Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the General Debate of the U.N. General Assembly, traditionally the most high-profile United Nations event of the year, was unlike any other in the organization’s history. As world leaders did not travel to New York City for the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, meetings and summits moved online and pre-recorded video statements were broadcast “as live”.
Austria was represented by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, and Susanne Raab, Federal Minister for Women and Integration. Austria’s new Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Alexander Marschik, held the ground in the General Assembly Hall and introduced the speakers.
At the high-level meeting to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations on September 21, 2020, Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz evoked the remarkable achievements of the U.N., including a strong human rights system, peacekeeping, the international disarmament architecture, the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, and leadership in the fight against climate change. Noting that 2020 also marks 65 years since Austria joined the U.N. and 40 years since Vienna became host to one of the four U.N. headquarters worldwide, the Federal Chancellor reaffirmed that Austria is proud of its contributions to the U.N. and stands ready to support all efforts to ensure it remains fit for the next 75 years.
Federal President Van der Bellen participated in the first United Nations Summit on Biodiversity on September 30, 2020. In his statement, Austria’s head of state urged world leaders to “cease the opportunity” as “our planet is in a state of emergency” and concluding with endorsing the “Leaders Pledge for Nature: United to Reverse Biodiversity Loss by 2030 for Sustainable Development”.
In his statement at the General Assembly’s General Debate on September 26, 2020, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg stressed the importance and urgency of the global elimination of nuclear weapons “once and for all”, and recalled that “the pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of our societies and the fragility of humankind”, making it clear that “we will succeed or fail together” in his defense for multilateralism. (Read the whole speech here).
The Foreign Minister also delivered a keynote address at a special high-level session to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on October 2, 2020.
“Reducing violence against women remains a policy priority in Austria,” confirmed Federal Minister for Women and Integration Susanne Raab at the high-level meeting to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing +25) on October 1, 2020.
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