected, with 58.2% and 15.9% of reports respectively. State authorities and institutions were involved in 11% of cases, while racist incidents in the police were only formally complained about in 4 out of 58 cases. In most of the other cases, those affected sought support from ZARA through counselling sessions and legal advice. A significant number (almost 78%) of reports came from witnesses, while 22% were submitted by those directly affected. The report also criticises the lack of implementation of a National Action Plan against Racism in Austria, although the need for structural change and combating institutional racism is obvious. There are still challenges in dealing with racism in Austria and the need for social support and structural changes to effectively address these issues (see Racism Report 2023, March 2024 edition: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf).  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the federal government is pursuing this goal through close cooperation with all stakeholders (see Government Plan 2ß025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).The Federal Ministry of the Interior has published the situation report „Hate Crime 2022“ (see Hate Crime 2022 Report: The core results, p.10: https://www.bmi.gv.at/bmi_documents/3042.pdf). It shows an increase in offences motivated by prejudice, with 5,865 cases reported. These offences mainly concern ideology, national/ethnic origin and religion. One third of the offences reported were violations of the Prohibition Act. Interior Minister Karner emphasised the importance of prevention, especially among young people, in order to recognise and combat extremist tendencies at an early stage. Measures to sensitise and train the police have been intensified. On a positive note, it should be emphasised that the Federal Ministry of the Interior has integrated the systematic recording of prejudiced motives in intentional criminal offences into police work as part of an EU project. For this purpose, the category „Hate crime“ was introduced in the police logging programme (PAD) as a separate „Motive“ tab with the title „Prejudice motives (hate crime) according to victim groups“. The recorded data is transmitted to the justice system via a separate interface: Electronic Legal Transactions (ERV) and subjected to quality assurance by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. In 2022, the Report of the Federal Ministry of the Interior on „Hate Crime“ in Austria – Annual Report 2021 was published for the first time. In the period from January to December 2021, 5,464 offences motivated by prejudice were recorded by the police (Report of the Federal Ministry of the Interior on „Hate Crime“ in Austria 2021: here). With the systematic recording of hate crimes motivated by prejudice and the publication of statistics on hate crimes recorded by the police, a first important step has been taken to make hate crimes visible. It is important to observe the extent to which the views of the police and victim protection organisations or community organisations agree on whether an incident should be classified as a hate crime or not. These observations are an important basis for the reliability of the statistics on hate crimes that are now being collected. ECRI has also emphasised that politicians should take a firm stance against racist hate speech and that political parties should introduce codes of conduct that prohibit the use of hate speech. So far, these recommendations have gone unheeded.   As part of a European mapping project on hate crimes, work is being done on a victim-centred referral system for affected people. In Austria, ZARA is working on this project together with CEJI. Other civil society organisations, the Ombud for Equal Treatment, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Ministry of Justice are also involved (project homepage: http://scan-project.eu/). Further measures are needed to create a victim-centred, easily accessible referral system for people affected by hate crimes that protects them from (re)traumatisation and re-victimisation. In particular, the police, social workers, teachers, the judiciary, etc. must be further sensitised in order to quickly recognise hate crimes and refer those affected to the right places. Such a referral system should make it easier for those affected by hate crimes to gain access to support and criminal prosecution of the perpetrators. The publication of data by the judiciary is important in order to gain an insight into how many of the reported hate crimes are followed up and what can be learned from them for prevention measures (a detailed catalogue of recommendations is available at: https://standup-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A4_policy_brief_standUP_DE.pdf). Regarding hate speech on the internet, the Hate on the Net Act was introduced to help victims of online hate, including group-focused misanthropy (HiNBG see: here). Another positive development is that the Federal Ministry of the Interior has integrated the systematic recording of prejudicial motives in intentional criminal offences into police work as part of an EU project. For this purpose, the category „Hate crime“ was introduced in the police logging programme (PAD) as a separate „Motive“ tab with the title „Prejudice motives (hate crime) according to victim groups“. The recorded data is transmitted to the justice system via a separate interface: Electronic Legal Transactions (ERV) and subjected to quality assurance by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Around 30,000 police officers throughout Austria have been prepared for this task by completing e-learning seminars and receiving training as multipliers. The police now work on the basis of a victim-centred approach, actively listening to those affected and investigating consistently to ensure appropriate prosecution. These measures are designed to help tackle bias crime and improve safety for all citizens.
 In the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government plans to set up a National Action Plan against Hate Crime with the aim of taking targeted action against hate crime (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html). The 2020 EU Action Plan against Racism calls on the member states to draw up National Action Plans against Racism by the end of 2022. In Austria, the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media in the Federal Chancellery is responsible for drawing up the National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination. This National Action Plan is also anchored in the current government programme (EU Action Plan against Racism 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/union-equality-eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en). Austria has also referred to the planned National Action Plan against Racism in various other recommendations regarding the implementation and promotion of measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. This shows its particular importance. Contrary to this assurance and contrary to the agreement in the last government programme, no national action plan to combat racism was adopted and no significant other programmes in the area of anti-racism work were implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism.  

Progress: In progress

Strengthen its efforts to combat acts or advocacy of racial or religious hatred, by adopting a national action plan against racism

Proponent:

Sierra Leone


Republic of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone


Republic of Sierra Leone

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

The 2020 EU Action Plan against Racism calls on the member states to draw up National Action Plans against Racism by the end of 2022. In Austria, the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media in the Federal Chancellery is responsible for drawing up the National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination. This National Action Plan is also anchored in the current government programme (EU Action Plan against Racism 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/union-equality-eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en). Austria has also referred to the planned National Action Plan against Racism in various other recommendations regarding the implementation and promotion of measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. This shows its particular importance. Contrary to this assurance and contrary to the agreement in the last government programme, no national action plan to combat racism was adopted and no significant other programmes in the area of anti-racism work were implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism.  According to the ZARA Racism Report 2023, people with migration experience, especially from African or Asian countries, are disproportionately affected by discrimination. This discrimination manifests itself in various areas of life, including the labour market, education and access to public services (see ZARA Report 2023: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf). The ECRI report by the Ombud for Equal Treatment emphasises that despite progress in the legal framework to combat discrimination, practical implementation is often inadequate. To meet these challenges, comprehensive measures are needed to promote equal treatment and combat racism. This includes both political initiatives and social efforts to raise awareness and education.  A large number of measures have been taken since 2021 to combat all forms of antisemitism. A central coordination centre for the topic of anti-Semitism has been set up at the Federal Chancellery and a national strategy against anti-Semitism has been published (see https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/dam/jcr:8bd2975f-0483-4e74-abd9-d66446195d7c/antisemitismusstrategie.pdf). Even though the position has now been downgraded to a department in the Policy Section, it still exists in principle.   Two implementation reports are available (for 2021 and 2022). For the education sector, a strategy paper on the „Prevention of antisemitism through education“ was developed in 2022, which contains recommendations for the implementation of the National Strategy against Antisemitism for the Austrian education administration and teacher training institutions (see: https://oead.at/fileadmin/Dokumente/oead.at/KIM/Downloadcenter/OeAD_E.AT_Strategiepapier_FIN_01.pdf). These recommendations were discussed at the symposium on „Preventing antisemitism through education“ in September 2022. In 2022, the National Forum against Antisemitism was also established to pool knowledge, combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life in Austria. The body is made up of representatives from the federal government, the provinces, municipalities, social partners, academia, religious communities, Jewish museums and civil society. A working group on the documentation of anti-Semitic incidents was also established with the aim of learning from the experiences of other organisations that already document racist, anti-Semitic, etc. incidents. The aim is to learn from the experiences of other organisations already documenting racist, anti-Semitic incidents in order to set up an anti-Semitism documentation centre that meets current requirements.   Parliament also commissioned a study on anti-Semitism in Austria, which was presented in April 2023 (see https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/fachinfos/publikationen/Langbericht-Antisemitismus-2022-Oesterreichweite-Ergebnisse.pdf). While there are political strategies against anti-Semitism, there is no comparable approach to anti-Muslim racism. Instead, measures are taken that lead to prejudgements of people perceived as Muslim. The establishment of the Documentation Centre for Political Islam and Operation Luxor reinforce a general suspicion of Muslims and lead to people withdrawing from social discourse, a reduction in diversity of opinion and restrictions on participation. Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly can be restricted on the basis of membership of a particular group, which has a negative impact on basic democratic principles (website of the Federal Chancellery – Documentation Centre for Political Islam: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/nachrichten-der-bundesregierung/2020/integrationsministerin-raab-dokumentationsstelle-politischer-islam-nimmt-arbeit-auf.html). Regarding hate speech on the internet, the Hate on the Net Act was introduced to help victims of online hate, including group-focused misanthropy (HiNBG see: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2020_I_148/BGBLA_2020_I_148.html). 

Progress: In progress

Strengthen its efforts to effectively combat advocacy of racial or religious hatred, including by bringing those responsible to justice

Proponent:

Azerbaijan


Republic of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan


Republic of Azerbaijan

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

Around 30,000 police officers throughout Austria were prepared for this task by completing e-learning seminars and receiving training as multipliers. The police now work on the basis of a victim-centred approach, actively listening to the victims and investigating consistently to ensure appropriate prosecution. These measures are designed to help tackle bias crime and improve safety for all citizens. With the systematic recording of hate crimes motivated by prejudice and the publication of statistics on hate crimes recorded by the police, a first important step has been taken to make hate crimes visible. It is important to observe the extent to which the views of the police and victim protection organisations or community organisations agree on whether an incident should be classified as a hate crime or not. These observations are an important basis for the reliability of the statistics now collected on hate crimes (Report of the Federal Ministry of the Interior on „Hate Crime“ in Austria 2021: https://www.bmi.gv.at/408/Projekt/files/218_2021_Hate_Crime_Bericht_2021_GESAMT_V20220510_barrierefrei.pdf).
In addition, relevant amendments to criminal legislation have been introduced to improve the handling of hate crimes. The amendments to the Criminal Code (StGB) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO) contain new regulations to combat hate crime more effectively and to strengthen the rights of victims. It is important to regularly review and adapt these legal changes in order to meet current challenges. A large number of measures have been taken since 2021 to combat all forms of antisemitism. A central coordination centre for the topic of anti-Semitism has been set up at the Federal Chancellery and a national strategy against anti-Semitism has been published (see https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/dam/jcr:8bd2975f-0483-4e74-abd9-d66446195d7c/antisemitismusstrategie.pdf). Even though the position has now been downgraded to a department in the Policy Section, it still exists in principle.   Two implementation reports are available (for 2021 and 2022). For the education sector, a strategy paper on the „Prevention of antisemitism through education“ was developed in 2022, which contains recommendations for the implementation of the National Strategy against Antisemitism for the Austrian education administration and teacher training institutions (see: https://oead.at/fileadmin/Dokumente/oead.at/KIM/Downloadcenter/OeAD_E.AT_Strategiepapier_FIN_01.pdf). These recommendations were discussed at the symposium on „Preventing antisemitism through education“ in September 2022. In 2022, the National Forum against Antisemitism was also established to pool knowledge, combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life in Austria. The body is made up of representatives from the federal government, the provinces, municipalities, social partners, academia, religious communities, Jewish museums and civil society. A working group on the documentation of anti-Semitic incidents was also established with the aim of learning from the experiences of other organisations that already document racist, anti-Semitic, etc. incidents. The aim is to learn from the experiences of other organisations already documenting racist, anti-Semitic incidents in order to set up an anti-Semitism documentation centre that meets current requirements.   Parliament also commissioned a study on anti-Semitism in Austria, which was presented in April 2023 (see https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/fachinfos/publikationen/Langbericht-Antisemitismus-2022-Oesterreichweite-Ergebnisse.pdf). While there are political strategies against anti-Semitism, there is no comparable approach to anti-Muslim racism. Instead, measures are taken that lead to prejudgements of people perceived as Muslim. The establishment of the Documentation Centre for Political Islam and Operation Luxor reinforce a general suspicion of Muslims and lead to people withdrawing from social discourse, a reduction in diversity of opinion and restrictions on participation. Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly can be restricted on the basis of membership of a particular group, which has a negative impact on basic democratic principles (website of the Federal Chancellery – Documentation Centre for Political Islam: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/nachrichten-der-bundesregierung/2020/integrationsministerin-raab-dokumentationsstelle-politischer-islam-nimmt-arbeit-auf.html). Regarding hate speech on the internet, the Hate on the Net Act was introduced to help victims of online hate, including group-focused misanthropy (HiNBG see: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2020_I_148/BGBLA_2020_I_148.html). 

Progress: In progress

Continue efforts made in the framework of combating discrimination and hate speech against foreigners, minorities, and immigrants

Proponent:

Tunisia


Tunisian Republic

Tunisia


Tunisian Republic

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

The 2020 EU Action Plan against Racism calls on the member states to draw up National Action Plans against Racism by the end of 2022. In Austria, the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media in the Federal Chancellery is responsible for drawing up the National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination. This National Action Plan is also anchored in the current government programme (EU Action Plan against Racism 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/union-equality-eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en). Austria has also referred to the planned National Action Plan against Racism in various other recommendations regarding the implementation and promotion of measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. This shows its particular importance. Contrary to this assurance and contrary to the agreement in the last government programme, no national action plan to combat racism was adopted and no significant other programmes in the area of anti-racism work were implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism.   While there are political strategies against anti-Semitism, there is no comparable approach to anti-Muslim racism. Instead, measures are taken that lead to prejudgements of people perceived as Muslim. The establishment of the Documentation Centre for Political Islam and Operation Luxor reinforce a general suspicion of Muslims and lead to people withdrawing from social discourse, a reduction in diversity of opinion and restrictions on participation. Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly can be restricted on the basis of membership of a particular group, which has a negative impact on basic democratic principles (Website of the Federal Chancellery – Documentation Centre for Political Islam: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/nachrichten-der-bundesregierung/2020/integrationsministerin-raab-dokumentationsstelle-politischer-islam-nimmt-arbeit-auf.html). Austria should step up its efforts to combat discrimination and hate speech against ethnic minorities, immigrants and refugees. It is crucial to provide additional resources for the prosecution of hate crimes while strengthening prevention. This applies in particular to combating discrimination against Muslims, Roma, people of African descent, refugees and migrants. The promotion of awareness campaigns and cooperation with civil society organisations are important elements in promoting an inclusive and tolerant society.   In recent years, there has been a tightening of immigration policy in Austria and an increasing harshness towards asylum seekers. This is reflected in legislative changes aimed at making access to asylum more difficult and facilitating the deportation of rejected asylum seekers. Another problem is the treatment of asylum seekers during the asylum procedure and in reception centres. There are currently reports of overcrowded accommodation, inadequate medical care and a lack of integration into the education system.  In 2021, funding for ethnic groups in Austria was significantly increased, with funding now totalling almost 8 million euros. New laws were also adopted to combat hate speech on the internet and violent hate crimes (ACFC/OP/V(2023)002, 5th Review Report of the Advisory Committee for the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe: https://rm.coe.int/5th-op-austria-de-full-version/1680ace87b). Nevertheless, challenges remain, particularly in the area of minority language teaching and with regard to mutual respect and intercultural dialogue in society. In Austria, the Framework Convention is implemented and monitored by a dialogue platform in which government representatives, civil society organisations and experts from science and research work together. This dialogue process is crucial for compliance with the provisions of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (further information on the website of the Federal Chancellery: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/themen/volksgruppen/roma-strategie.html).  Austria has launched programmes and initiatives to promote tolerance and integration. Nevertheless, reports of discrimination and hate speech continue to emerge, suggesting that further action is needed to address these issues. There is a need for continuous monitoring and improvement to ensure that efforts to combat hate speech and discrimination are effective and that the communities affected are sufficiently protected. 

Progress: In progress

Intensify efforts to combat hate speech and racial discrimination

Proponent:

Belarus


Republic of Belarus

Belarus


Republic of Belarus

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):

The 2020 EU Action Plan against Racism calls on the member states to draw up National Action Plans against Racism by the end of 2022. In Austria, the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media in the Federal Chancellery is responsible for drawing up the National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination. This National Action Plan is also anchored in the current government programme (EU Action Plan against Racism 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/union-equality-eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en). Austria has also referred to the planned National Action Plan against Racism in various other recommendations regarding the implementation and promotion of measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. This shows its particular importance. Contrary to this assurance and contrary to the agreement in the last government programme, no national action plan to combat racism was adopted and no significant other programmes in the area of anti-racism work were implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism.   Racism remains a serious social problem in Austria. The latest report by SOS Mitmensch and other studies show that racist discrimination and hate crimes are on the rise. Anti-Muslim racism in particular has increased in recent years, partly fuelled by political rhetoric and campaigns targeting Muslim communities. Anti-Muslim hate crimes are common and are often supported by certain political groups. In 2023, the Documentation Centre on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism recorded a total of 1522 racist attacks against Muslims and people perceived to be Muslim. Compared to the previous year, 263 more cases were reported to us offline, which represents an increase of over 100 per cent of active case reports. The report shows a striking increase in case reports from the education sector. See report: here).
Austria has various laws in place to combat racism, including the Prohibition Act and the Equal Treatment Act. However, these legal frameworks are not always applied consistently, leading to calls for stronger policy measures and more rigorous enforcement of existing laws. Education and awareness-raising measures are also crucial to raise awareness of racial discrimination in the population and bring about long-term change (see SOS-Mitmensch report: https://www.sosmitmensch.at/site/momagazin/alleausgaben/7/article/395.html&ts=1720702499859).
ZARA’s report for the year 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the extent and various forms of racism in Austria. A total of 1302 reports were documented and processed, almost 60% of which concerned online racism. This underlines the importance of digital platforms as a place for racist incidents, which can often be documented and reported using simple screenshots. The public sphere and the goods/services sector were particularly affected, with 58.2% and 15.9% of reports respectively. State authorities and institutions were involved in 11% of cases, while racist incidents in the police were only formally complained about in 4 out of 58 cases. In most of the other cases, those affected sought support from ZARA through counselling sessions and legal advice. A significant number (almost 78%) of reports came from witnesses, while 22% were submitted by those directly affected. The report also criticises the lack of implementation of a National Action Plan against Racism in Austria, although the need for structural change and combating institutional racism is obvious. There are still challenges in dealing with racism in Austria and the need for social support and structural changes to effectively address these issues (see Racism Report 2023, March 2024 edition: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf).  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the federal government is pursuing this goal through close cooperation with all stakeholders (see Government Plan 2ß025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html). According to the ZARA Racism Report 2023, people with migration experience, especially from African or Asian countries, are disproportionately affected by discrimination. This discrimination manifests itself in various areas of life, including the labour market, education and access to public services (see ZARA Report 2023: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf). The ECRI report by the Ombud for Equal Treatment emphasises that despite progress in the legal framework to combat discrimination, practical implementation is often inadequate. To meet these challenges, comprehensive measures are needed to promote equal treatment and combat racism. This includes both political initiatives and social efforts to raise awareness and education.  It should be noted that in Austria, both the development and implementation of measures to combat discrimination have been driven forward in close cooperation with various civil society organisations. However, it must be noted that the public discourse often focuses on so-called „immigrant anti-Semitism“ and thus accuses people with migration experience from Turkey and Arabic-speaking countries in particular of anti-Semitism across the board. However, there is a lack of clear responsibility at federal level to combat anti-Black racism, anti-Muslim racism and racism in general. Few concrete measures have been taken so far. There is a lack of targeted awareness-raising measures that address discrimination against people with disabilities and limited abilities as well as aspects of self-empowerment and human rights.  Regarding hate speech on the internet, the Hate on the Net Act was introduced to help victims of online hate, including group-focused misanthropy (HiNBG see: here). Another positive development is that the Federal Ministry of the Interior has integrated the systematic recording of prejudicial motives in intentional criminal offences into police work as part of an EU project. For this purpose, the category „Hate crime“ was introduced in the police logging programme (PAD) as a separate „Motive“ tab with the title „Prejudice motives (hate crime) according to victim groups“. The recorded data is transmitted to the justice system via a separate interface: Electronic Legal Transactions (ERV) and subjected to quality assurance by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Around 30,000 police officers throughout Austria have been prepared for this task by completing e-learning seminars and receiving training as multipliers. The police now work on the basis of a victim-centred approach, actively listening to those affected and investigating consistently to ensure appropriate prosecution. These measures are designed to help tackle bias crime and improve safety for all citizens.
 In the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government plans to set up a National Action Plan against Hate Crime with the aim of taking targeted action against hate crime (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).

Progress: In progress

Promptly investigate, prosecute and sanction all forms of racism and hate crimes in accordance with the law, including by ensuring that the prosecution and the police have adequate tools and skills

Proponent:

Zambia


Republic of Zambia

Zambia


Republic of Zambia

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

In Austria, there are reports of racist police checks in which people are discriminated against on the basis of their ethnic origin or skin colour. According to the Amnesty Annual Report 2022, such practices have been documented time and again in police work, which places a particular burden on the communities affected. The Styrian Anti-Discrimination Agency confirms that racial profiling violates the ban on discrimination and must be urgently reformed in order to protect the rights of all citizens (Amnesty International Annual Report: https://www.amnesty.de/informieren/amnesty-report/oesterreich-2022). In Austria, there is still a need to strengthen measures to combat racial discrimination and racial profiling. This requires not only a clear condemnation of such practices, but also the implementation of accountability measures for those who commit, aid and abet or cover up racial discrimination. Promoting transparency, education and training for law enforcement agencies and strengthening the rights of victims are crucial steps to combat racial discrimination and racial profiling. Measures should be taken to hold people who practise racial discrimination and racial profiling accountable (Racism Report 2022 by ZARA- Civil Courage and Anti-Racism Work as PDF: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA-Rassismus_Report_2022.pdf). Around 30,000 police officers throughout Austria were prepared for this task by completing e-learning seminars and receiving training as multipliers. The police now work on the basis of a victim-centred approach, actively listening to the victims and investigating consistently to ensure appropriate prosecution. These measures are designed to help tackle bias crime and improve safety for all citizens. With the systematic recording of hate crimes motivated by prejudice and the publication of statistics on hate crimes recorded by the police, a first important step has been taken to make hate crimes visible. It is important to observe the extent to which the views of the police and victim protection organisations or community organisations agree on whether an incident should be classified as a hate crime or not. These observations are an important basis for the reliability of the statistics now collected on hate crimes (Report of the Federal Ministry of the Interior on „Hate Crime“ in Austria 2021: https://www.bmi.gv.at/408/Projekt/files/218_2021_Hate_Crime_Bericht_2021_GESAMT_V20220510_barrierefrei.pdf).
In addition, relevant amendments to criminal legislation have been introduced to improve the handling of hate crimes. The amendments to the Criminal Code (StGB) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO) contain new regulations to combat hate crime more effectively and to strengthen the rights of victims. It is important to regularly review and adapt these legal changes in order to meet current challenges.  {Hassverbrechen-Strafrecht}

Progress: No progress

Prosecute all cases of hate crimes and attacks against refugee and asylum-seekers, while strengthening efforts to combat racial or religious hatred, including through ensuring justice and adoption of a national action plan

Proponent:

Afghanistan


Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Afghanistan


Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

The 2020 EU Action Plan against Racism calls on the member states to draw up National Action Plans against Racism by the end of 2022. In Austria, the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media in the Federal Chancellery is responsible for drawing up the National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination. This National Action Plan is also anchored in the current government programme (EU Action Plan against Racism 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/union-equality-eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en). Austria has also referred to the planned National Action Plan against Racism in various other recommendations regarding the implementation and promotion of measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. This shows its particular importance. Contrary to this assurance and contrary to the agreement in the last government programme, no national action plan to combat racism was adopted and no significant other programmes in the area of anti-racism work were implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism.   The systematic recording of offences motivated by prejudice and the publication of corresponding statistics are decisive steps towards making hate crimes visible. It is important to analyse the extent to which the views of the police and victim protection organisations coincide in order to ensure the reliability of these statistics. An effective referral system for victims of hate crime needs to be developed to facilitate access to support and prosecution, with a focus on raising awareness among different actors such as police and social workers. These observations are an important basis for the reliability of the hate crime statistics that are now being collected. Despite this progress, there are still challenges, particularly in the area of sensitisation and documentation. The bias motive aspect is often not sufficiently taken into account in criminal prosecution, which means that many victims are unable to exercise their special rights under the EU Victims‘ Rights Directive. In order to counteract this, organisations such as ZARA and WEISSE RING are calling for the police to use special forms to record prejudicial motives in reports and for courts to take prejudicial motives into account throughout criminal proceedings. The prosecution of hate crime shows that a significant proportion of perpetrators are young and male. This is particularly noticeable in the case of anti-Semitic offences. In contrast, the proportion of foreign suspects is higher for anti-Christian and anti-Muslim offences. It is crucial that cooperation between law enforcement authorities and civil society organisations is strengthened in order to improve victim protection and counter hate crimes more effectively (see reporting and statement on the Hate Crime Report 2022 by Weisser Ring: https://www.weisser-ring.at/hasskriminalitaet-sichtbar-machen/). There is a lack of political strategies, especially against anti-Muslim racism. Instead, measures are taken that lead to prejudgements of people perceived as Muslim. The establishment of the Documentation Centre for Political Islam and Operation Luxor reinforce a general suspicion of Muslims and lead to people withdrawing from social discourse, a reduction in diversity of opinion and restrictions on participation. Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly can be restricted on the basis of membership of a particular group, which has a negative impact on basic democratic principles (Website of the Federal Chancellery – Documentation Centre for Political Islam: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/nachrichten-der-bundesregierung/2020/integrationsministerin-raab-dokumentationsstelle-politischer-islam-nimmt-arbeit-auf.html). A large number of measures have been taken since 2021 to combat all forms of antisemitism. A central coordination centre for the topic of anti-Semitism has been set up at the Federal Chancellery and a national strategy against anti-Semitism has been published (see https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/dam/jcr:8bd2975f-0483-4e74-abd9-d66446195d7c/antisemitismusstrategie.pdf). Even though the position has now been downgraded to a department in the Policy Section, it still exists in principle.   Two implementation reports are available (for 2021 and 2022). For the education sector, a strategy paper on the „Prevention of antisemitism through education“ was developed in 2022, which contains recommendations for the implementation of the National Strategy against Antisemitism for the Austrian education administration and teacher training institutions (see: https://oead.at/fileadmin/Dokumente/oead.at/KIM/Downloadcenter/OeAD_E.AT_Strategiepapier_FIN_01.pdf). These recommendations were discussed at the symposium on „Preventing antisemitism through education“ in September 2022. In 2022, the National Forum against Antisemitism was also established to pool knowledge, combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life in Austria. The body is made up of representatives from the federal government, the provinces, municipalities, social partners, academia, religious communities, Jewish museums and civil society. A working group on the documentation of anti-Semitic incidents was also established with the aim of learning from the experiences of other organisations that already document racist, anti-Semitic, etc. incidents. The aim is to learn from the experiences of other organisations already documenting racist, anti-Semitic incidents in order to set up an anti-Semitism documentation centre that meets current requirements.   Parliament also commissioned a study on anti-Semitism in Austria, which was presented in April 2023 (see https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/fachinfos/publikationen/Langbericht-Antisemitismus-2022-Oesterreichweite-Ergebnisse.pdf). While there are political strategies against anti-Semitism, there is no comparable approach to anti-Muslim racism. Instead, measures are taken that lead to prejudgements of people perceived as Muslim. The establishment of the Documentation Centre for Political Islam and Operation Luxor reinforce a general suspicion of Muslims and lead to people withdrawing from social discourse, a reduction in diversity of opinion and restrictions on participation. Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly can be restricted on the basis of membership of a particular group, which has a negative impact on basic democratic principles (website of the Federal Chancellery – Documentation Centre for Political Islam: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/nachrichten-der-bundesregierung/2020/integrationsministerin-raab-dokumentationsstelle-politischer-islam-nimmt-arbeit-auf.html). Regarding hate speech on the internet, the Hate on the Net Act was introduced to help victims of online hate, including group-focused misanthropy (HiNBG see: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2020_I_148/BGBLA_2020_I_148.html).  A National Action Plan is crucial to ensure a structured approach to tackling crime. This plan should include clear guidelines for prosecution, victim protection and prevention, involving all relevant stakeholders to ensure justice and protection. 

Progress: In progress

Continue efforts and continue taking measures to combat all forms of hate speech and racism

Proponent:

Libya


State of Libya

Libya


State of Libya

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):

Regarding hate speech on the internet, the Hate on the Net Act was introduced to help victims of online hate, including group-focused misanthropy (HiNBG see: here). Another positive development is that the Federal Ministry of the Interior has integrated the systematic recording of prejudicial motives in intentional criminal offences into police work as part of an EU project. For this purpose, the category „Hate crime“ was introduced in the police logging programme (PAD) as a separate „Motive“ tab with the title „Prejudice motives (hate crime) according to victim groups“. The recorded data is transmitted to the justice system via a separate interface: Electronic Legal Transactions (ERV) and subjected to quality assurance by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Around 30,000 police officers throughout Austria have been prepared for this task by completing e-learning seminars and receiving training as multipliers. The police now work on the basis of a victim-centred approach, actively listening to those affected and investigating consistently to ensure appropriate prosecution. These measures are designed to help tackle bias crime and improve safety for all citizens.
 In the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government plans to set up a National Action Plan against Hate Crime with the aim of taking targeted action against hate crime (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html). Racism remains a serious social problem in Austria. The latest report by SOS Mitmensch and other studies show that racist discrimination and hate crimes are on the rise. Anti-Muslim racism in particular has increased in recent years, partly fuelled by political rhetoric and campaigns targeting Muslim communities. Anti-Muslim hate crimes are common and are often supported by certain political groups. In 2023, the Documentation Centre on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism recorded a total of 1522 racist attacks against Muslims and people perceived to be Muslim. Compared to the previous year, 263 more cases were reported to us offline, which represents an increase of over 100 per cent of active case reports. The report shows a striking increase in case reports from the education sector. See report: here).
Austria has various laws in place to combat racism, including the Prohibition Act and the Equal Treatment Act. However, these legal frameworks are not always applied consistently, leading to calls for stronger policy measures and more rigorous enforcement of existing laws. Education and awareness-raising measures are also crucial to raise awareness of racial discrimination in the population and bring about long-term change (see SOS-Mitmensch report: https://www.sosmitmensch.at/site/momagazin/alleausgaben/7/article/395.html&ts=1720702499859).
ZARA’s report for the year 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the extent and various forms of racism in Austria. A total of 1302 reports were documented and processed, almost 60% of which concerned online racism. This underlines the importance of digital platforms as a place for racist incidents, which can often be documented and reported using simple screenshots. The public sphere and the goods/services sector were particularly affected, with 58.2% and 15.9% of reports respectively. State authorities and institutions were involved in 11% of cases, while racist incidents in the police were only formally complained about in 4 out of 58 cases. In most of the other cases, those affected sought support from ZARA through counselling sessions and legal advice. A significant number (almost 78%) of reports came from witnesses, while 22% were submitted by those directly affected. The report also criticises the lack of implementation of a National Action Plan against Racism in Austria, although the need for structural change and combating institutional racism is obvious. There are still challenges in dealing with racism in Austria and the need for social support and structural changes to effectively address these issues (see Racism Report 2023, March 2024 edition: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf).  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the federal government is pursuing this goal through close cooperation with all stakeholders (see Government Plan 2ß025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).

Progress: In progress

Systematically investigate all forms of racism and hate crimes, prosecute and punish those responsible according to the law

Proponent:

Luxembourg


Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Luxembourg


Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

According to the ZARA Racism Report 2023, people with migration experience, especially from African or Asian countries, are disproportionately affected by discrimination. This discrimination manifests itself in various areas of life, including the labour market, education and access to public services (see ZARA Report 2023: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf). The ECRI report by the Ombud for Equal Treatment emphasises that despite progress in the legal framework to combat discrimination, practical implementation is often inadequate. To meet these challenges, comprehensive measures are needed to promote equal treatment and combat racism. This includes both political initiatives and social efforts to raise awareness and education. Around 30,000 police officers throughout Austria were prepared for this task by completing e-learning seminars and receiving training as multipliers. The police now work on the basis of a victim-centred approach, actively listening to the victims and investigating consistently to ensure appropriate prosecution. These measures are designed to help tackle bias crime and improve safety for all citizens. With the systematic recording of hate crimes motivated by prejudice and the publication of statistics on hate crimes recorded by the police, a first important step has been taken to make hate crimes visible. It is important to observe the extent to which the views of the police and victim protection organisations or community organisations agree on whether an incident should be classified as a hate crime or not. These observations are an important basis for the reliability of the statistics now collected on hate crimes (Report of the Federal Ministry of the Interior on „Hate Crime“ in Austria 2021: https://www.bmi.gv.at/408/Projekt/files/218_2021_Hate_Crime_Bericht_2021_GESAMT_V20220510_barrierefrei.pdf).
In addition, relevant amendments to criminal legislation have been introduced to improve the handling of hate crimes. The amendments to the Criminal Code (StGB) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO) contain new regulations to combat hate crime more effectively and to strengthen the rights of victims. It is important to regularly review and adapt these legal changes in order to meet current challenges. The systematic recording of offences motivated by prejudice and the publication of corresponding statistics are decisive steps towards making hate crimes visible. It is important to analyse the extent to which the views of the police and victim protection organisations coincide in order to ensure the reliability of these statistics. An effective referral system for victims of hate crime needs to be developed to facilitate access to support and prosecution, with a focus on raising awareness among different actors such as police and social workers. These observations are an important basis for the reliability of the hate crime statistics that are now being collected. Despite this progress, there are still challenges, particularly in the area of sensitisation and documentation. The bias motive aspect is often not sufficiently taken into account in criminal prosecution, which means that many victims are unable to exercise their special rights under the EU Victims‘ Rights Directive. In order to counteract this, organisations such as ZARA and WEISSE RING are calling for the police to use special forms to record prejudicial motives in reports and for courts to take prejudicial motives into account throughout criminal proceedings. The prosecution of hate crime shows that a significant proportion of perpetrators are young and male. This is particularly noticeable in the case of anti-Semitic offences. In contrast, the proportion of foreign suspects is higher for anti-Christian and anti-Muslim offences. It is crucial that cooperation between law enforcement authorities and civil society organisations is strengthened in order to improve victim protection and counter hate crimes more effectively (see reporting and statement on the Hate Crime Report 2022 by Weisser Ring: https://www.weisser-ring.at/hasskriminalitaet-sichtbar-machen/). There is a lack of political strategies, especially against anti-Muslim racism. Instead, measures are taken that lead to prejudgements of people perceived as Muslim. The establishment of the Documentation Centre for Political Islam and Operation Luxor reinforce a general suspicion of Muslims and lead to people withdrawing from social discourse, a reduction in diversity of opinion and restrictions on participation. Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly can be restricted on the basis of membership of a particular group, which has a negative impact on basic democratic principles (Website of the Federal Chancellery – Documentation Centre for Political Islam: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/nachrichten-der-bundesregierung/2020/integrationsministerin-raab-dokumentationsstelle-politischer-islam-nimmt-arbeit-auf.html). 

Progress: In progress

Strengthen efforts to tackle racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic incidents, including through the disaggregation of hate crimes data

Proponent:

Australia


Australia

Australia


Australia

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):

According to the ZARA Racism Report 2023, people with migration experience, especially from African or Asian countries, are disproportionately affected by discrimination. This discrimination manifests itself in various areas of life, including the labour market, education and access to public services (see ZARA Report 2023: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf). The ECRI report by the Ombud for Equal Treatment emphasises that despite progress in the legal framework to combat discrimination, practical implementation is often inadequate. To meet these challenges, comprehensive measures are needed to promote equal treatment and combat racism. This includes both political initiatives and social efforts to raise awareness and education.  Austria has not yet implemented some of the recommendations of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) from the 2015 report „General Policy Recommendations No. 15 on Combating Hate Speech“. These include, in particular, the pending ratification of the „Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime“ and „Protocol No. 12 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms“.
ECRI also emphasises that politicians should take a clear stance against racist hate speech and that political parties should introduce codes of conduct that prohibit the use of hate speech. These recommendations have not yet been heeded.  There are no clear responsibilities at federal level in Austria to combat anti-Black racism, anti-Muslim racism and racism in general, and hardly any effective measures have been taken. There is also a lack of targeted awareness-raising programmes that address discrimination against people with disabilities and limited abilities and address aspects of self-empowerment and human rights. The need to implement structural changes and preventive measures to effectively counteract discrimination is emphasised by various organisations and initiatives. It should be critically noted that the public discourse often focuses on so-called „immigrant anti-Semitism“ and thus accuses people with a history of migration from Turkey and Arabic-speaking countries in particular of anti-Semitism across the board. The Documentation and Advice Centre on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism (Dokustelle) plays a central role in this. This centre was founded in 2014 and systematically collects data on Islamophobic incidents, offers advice in several languages and carries out awareness-raising and educational measures (see the 2022 report of the Documentation Centre on Anti-Muslim Racism and Islamophobia: https://dokustelle.at/fileadmin/Dokuments/Reports/Report_2022/Dokustelle-Report-2022.pdf). The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRAU) has updated its database on Islamophobia, which provides comprehensive information on hate crimes and hate speech against Muslims. In Austria, the database shows that Muslims continue to be the target of hate crimes and discrimination. The FRA reports a large number of incidents ranging from verbal abuse to physical violence. These incidents are also reflected in the Austrian statistics, which show an increasing number of reports and documented cases of Islamophobia (see Austrian database: https://fra.europa.eu/en/databases/anti-muslim-hatred/case-law?country%5B%5D=AT). A large number of measures have been taken since 2021 to combat all forms of antisemitism. A central coordination centre for the topic of anti-Semitism has been set up at the Federal Chancellery and a national strategy against anti-Semitism has been published (see https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/dam/jcr:8bd2975f-0483-4e74-abd9-d66446195d7c/antisemitismusstrategie.pdf). Even though the position has now been downgraded to a department in the Policy Section, it still exists in principle.   There are two implementation reports (for 2021 and 2022). For the education sector, a strategy paper on the „Prevention of antisemitism through education“ was developed in 2022, which contains recommendations for the implementation of the National Strategy against Antisemitism for the Austrian education administration and teacher training institutions (see: https://oead.at/fileadmin/Dokumente/oead.at/KIM/Downloadcenter/OeAD_E.AT_Strategiepapier_FIN_01.pdf). These recommendations were discussed at the symposium on „Preventing antisemitism through education“ in September 2022. In 2022, the National Forum against Antisemitism was also established to pool knowledge, combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life in Austria. The body is made up of representatives from the federal government, the provinces, municipalities, social partners, academia, religious communities, Jewish museums and civil society.   A working group on the documentation of anti-Semitic incidents has been established with the aim of learning from the experiences of other organisations that already document racist, anti-Semitic, etc. incidents. The aim is to learn from the experiences of other organisations already documenting racist, anti-Semitic, etc. incidents in order to set up an anti-Semitism documentation centre that meets current requirements.   Parliament also commissioned a study on anti-Semitism in Austria, which was presented in April 2023 (see https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/fachinfos/publikationen/Langbericht-Antisemitismus-2022-Oesterreichweite-Ergebnisse.pdf).   As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the federal government is pursuing this goal through close cooperation with all stakeholders (see Government Plan 2ß025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).

Progress: In progress

Continue efforts to improve access to justice for victims of discrimination, including discrimination based on hate speech and ethnic, racial or religious grounds

Proponent:

Cuba


Republic of Cuba

Cuba


Republic of Cuba

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):

The 2020 EU Action Plan against Racism calls on the member states to draw up National Action Plans against Racism by the end of 2022. In Austria, the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media in the Federal Chancellery is responsible for drawing up the National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination. This National Action Plan is also anchored in the current government programme (EU Action Plan against Racism 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/union-equality-eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en). Austria has also referred to the planned National Action Plan against Racism in various other recommendations regarding the implementation and promotion of measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. This shows its particular importance. Contrary to this assurance and contrary to the agreement in the last government programme, no national action plan to combat racism was adopted and no significant other programmes in the area of anti-racism work were implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism.  Racism remains a serious social problem in Austria. The latest report by SOS Mitmensch and other studies show that racist discrimination and hate crimes are on the rise. Anti-Muslim racism in particular has increased in recent years, partly fuelled by political rhetoric and campaigns targeting Muslim communities. Anti-Muslim hate crimes are common and are often supported by certain political groups. In 2023, the Documentation Centre on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism recorded a total of 1522 racist attacks against Muslims and people perceived to be Muslim. Compared to the previous year, 263 more cases were reported to us offline, which represents an increase of over 100 per cent of active case reports. The report shows a striking increase in case reports from the education sector. See report: here).
Austria has various laws in place to combat racism, including the Prohibition Act and the Equal Treatment Act. However, these legal frameworks are not always applied consistently, leading to calls for stronger policy measures and more rigorous enforcement of existing laws. Education and awareness-raising measures are also crucial to raise awareness of racial discrimination in the population and bring about long-term change (see SOS-Mitmensch report: https://www.sosmitmensch.at/site/momagazin/alleausgaben/7/article/395.html&ts=1720702499859).
ZARA’s report for the year 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the extent and various forms of racism in Austria. A total of 1302 reports were documented and processed, almost 60% of which concerned online racism. This underlines the importance of digital platforms as a place for racist incidents, which can often be documented and reported using simple screenshots. The public sphere and the goods/services sector were particularly affected, with 58.2% and 15.9% of reports respectively. State authorities and institutions were involved in 11% of cases, while racist incidents in the police were only formally complained about in 4 out of 58 cases. In most of the other cases, those affected sought support from ZARA through counselling sessions and legal advice. A significant number (almost 78%) of reports came from witnesses, while 22% were submitted by those directly affected. The report also criticises the lack of implementation of a National Action Plan against Racism in Austria, although the need for structural change and combating institutional racism is obvious. There are still challenges in dealing with racism in Austria and the need for social support and structural changes to effectively address these issues (see Racism Report 2023, March 2024 edition: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA_RassismusReport_2023_DE.pdf).  As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the federal government is pursuing this goal through close cooperation with all stakeholders (see Government Plan 2ß025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).It should be noted that in Austria, both the development and implementation of measures to combat discrimination have been driven forward in close cooperation with various civil society organisations. However, it must be noted that the public discourse often focuses on so-called „immigrant anti-Semitism“ and thus accuses people with migration experience from Turkey and Arabic-speaking countries in particular of anti-Semitism across the board. However, there is a lack of clear responsibility at federal level to combat anti-Black racism, anti-Muslim racism and racism in general. Few concrete measures have been taken so far. There is a lack of targeted awareness-raising measures that address discrimination against people with disabilities and limited abilities as well as aspects of self-empowerment and human rights. Austria has not yet implemented some of the recommendations of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) from its report „General Policy Recommendations No. 15 on Combating Hate Speech (2015)“ (see: ECRI General Policy Recommendations No.15 on Combating Hate Speech,2015: https://rm.coe.int/ecri-general-policy-recommendation-no-15-on-combating-hate-speech/16808b5b01). This includes the pending ratification of the „Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime“ and the „Protocol No. 12 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.“  A large number of measures have been taken since 2021 to combat all forms of antisemitism. A central coordination centre for the topic of anti-Semitism has been set up at the Federal Chancellery and a national strategy against anti-Semitism has been published (see https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/dam/jcr:8bd2975f-0483-4e74-abd9-d66446195d7c/antisemitismusstrategie.pdf). Even though the position has now been downgraded to a department in the Policy Section, it still exists in principle.   Two implementation reports are available (for 2021 and 2022). For the education sector, a strategy paper on the „Prevention of antisemitism through education“ was developed in 2022, which contains recommendations for the implementation of the National Strategy against Antisemitism for the Austrian education administration and teacher training institutions (see: https://oead.at/fileadmin/Dokumente/oead.at/KIM/Downloadcenter/OeAD_E.AT_Strategiepapier_FIN_01.pdf). These recommendations were discussed at the symposium on „Preventing antisemitism through education“ in September 2022. In 2022, the National Forum against Antisemitism was also established to pool knowledge, combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life in Austria. The body is made up of representatives from the federal government, the provinces, municipalities, social partners, academia, religious communities, Jewish museums and civil society. A working group on the documentation of anti-Semitic incidents was also established with the aim of learning from the experiences of other organisations that already document racist, anti-Semitic, etc. incidents. The aim is to learn from the experiences of other organisations already documenting racist, anti-Semitic incidents in order to set up an anti-Semitism documentation centre that meets current requirements.   Parliament also commissioned a study on anti-Semitism in Austria, which was presented in April 2023 (see https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/fachinfos/publikationen/Langbericht-Antisemitismus-2022-Oesterreichweite-Ergebnisse.pdf). While there are political strategies against anti-Semitism, there is no comparable approach to anti-Muslim racism. Instead, measures are taken that lead to prejudgements of people perceived as Muslim. The establishment of the Documentation Centre for Political Islam and Operation Luxor reinforce a general suspicion of Muslims and lead to people withdrawing from social discourse, a reduction in diversity of opinion and restrictions on participation. Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly can be restricted on the basis of membership of a particular group, which has a negative impact on basic democratic principles (website of the Federal Chancellery – Documentation Centre for Political Islam: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/nachrichten-der-bundesregierung/2020/integrationsministerin-raab-dokumentationsstelle-politischer-islam-nimmt-arbeit-auf.html). Regarding hate speech on the internet, the Hate on the Net Act was introduced to help victims of online hate, including group-focused misanthropy (HiNBG see: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2020_I_148/BGBLA_2020_I_148.html). 

Progress: No progress

Hold those accountable who commit, aid or abet racial discrimination and profiling

Proponent:

Pakistan


Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Pakistan


Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

In Austria, there are reports of racist police checks in which people are discriminated against on the basis of their ethnic origin or skin colour. According to the Amnesty Annual Report 2022, such practices have been documented time and again in police work, which places a particular burden on the communities affected. The Styrian Anti-Discrimination Agency confirms that racial profiling violates the ban on discrimination and must be urgently reformed in order to protect the rights of all citizens (Amnesty International Annual Report: https://www.amnesty.de/informieren/amnesty-report/oesterreich-2022). In Austria, there is still a need to strengthen measures to combat racial discrimination and racial profiling. This requires not only a clear condemnation of such practices, but also the implementation of accountability measures for those who commit, aid and abet or cover up racial discrimination. Promoting transparency, education and training for law enforcement agencies and strengthening the rights of victims are crucial steps to combat racial discrimination and racial profiling. Measures should be taken to hold people who practise racial discrimination and racial profiling accountable (Racism Report 2022 by ZARA- Civil Courage and Anti-Racism Work as PDF: https://assets.zara.or.at/media/rassismusreport/ZARA-Rassismus_Report_2022.pdf). 

Progress: In progress

Protect those who face persecution because of their religious beliefs

Proponent:

Nicaragua


Republic of Nicaragua

Nicaragua


Republic of Nicaragua

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

{Diskriminierung-Religion}

Progress: No progress

Increase awareness of cultural diversity, non-discrimination and tolerance in education system

Proponent:

Turkey


Republic of Turkey

Turkey


Republic of Turkey

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

In its Concluding Observations on Austria in March 2020, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child made more than 60 recommendations to improve the situation of children’s rights, including protection against violence, education, non-discrimination, health and inclusion. The federal government does not have a structured implementation programme (e.g. strategy, action plan) for this; an exchange with relevant stakeholders only takes place within the framework of the Children’s Rights Board set up in the Federal Chancellery/Family, albeit with non-binding results. In implementation of the EU Child Guarantee, the Child Opportunities Programme was initiated in Austria to ensure basic services for children, particularly those in disadvantaged circumstances (early childhood education, health, combating child poverty); however, the necessary action plan, which has been due from the federal government for well over a year, has not yet been presented (see website of the Ministry of Social Affairs: <a
href=https://www.sozialministerium.at/Themen/Soziales/Soziale-Themen/Europäische-Garantie-für-Kinder.html>https://www.sozialministerium.at/Themen/Soziales/Soziale-Themen/Europäische-Garantie-für-Kinder.html).
In addition, the Integration Department at the Federal Chancellery supports low-threshold language courses and learning support for children and young people of school age in order to improve their German skills and educational opportunities. In the years 2021 to 2023, around 7 million euros were made available for these purposes, with projects such as the Caritas learning cafés throughout Austria and the „HIPPY projects“ in various federal states being funded.   The Ombuds Office for Children and Youths offers an education ombudsman service for kindergartens and schools, which provides support for various school-related problems such as derogatory behaviour, discrimination, violence, bullying, unfair grades and the involvement of pupils in decision-making processes and acute crisis situations in kindergartens and schools.   We would also like to draw attention to current statements written by members of the Children’s Rights Network. These relate to various developments, including refugee and asylum coordination, the inclusion of children with disabilities in collaboration with the Austrian Disability Council and protection against violence in collaboration with the Association of Child Protection Centres and „Die Möwe.“ In addition, the Children’s Rights Network submitted a supplementary report to the 5th and 6th Report of the Republic of Austria to the United Nations in accordance with Article 44 (1b) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.   The following demands are presented in this report on behalf of the Children’s Rights Network: The introduction of compulsory kindergarten years, an expansion of educational opportunities for children under the age of three, targeted support for children with special needs, including affordable language support, the transfer of elementary education to federal competence and improved training for educators and a comprehensive integration of children’s and human rights into early childhood education and appropriate further training for educators (Supplementary Report to the 5th and 6th Report of the Republic of Austria to the United Nations pursuant to Article 44(1)(b) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: https://www.kinderhabenrechte.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bericht_DT.pdf).“ 

Progress: No progress

Continue to promote human rights education, awareness-raising and promoting dialogue and tolerance

Proponent:

Bosnia and Herzegovina


Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina


Bosnia and Herzegovina

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

The international activities of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) and the organisations charged with this task, erinnern.at and OeAD, all aim to support teachers and learners in the field of human rights education. However, there is no further information on specific projects from Austria. Although the World Programme for Human Rights Education was launched by the United Nations in December 2004, various measures to promote human rights education are being implemented in Austria. Although progress in human rights education is recognisable, it should be noted that there is still a considerable need for action. 

Progress: No progress

Refrain from polarizing populist campaigns against migrant communities and take a firm public stance against racist speeches

Proponent:

Turkey


Republic of Turkey

Turkey


Republic of Turkey

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

The international activities of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) and the organisations charged with this task, erinnern.at and OeAD, all aim to support teachers and learners in the field of human rights education. However, there is no further information on specific projects from Austria. Although the World Programme for Human Rights Education was launched by the United Nations in December 2004, various measures to promote human rights education are being implemented in Austria. Although progress in human rights education is recognisable, it should be noted that there is still a considerable need for action. 

Progress: No progress

Continue to raise public awareness to eliminate prejudice and stereotypes against migrants and refugees, and take further measures to translate integration efforts into effective practice on the ground

Proponent:

South Korea


Republic of Korea

South Korea


Republic of Korea

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

Law enforcement agencies continued to use facial recognition technologies without a clear legal basis, despite the potential discrimination against gender and ethnic minorities and the interference with the rights to privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. Racial profiling by the police continued to be practised and there was a lack of effective mechanisms to investigate these practices (see Human Rights Situation in Austria 2022, Amnesty International Austria: https://www.amnesty.at/themen/menschenrechte-in-oesterreich/menschenrechtslage-in-oesterreich-2022-amnesty-jahresbericht/). Between January and August 2021, 64 Afghan nationals were deported to Afghanistan despite the risk of serious human rights violations upon their return. In August of the same year, the Austrian government refused to evacuate Afghan refugees from the Taliban and to redistribute asylum seekers from the Greek islands. In July 2021, the Provincial Administrative Court of Styria found that seven asylum seekers had been illegally returned to Slovenia. This showed that unlawful pushbacks were being systematically practised in Austria in some cases. In February 2022, the same court confirmed that an asylum seeker from Morocco had been unlawfully returned to Slovenia and pointed out the methodical application of such unlawful pushbacks. By the end of 2022, around 90,000 Ukrainian refugees had received temporary protection in Austria in accordance with the EU mass influx directives. In September 2022, the Ministry of the Interior reported that 5,140 unaccompanied minors had gone missing between January and July. Numerous NGOs and politicians are calling for the immediate allocation of guardians for unaccompanied minors as soon as they arrive, instead of waiting for admission to the asylum procedure, which often takes several months;In recent years, there has been a tightening of immigration policy in Austria and an increasing harshness towards asylum seekers. This is reflected in legislative changes aimed at making access to asylum more difficult and facilitating the deportation of rejected asylum seekers. Another problem is the treatment of asylum seekers during the asylum procedure and in reception centres. There are currently reports of overcrowded accommodation, inadequate medical care and a lack of integration into the education system. 

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