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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 effective measures to increase its official development assistance to achieve the internationally agreed target of 0.7% of its GDP, in order to realize economic, social and cultural rights

Proponent:

Bangladesh


People's Republic of Bangladesh

Bangladesh


People's Republic of Bangladesh

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

Although there has been selective progress in humanitarian aid and direct project aid, a substantial increase in the Austrian Office Development Assistance ODA ratio is not recognisable. The temporary increase to 0.39% in 2022 due to additional funds for Ukraine is considered a one-off effect (Austrian Development Agency website: ADA: Official Development Assistance: https://www.entwicklung.at/ada/oeffentliche-entwicklungshilfeleistungen). A binding step-by-step plan is required to achieve the target of 0.7% (see OECD website: preliminary figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development- OECD: https://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/official-development-assistance.htm ). However, civil society is expressing concerns about implementation. Although a gradual increase in development aid funding was agreed in the government programme, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet taken sufficient steps to pursue the goal.
  ; In the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government is focussing on joint improvements with all stakeholders on this point (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).

Progress: No progress

Consider taking additional steps to increase its ODA contribution to reach 0.7% of GNI

Proponent:

Cambodia


Kingdom of Cambodia

Cambodia


Kingdom of Cambodia

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

Although there has been selective progress in humanitarian aid and direct project aid, a substantial increase in the Austrian Office Development Assistance ODA ratio is not recognisable. The temporary increase to 0.39% in 2022 due to additional funds for Ukraine is considered a one-off effect (Austrian Development Agency website: ADA: Official Development Assistance: https://www.entwicklung.at/ada/oeffentliche-entwicklungshilfeleistungen). A binding step-by-step plan is required to achieve the target of 0.7% (see OECD website: preliminary figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development- OECD: https://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/official-development-assistance.htm ). However, civil society is expressing concerns about implementation. Although a gradual increase in development aid funding was agreed in the government programme, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet taken sufficient steps to pursue the goal.
  ; In the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government is focussing on joint improvements with all stakeholders on this point (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).

Progress: No progress

Respect the commitment to devote 0.7% of gross national income to official development assistance

Proponent:

Luxembourg


Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Luxembourg


Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

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

Although there has been selective progress in humanitarian aid and direct project aid, a substantial increase in the Austrian Office Development Assistance ODA ratio is not recognisable. The temporary increase to 0.39% in 2022 due to additional funds for Ukraine is considered a one-off effect (Austrian Development Agency website: ADA: Official Development Assistance: https://www.entwicklung.at/ada/oeffentliche-entwicklungshilfeleistungen). A binding step-by-step plan is required to achieve the target of 0.7% (see OECD website: preliminary figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development- OECD: https://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/official-development-assistance.htm ). However, civil society is expressing concerns about implementation. Although a gradual increase in development aid funding was agreed in the government programme, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet taken sufficient steps to pursue the goal.
  ; In the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government is focussing on joint improvements with all stakeholders on this point (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).

Progress: Partial success

Include in its ODA emergency aid packages specifically targeted to address the social and economic impacts of Covid-19

Proponent:

Bhutan


Kingdom of Bhutan

Bhutan


Kingdom of Bhutan

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

In terms of public development cooperation, the Austrian government has taken steps to mitigate the impact of the pandemic by providing financial support and initiating aid projects at home and abroad. Nevertheless, long-term strategies are needed to ensure sustainable recovery and to be prepared for future challenges. 

Progress: In progress

Continue efforts to substantially increase the ODA funding for gender equality programmes

Proponent:

Malta


Republic of Malta

Malta


Republic of Malta

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

In 2019, the proportion of projects (co-)financed by the Austrian Development Agency with public development funds for the specific promotion of gender equality as defined by the OECD Development Assistance Committee rose to one third (33%) for the first time. In 2020 and 2021, however, this share fell again to around 14% without any additional budget being made available. The overall share of Austrian Development Agency project funding that contributes to gender equality in general (sometimes less specifically) fell from 81% in 2019 to 74% in 2021 (see Austrian Development Agency website: https://www.entwicklung.at/mediathek/publikationen/berichte). Compared to the total bilateral development aid of all public actors, the proportion of funds that contribute to gender equality is significantly lower. At 32% (with only 5% specifically dedicated to gender equality), Austria is well below the OECD Development Assistance Committee member state average of 44% (2020/2021), and there is a need to increase this proportion (OECD Development Assistance Committee: https://web-archive.oecd.org/temp/2024-03-07/73550-development-finance-for-gender-equality-and-women-s-empowerment.htm). Civil society emphasises the importance of cooperation with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and recommends discussing the requirements and feasibility with NGOs more intensively in future in order to improve the quality of gender mainstreaming;

Progress: Success

Ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict

Proponent:

France


French Republic

France


French Republic

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

Austria ratified the relevant protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2002:
BGBl III Nr 92/2002 or Ratification list of the UN. 

Progress: In progress

Continue to improve human rights protection and work closely with its partners

Proponent:

Bosnia and Herzegovina


Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina


Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

Civil society organisations are still experiencing difficulties in the area of human rights protection in Austria. Civil society organisations have expressed concerns that discrimination and human rights violations continue against certain groups such as migrants, asylum seekers or LGBTQI+ people. There is a need to protect these vulnerable groups and ensure that their rights are effectively protected. An important note is that despite some progress in the area of human rights enforcement and monitoring, problems still exist. Some non-governmental organisations have pointed out that human rights standards are not fully implemented and that certain mechanisms for monitoring and enforcing human rights need to be further strengthened;An important note is that despite some progress in the area of human rights enforcement and monitoring, problems still exist. Some non-governmental organisations have pointed out that human rights standards are not fully implemented and that certain mechanisms for monitoring and enforcing human rights need to be further strengthened.  

Progress: Partial success

Reform the Austrian Ombudsman to meet the Paris Principles relating to the Status of National Human Rights Institutions

Proponent:

Canada


Canada

Canada


Canada

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

In April 2022, the Austrian Ombudsman Board received full A status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI in recognition of the improvements to the constitutional framework. A status requires full compliance with the United Nations Paris Principles. The United Nations defined the international standard for the role and functioning of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in 1993. The NHRI principles contain provisions on the mandate and mode of operation. The core elements are independence, a mandate encompassing all human rights, a legal mandate
mandate, a legal basis to ensure political legitimacy and independence as well as an infrastructure and funding that enable effective work. The relevant accreditation report published in March 2022 links the A status achieved with the obligation to make further improvements to the organisation’s effectiveness and independence in the areas of appointment procedures, inter-institutional diversity and cooperation with civil society (see accreditation report: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/SCA-Report-March-2022_E.pdf).  The introduction of a permanent informal sounding board with the participation of civil society organisations has led to significant improvements, particularly in the area of cooperation. In the context of the new appointment, civil society organisations are calling for a rapid adjustment of the appointment procedure in accordance with the Paris Principles. In this regard, the recommendations of the GANHRI of March 2022 are supported, which include a broad public call for tenders, the consideration of a diverse selection of candidates, the involvement of civil society organisations and transparent selection criteria. We call for the procedure to be reviewed and reformed in close consultation with civil society. 

Progress: Partial success

Bring the National Human Rights Institution into compliance with the Paris Principles and maintain its complete independence

Proponent:

Egypt


Arab Republic of Egypt

Egypt


Arab Republic of Egypt

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

In April 2022, the Austrian Ombudsman Board received full A status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI in recognition of the improvements to the constitutional framework. A status requires full compliance with the United Nations Paris Principles. The United Nations defined the international standard for the role and functioning of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in 1993. The NHRI principles contain provisions on the mandate and mode of operation. The core elements are independence, a mandate encompassing all human rights, a legal mandate
mandate, a legal basis to ensure political legitimacy and independence as well as an infrastructure and funding that enable effective work. The relevant accreditation report published in March 2022 links the A status achieved with the obligation to make further improvements to the organisation’s effectiveness and independence in the areas of appointment procedures, inter-institutional diversity and cooperation with civil society (see accreditation report: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/SCA-Report-March-2022_E.pdf).  The introduction of a permanent informal sounding board with the participation of civil society organisations has led to significant improvements, particularly in the area of cooperation. In the context of the new appointment, civil society organisations are calling for a rapid adjustment of the appointment procedure in accordance with the Paris Principles. In this regard, the recommendations of the GANHRI of March 2022 are supported, which include a broad public call for tenders, the consideration of a diverse selection of candidates, the involvement of civil society organisations and transparent selection criteria. We call for the procedure to be reviewed and reformed in close consultation with civil society. An open letter from 25 civil society organisations dated 18 July 2022 addresses the need for a transparent and participatory selection and appointment process for national human rights institutions (NHRIs). It emphasises that such a process must be anchored in relevant laws, regulations or binding administrative guidelines to ensure independence and public trust in NHRIs. The organisations warn of the negative impact on civil society trust if the independence of NHRI members could be influenced by political connections, even if this is only a perceived threat (see Amnesty International Open Letter, 18.07.2022: https://cdn.amnesty.at/media/9979/offener-brief-volksanwaltschaft-18-07-22.pdf). As part of a review of the Austrian Ombudsman Board with regard to the agreement with international standards (so-called „Paris Principles“) in March 2022, GANHRI criticised in particular the appointment procedure, which does not do justice to the principle of independence. GANHRI considers the procedure currently enshrined in the Federal Constitution Act to be inadequate, comprehensive and transparent, as it does not provide for a public tender or opportunities for civil society to participate. Some NHRIs have their own budget, which enables them to act more independently, while budgetary sovereignty can be problematic in other cases. The political appointment of some members is sometimes a challenge, as clear quality criteria are not always guaranteed. Nevertheless, political or administrative experience among ombudsmen and ombudswomen can offer advantages and contribute to the effectiveness of their work;

Progress: Partial success

Ensure that the Austrian Ombudsman Board fully complies with the Paris Principles

Proponent:

Albania


Republic of Albania

Albania


Republic of Albania

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

In April 2022, the Austrian Ombudsman Board received full A status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI in recognition of the improvements to the constitutional framework. A status requires full compliance with the United Nations Paris Principles. The United Nations defined the international standard for the role and functioning of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in 1993. The NHRI principles contain provisions on the mandate and mode of operation. The core elements are independence, a mandate encompassing all human rights, a legal mandate
mandate, a legal basis to ensure political legitimacy and independence as well as an infrastructure and funding that enable effective work. The relevant accreditation report published in March 2022 links the A status achieved with the obligation to make further improvements to the organisation’s effectiveness and independence in the areas of appointment procedures, inter-institutional diversity and cooperation with civil society (see accreditation report: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/SCA-Report-March-2022_E.pdf).  The introduction of a permanent informal sounding board with the participation of civil society organisations has led to significant improvements, particularly in the area of cooperation. In the context of the new appointment, civil society organisations are calling for a rapid adjustment of the appointment procedure in accordance with the Paris Principles. In this regard, the recommendations of the GANHRI of March 2022 are supported, which include a broad public call for tenders, the consideration of a diverse selection of candidates, the involvement of civil society organisations and transparent selection criteria. We call for the procedure to be reviewed and reformed in close consultation with civil society. 

Progress: Partial success

Continue steps leading to the full compliance of the Austrian Ombudsman Board with the Paris Principles

Proponent:

Georgia


Georgia

Georgia


Georgia

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

In April 2022, the Austrian Ombudsman Board received full A status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI in recognition of the improvements to the constitutional framework. A status requires full compliance with the United Nations Paris Principles. The United Nations defined the international standard for the role and functioning of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in 1993. The NHRI principles contain provisions on the mandate and mode of operation. The core elements are independence, a mandate encompassing all human rights, a legal mandate
mandate, a legal basis to ensure political legitimacy and independence as well as an infrastructure and funding that enable effective work. The relevant accreditation report published in March 2022 links the A status achieved with the obligation to make further improvements to the organisation’s effectiveness and independence in the areas of appointment procedures, inter-institutional diversity and cooperation with civil society (see accreditation report: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/SCA-Report-March-2022_E.pdf).  The introduction of a permanent informal sounding board with the participation of civil society organisations has led to significant improvements, particularly in the area of cooperation. In the context of the new appointment, civil society organisations are calling for a rapid adjustment of the appointment procedure in accordance with the Paris Principles. In this regard, the recommendations of the GANHRI of March 2022 are supported, which include a broad public call for tenders, the consideration of a diverse selection of candidates, the involvement of civil society organisations and transparent selection criteria. We call for the procedure to be reviewed and reformed in close consultation with civil society. 

Progress: Partial success

Ensure that the Austrian Ombudsman Board is independent and in full accordance with the Paris principles on national human rights institutions

Proponent:

India


Republic of India

India


Republic of India

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

In April 2022, the Austrian Ombudsman Board received full A status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI in recognition of the improvements to the constitutional framework. A status requires full compliance with the United Nations Paris Principles. The United Nations defined the international standard for the role and functioning of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in 1993. The NHRI principles contain provisions on the mandate and mode of operation. The core elements are independence, a mandate encompassing all human rights, a legal mandate
mandate, a legal basis to ensure political legitimacy and independence as well as an infrastructure and funding that enable effective work. The relevant accreditation report published in March 2022 links the A status achieved with the obligation to make further improvements to the organisation’s effectiveness and independence in the areas of appointment procedures, inter-institutional diversity and cooperation with civil society (see accreditation report: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/SCA-Report-March-2022_E.pdf).  The introduction of a permanent informal sounding board with the participation of civil society organisations has led to significant improvements, particularly in the area of cooperation. In the context of the new appointment, civil society organisations are calling for a rapid adjustment of the appointment procedure in accordance with the Paris Principles. In this regard, the recommendations of the GANHRI of March 2022 are supported, which include a broad public call for tenders, the consideration of a diverse selection of candidates, the involvement of civil society organisations and transparent selection criteria. We call for the procedure to be reviewed and reformed in close consultation with civil society. An open letter from 25 civil society organisations dated 18 July 2022 addresses the need for a transparent and participatory selection and appointment process for national human rights institutions (NHRIs). It emphasises that such a process must be anchored in relevant laws, regulations or binding administrative guidelines to ensure independence and public trust in NHRIs. The organisations warn of the negative impact on civil society trust if the independence of NHRI members could be influenced by political connections, even if this is only a perceived threat (see Amnesty International Open Letter, 18.07.2022: https://cdn.amnesty.at/media/9979/offener-brief-volksanwaltschaft-18-07-22.pdf). As part of a review of the Austrian Ombudsman Board with regard to the agreement with international standards (so-called „Paris Principles“) in March 2022, GANHRI criticised in particular the appointment procedure, which does not do justice to the principle of independence. GANHRI considers the procedure currently enshrined in the Federal Constitution Act to be inadequate, comprehensive and transparent, as it does not provide for a public tender or opportunities for civil society to participate. Some NHRIs have their own budget, which enables them to act more independently, while budgetary sovereignty can be problematic in other cases. The political appointment of some members is sometimes a challenge, as clear quality criteria are not always guaranteed. Nevertheless, political or administrative experience among ombudsmen and ombudswomen can offer advantages and contribute to the effectiveness of their work;

Progress: Partial success

Improve the functioning of the Austrian Ombudsman with a view to ensuring its independence and compliance with the Paris Principles

Proponent:

Algeria


People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

Algeria


People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

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

In April 2022, the Austrian Ombudsman Board received full A status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI in recognition of the improvements to the constitutional framework. A status requires full compliance with the United Nations Paris Principles. The United Nations defined the international standard for the role and functioning of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in 1993. The NHRI principles contain provisions on the mandate and mode of operation. The core elements are independence, a mandate encompassing all human rights, a legal mandate
mandate, a legal basis to ensure political legitimacy and independence as well as an infrastructure and funding that enable effective work. The relevant accreditation report published in March 2022 links the A status achieved with the obligation to make further improvements to the organisation’s effectiveness and independence in the areas of appointment procedures, inter-institutional diversity and cooperation with civil society (see accreditation report: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/SCA-Report-March-2022_E.pdf).  The introduction of a permanent informal sounding board with the participation of civil society organisations has led to significant improvements, particularly in the area of cooperation. In the context of the new appointment, civil society organisations are calling for a rapid adjustment of the appointment procedure in accordance with the Paris Principles. In this regard, the recommendations of the GANHRI of March 2022 are supported, which include a broad public call for tenders, the consideration of a diverse selection of candidates, the involvement of civil society organisations and transparent selection criteria. We call for the procedure to be reviewed and reformed in close consultation with civil society. An open letter from 25 civil society organisations dated 18 July 2022 addresses the need for a transparent and participatory selection and appointment process for national human rights institutions (NHRIs). It emphasises that such a process must be anchored in relevant laws, regulations or binding administrative guidelines to ensure independence and public trust in NHRIs. The organisations warn of the negative impact on civil society trust if the independence of NHRI members could be influenced by political connections, even if this is only a perceived threat (see Amnesty International Open Letter, 18.07.2022: https://cdn.amnesty.at/media/9979/offener-brief-volksanwaltschaft-18-07-22.pdf). As part of a review of the Austrian Ombudsman Board with regard to the agreement with international standards (so-called „Paris Principles“) in March 2022, GANHRI criticised in particular the appointment procedure, which does not do justice to the principle of independence. GANHRI considers the procedure currently enshrined in the Federal Constitution Act to be inadequate, comprehensive and transparent, as it does not provide for a public tender or opportunities for civil society to participate. Some NHRIs have their own budget, which enables them to act more independently, while budgetary sovereignty can be problematic in other cases. The political appointment of some members is sometimes a challenge, as clear quality criteria are not always guaranteed. Nevertheless, political or administrative experience among ombudsmen and ombudswomen can offer advantages and contribute to the effectiveness of their work;

Progress: In progress

Ensuring the appointment process of the members of the Austrian Ombudsman Board is in a full accordance with Paris Principles

Proponent:

Iraq


Republic of Iraq

Iraq


Republic of Iraq

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

In April 2022, the Austrian Ombudsman Board received full A status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI in recognition of the improvements to the constitutional framework. A status requires full compliance with the United Nations Paris Principles. The United Nations defined the international standard for the role and functioning of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in 1993. The NHRI principles contain provisions on the mandate and mode of operation. The core elements are independence, a mandate encompassing all human rights, a legal mandate
mandate, a legal basis to ensure political legitimacy and independence as well as an infrastructure and funding that enable effective work. The relevant accreditation report published in March 2022 links the A status achieved with the obligation to make further improvements to the organisation’s effectiveness and independence in the areas of appointment procedures, inter-institutional diversity and cooperation with civil society (see accreditation report: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/SCA-Report-March-2022_E.pdf).  The introduction of a permanent informal sounding board with the participation of civil society organisations has led to significant improvements, particularly in the area of cooperation. In the context of the new appointment, civil society organisations are calling for a rapid adjustment of the appointment procedure in accordance with the Paris Principles. In this regard, the recommendations of the GANHRI of March 2022 are supported, which include a broad public call for tenders, the consideration of a diverse selection of candidates, the involvement of civil society organisations and transparent selection criteria. We call for the procedure to be reviewed and reformed in close consultation with civil society. 

Progress: Partial success

Ensure that the Austrian Ombudsman Board fully complies with the Paris Principles and has sufficient human and financial resources to perform its role independently

Proponent:

Kazakhstan


Republic of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan


Republic of Kazakhstan

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

In April 2022, the Austrian Ombudsman Board received full A status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI in recognition of the improvements to the constitutional framework. A status requires full compliance with the United Nations Paris Principles. The United Nations defined the international standard for the role and functioning of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in 1993. The NHRI principles contain provisions on the mandate and mode of operation. The core elements are independence, a mandate encompassing all human rights, a legal mandate
mandate, a legal basis to ensure political legitimacy and independence as well as an infrastructure and funding that enable effective work. The relevant accreditation report published in March 2022 links the A status achieved with the obligation to make further improvements to the organisation’s effectiveness and independence in the areas of appointment procedures, inter-institutional diversity and cooperation with civil society (see accreditation report: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/SCA-Report-March-2022_E.pdf).  The introduction of a permanent informal sounding board with the participation of civil society organisations has led to significant improvements, particularly in the area of cooperation. In the context of the new appointment, civil society organisations are calling for a rapid adjustment of the appointment procedure in accordance with the Paris Principles. In this regard, the recommendations of the GANHRI of March 2022 are supported, which include a broad public call for tenders, the consideration of a diverse selection of candidates, the involvement of civil society organisations and transparent selection criteria. We call for the procedure to be reviewed and reformed in close consultation with civil society. The report of the Austrian Ombudsman Board (1 January to 31 December 2023; III-1135 d.B.) see report : https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVII/I/2578/fname_1632810.pdf, published on 4 June 2024, emphasises that the Austrian Ombudsman Board is facing major challenges. The increasing number of complaints requires an increase in human and financial resources. The report emphasises the need for structural adjustments in order to ensure the efficiency and quality of the Ombudsman Board’s work in the long term. 

Progress: Partial success

Take necessary steps to ensure full compliance of the Austrian Ombudsman Board with the Paris Principles, including reforming the process of appointing members to ensure selection is merit based

Proponent:

Australia


Australia

Australia


Australia

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

An open letter from 25 civil society organisations dated 18 July 2022 addresses the need for a transparent and participatory selection and appointment process for national human rights institutions (NHRIs). It emphasises that such a process must be anchored in relevant laws, regulations or binding administrative guidelines to ensure independence and public trust in NHRIs. The organisations warn of the negative impact on civil society trust if the independence of NHRI members could be influenced by political connections, even if this is only a perceived threat (see Amnesty International Open Letter, 18.07.2022: https://cdn.amnesty.at/media/9979/offener-brief-volksanwaltschaft-18-07-22.pdf). As part of a review of the Austrian Ombudsman Board with regard to the agreement with international standards (so-called „Paris Principles“) in March 2022, GANHRI criticised in particular the appointment procedure, which does not do justice to the principle of independence. GANHRI considers the procedure currently enshrined in the Federal Constitution Act to be inadequate, comprehensive and transparent, as it does not provide for a public tender or opportunities for civil society to participate. Some NHRIs have their own budget, which enables them to act more independently, while budgetary sovereignty can be problematic in other cases. The political appointment of some members is sometimes a challenge, as clear quality criteria are not always guaranteed. Nevertheless, political or administrative experience among ombudsmen and ombudswomen can offer advantages and contribute to the effectiveness of their work;

Progress: Partial success

Establish a national human rights institution in conformity with the Paris Principles

Proponent:

Senegal


Republic of Senegal

Senegal


Republic of Senegal

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

In April 2022, the Austrian Ombudsman Board received full A status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI in recognition of the improvements to the constitutional framework. A status requires full compliance with the United Nations Paris Principles. The United Nations defined the international standard for the role and functioning of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in 1993. The NHRI principles contain provisions on the mandate and mode of operation. The core elements are independence, a mandate encompassing all human rights, a legal mandate
mandate, a legal basis to ensure political legitimacy and independence as well as an infrastructure and funding that enable effective work. The relevant accreditation report published in March 2022 links the A status achieved with the obligation to make further improvements to the organisation’s effectiveness and independence in the areas of appointment procedures, inter-institutional diversity and cooperation with civil society (see accreditation report: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/SCA-Report-March-2022_E.pdf).  The introduction of a permanent informal sounding board with the participation of civil society organisations has led to significant improvements, particularly in the area of cooperation. In the context of the new appointment, civil society organisations are calling for a rapid adjustment of the appointment procedure in accordance with the Paris Principles. In this regard, the recommendations of the GANHRI of March 2022 are supported, which include a broad public call for tenders, the consideration of a diverse selection of candidates, the involvement of civil society organisations and transparent selection criteria. We call for the procedure to be reviewed and reformed in close consultation with civil society. 

Progress: Partial success

Continue measures to strengthen the national human rights institutions

Proponent:

Nepal


Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal

Nepal


Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal

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

Various measures have been taken to strengthen the Austrian Ombudsman Board. In April 2022, the Austrian Ombudsman Board received full A status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) for improvements to its constitutional framework. This status requires full compliance with the United Nations Paris Principles, which define international standards for the independence, mandate and functioning of national human rights institutions. The improvements include a transparent appointment procedure, stronger cooperation with civil society and a comprehensive legal anchoring of the Ombudsman’s tasks. In April 2022, the Austrian Ombudsman Board received full A status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI in recognition of the improvements to the constitutional framework. A status requires full compliance with the United Nations Paris Principles. The United Nations defined the international standard for the role and functioning of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in 1993. The NHRI principles contain provisions on the mandate and mode of operation. The core elements are independence, a mandate encompassing all human rights, a legal mandate
mandate, a legal basis to ensure political legitimacy and independence as well as an infrastructure and funding that enable effective work. The relevant accreditation report published in March 2022 links the A status achieved with the obligation to make further improvements to the organisation’s effectiveness and independence in the areas of appointment procedures, inter-institutional diversity and cooperation with civil society (see accreditation report: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/SCA-Report-March-2022_E.pdf).  The introduction of a permanent informal sounding board with the participation of civil society organisations has led to significant improvements, particularly in the area of cooperation. In the context of the new appointment, civil society organisations are calling for a rapid adjustment of the appointment procedure in accordance with the Paris Principles. In this regard, the recommendations of the GANHRI of March 2022 are supported, which include a broad public call for tenders, the consideration of a diverse selection of candidates, the involvement of civil society organisations and transparent selection criteria. We call for the procedure to be reviewed and reformed in close consultation with civil society. An open letter from 25 civil society organisations dated 18 July 2022 addresses the need for a transparent and participatory selection and appointment process for national human rights institutions (NHRIs). It emphasises that such a process must be anchored in relevant laws, regulations or binding administrative guidelines to ensure independence and public trust in NHRIs. The organisations warn of the negative impact on civil society trust if the independence of NHRI members could be influenced by political connections, even if this is only a perceived threat (see Amnesty International Open Letter, 18.07.2022: https://cdn.amnesty.at/media/9979/offener-brief-volksanwaltschaft-18-07-22.pdf). As part of a review of the Austrian Ombudsman Board with regard to the agreement with international standards (so-called „Paris Principles“) in March 2022, GANHRI criticised in particular the appointment procedure, which does not do justice to the principle of independence. GANHRI considers the procedure currently enshrined in the Federal Constitution Act to be inadequate, comprehensive and transparent, as it does not provide for a public tender or opportunities for civil society to participate. Some NHRIs have their own budget, which enables them to act more independently, while budgetary sovereignty can be problematic in other cases. The political appointment of some members is sometimes a challenge, as clear quality criteria are not always guaranteed. Nevertheless, political or administrative experience among ombudsmen and ombudswomen can offer advantages and contribute to the effectiveness of their work;The mandate of the Austrian Ombudsman Board is comprehensively enshrined in constitutional and ordinary law and, in addition to the activities of an ombudsman’s office to monitor the state administration and the function of the National Human Rights Institution, also includes its position as a national preventive mechanism under the OPCAT (The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment) via the relevant commissions and the Human Rights Advisory Council (Ombudsman’s Office preventive human rights monitoring). From a children’s rights perspective, complementary measures should be examined, such as strengthening and harmonising the mandate of the Ombudspersons for Children and Youths in the federal states as well as more extensive structures focused on the implementation of children’s rights in Austria, similar to the monitoring structures under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  The report of the Austrian Ombudsman Board (1 January to 31 December 2023; III-1135 d.B.) see report : https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVII/I/2578/fname_1632810.pdf, published on 4 June 2024, emphasises that the Austrian Ombudsman Board is facing major challenges. The increasing number of complaints requires an increase in human and financial resources. The report emphasises the need for structural adjustments in order to ensure the efficiency and quality of the Ombudsman Board’s work in the long term. 

Progress: In progress

Ensure a comprehensive mandate of the Austrian Ombudsman Board, particularly with regard to children’s rights

Proponent:

Moldova


Republic of Moldova

Moldova


Republic of Moldova

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

The mandate of the Austrian Ombudsman Board is comprehensively enshrined in constitutional and ordinary law and, in addition to the activities of an ombudsman’s office to monitor the state administration and the function of the National Human Rights Institution, also includes its position as a national preventive mechanism under the OPCAT (The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment) via the relevant commissions and the Human Rights Advisory Council (Ombudsman’s Office preventive human rights monitoring). From a children’s rights perspective, complementary measures should be examined, such as strengthening and harmonising the mandate of the Ombudspersons for Children and Youths in the federal states as well as more extensive structures focused on the implementation of children’s rights in Austria, similar to the monitoring structures under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

Progress: Partial success

Establish an independent national human rights institution

Proponent:

Somalia


Federal Republic of Somalia

Somalia


Federal Republic of Somalia

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

An open letter from 25 civil society organisations dated 18 July 2022 addresses the need for a transparent and participatory selection and appointment process for national human rights institutions (NHRIs). It emphasises that such a process must be anchored in relevant laws, regulations or binding administrative guidelines to ensure independence and public trust in NHRIs. The organisations warn of the negative impact on civil society trust if the independence of NHRI members could be influenced by political connections, even if this is only a perceived threat (see Amnesty International Open Letter, 18.07.2022: https://cdn.amnesty.at/media/9979/offener-brief-volksanwaltschaft-18-07-22.pdf). As part of a review of the Austrian Ombudsman Board with regard to the agreement with international standards (so-called „Paris Principles“) in March 2022, GANHRI criticised in particular the appointment procedure, which does not do justice to the principle of independence. GANHRI considers the procedure currently enshrined in the Federal Constitution Act to be inadequate, comprehensive and transparent, as it does not provide for a public tender or opportunities for civil society to participate. Some NHRIs have their own budget, which enables them to act more independently, while budgetary sovereignty can be problematic in other cases. The political appointment of some members is sometimes a challenge, as clear quality criteria are not always guaranteed. Nevertheless, political or administrative experience among ombudsmen and ombudswomen can offer advantages and contribute to the effectiveness of their work;

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

Combat all forms of discrimination and protect minorities

Proponent:

Bosnia and Herzegovina


Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina


Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities came into force in Austria on 1 July 1998. It aims to protect and promote the rights of national minorities and sets Europe-wide standards in this regard. In the current Resolution CM/ResCMN (2023)14 of the Committee of Ministers of 13 December 2023 (see: https://search.coe.int/cm#{%22CoEIdentifier%22:[%220900001680adcf6e%22],%22sort%22:[%22CoEValidationDate%20Descending%22]}), as well as in the Report of the Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe of 16 October 2023 (see: https://rm.coe.int/5th-op-austria-de-full-version/1680ace87b) emphasises that Austria must continue its efforts to safeguard the rights of national minorities, but must expand them in key areas (see Resolution CM/ResCMN (2023) 14 of the Committee of Ministers of 13 December 2023: https://search.coe.int/cm#{%22CoEIdentifier%22:[%220900001680adcf6e%22],%22sort%22:[%22CoEValidationDate%20Descending%22]} ) which provides for immediate measures to protect ethnic groups.  

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: Partial success

Continue to address the problem of Anti-Semitism as referenced to in the National Report

Proponent:

Israel


State of Israel

Israel


State of Israel

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 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: No progress

Implement a comprehensive strategy to fight discriminatory stereotypes regarding the roles and responsibilities of women and men within the family

Proponent:

Angola


Republic of Angola

Angola


Republic of Angola

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

In 2022, the Austrian Women’s Fund LEA was founded to make a long-term strategic contribution to overcoming discriminatory stereotypes with regard to the roles and tasks of women and men. This fund offers various services, including school workshops with role models and the organisation of webinars, for example on the topic of financial education (Further information: https://letsempoweraustria.at/).  
In both 2022 and 2021, the Women’s Section initiated the „Empowerment Call“ with the aim of breaking down gender stereotypes in the area of education and career choices.  In September 2021, a comprehensive package of measures was presented aimed at strengthening women and girls with a migration background in their fight against patriarchal structures and cultures of honour. Part of these measures includes the expansion of counselling services in the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) centres (ÖIF package of measures as PDF: https://www.integrationsfonds.at/fileadmin/user_upload/20210604_Frauenaufruf_2021_Aufrufdokument.pdf). 

Progress: In progress

Take specific measures to increase the visibility of racial minority communities

Proponent:

Angola


Republic of Angola

Angola


Republic of Angola

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).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). 

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: No progress

Adopt a national action plan against racism

Proponent:

Azerbaijan


Republic of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan


Republic of Azerbaijan

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

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: No progress

Prioritise developing a strategy against racism, xenophobia, radicalisation and violent extremism, taking into account the views of civil society and underpinned by necessary legislation and budgetary resource

Proponent:

United Kingdom


United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom


United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

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).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: No progress

Work towards establishing and adopting a national strategy aimed at combating all forms of racisms and xenophobia

Proponent:

Bahrain


Kingdom of Bahrain

Bahrain


Kingdom of Bahrain

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).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 current government programme, no national action plan to combat racism has been adopted and no other significant programmes in the area of anti-racism work have been implemented, with the exception of the area of anti-Semitism;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

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: In progress

Develop a national action plan to combat acts of racial or religious hatred and its apology, in particular against minorities, migrants and asylum seekers and refugees

Proponent:

Ecuador


Republic of Ecuador

Ecuador


Republic of Ecuador

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). The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities came into force in Austria on 1 July 1998. It aims to protect and promote the rights of national minorities and sets Europe-wide standards in this regard. In the current Resolution CM/ResCMN (2023)14 of the Committee of Ministers of 13 December 2023 (see: https://search.coe.int/cm#{%22CoEIdentifier%22:[%220900001680adcf6e%22],%22sort%22:[%22CoEValidationDate%20Descending%22]}), as well as in the Report of the Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe of 16 October 2023 (see: https://rm.coe.int/5th-op-austria-de-full-version/1680ace87b) emphasises that Austria must continue its efforts to safeguard the rights of national minorities, but must expand them in key areas (see Resolution CM/ResCMN (2023) 14 of the Committee of Ministers of 13 December 2023: https://search.coe.int/cm#{%22CoEIdentifier%22:[%220900001680adcf6e%22],%22sort%22:[%22CoEValidationDate%20Descending%22]} ) which provides for immediate measures to protect ethnic groups.   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. 

Progress: No progress

Develop a national plan to combat racism, xenophobia and discrimination

Proponent:

Argentina


Argentine Republic

Argentina


Argentine 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.  

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: No progress

Strengthen Austria’s efforts of a national action plan against all racism

Proponent:

Somalia


Federal Republic of Somalia

Somalia


Federal Republic of Somalia

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.  

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