Statement by the UK's Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, at Austria's Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Thank you, Madam Vice President,
The UK commends Austria for adopting its Freedom of Information Act, ratifying the ILO Convention on violence and harassment at work, and approving the National Action Plan to combat violence against women and girls. We also welcome Austria's structured dialogue with civil society to monitor UPR implementation.
We encourage Austria to take further steps to combat all forms of discrimination, such as advancing gender equality, strengthening measures against racism and intolerance and ensuring effective legal remedies.
We recommend that Austria:
Ensures full implementation of the National Action Plan 2025-2029 to combat violence against women and girls and adopts additional measures to improve gender equality in employment.
Develops and implements a comprehensive national anti-racism strategy to eliminate structural discrimination, counter hate speech, and ensure equal treatment and protection for minorities, including Muslim women and girls.
Ensures that individuals and organisations have effective legal avenues to challenge climate-related laws, policies, or omissions, in line with Article 2(3) of the ICCPR and Article 13 of the ECHR.
Thank you.
