Progress: No progress
Address the COVID-19 pandemic-related challenges in its National Human Rights Action Plan update
Proponent:
Lithuania
Republic of Lithuania
Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Apr 1, 2025):
Despite the agreement in the last government programme and the sustained demand by opposition parties such as the SPÖ and NEOS, a general National Action Plan for Human Rights for Austria has not yet been finalised or adopted. The details (see: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/dam/jcr:7b9e6755-2115-440c-b2ec-cbf64a931aa8/RegProgramm-lang.pdf on page 153) and in the parliamentary initiatives of the SPÖ and NEOS (e.g. SPÖ and NEOS). A general National Action Plan for Human Rights should not be replaced by the results of topic-specific action plans. Rather, it is intended to provide strategic and long-term planning, prioritisation and serve as a central mechanism for coordination and strategic planning to implement the recommendations of the UPR process. In addition to strategic objectives for legislation, a comprehensive national action plan should include the following elements: Network building within the administration and with NGOs, new creation and support of human rights institutions, integration of human rights education in schools and universities, educational programmes for vulnerable groups, public awareness-building, provision of information materials, research and evaluation. As early as 1993, the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna recommended comprehensive National Action Plans for Human Rights. These form the gold standard throughout the EU and are widespread in many countries, as a study by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency shows ( Study by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency). It is no substitute for a general National Action Plan for Human Rights to await the results of topic-specific National Action Plans. Rather, the purpose of the general National Action Plan is to plan strategically and in the long term and to define priorities. In this way, the National Action Plan for Human Rights can also be the main mechanism for coordination and strategic planning for the implementation of the recommendations of the UPR process.
In the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government aims to revitalise the Human Rights Action Plan and promote its implementation (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).
