Every year in September, world leaders gather in New York City for the most high-profile United Nations event of the year, the opening of the new session of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA). The 76th UNGA session was held in a hybrid format with some leaders attending in person and other attending virtually. Austria was represented this year by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, who all traveled in person to New York.

During his visit to New York, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen held bilateral meetings with several other Heads of State, including the Presidents of Costa Rica, Ghana, Guyana, Sambia, Senegal, and Vietnam, as well as with U.N. Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance Mark Carney, and climate economist Prof. Gernot Wagner of NYU. The Federal President also paid a visit to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where he was welcomed by the renowned Austrian virologist Prof. Florian Krammer.

On September 22, Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz participated in a virtual COVID-19 Summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden. In his statement Federal Chancellor Kurz noted that Austria shares the U.S. goal of "vaccinating the world" and pledged continued support to countries lacking vaccine. He also noted that the pandemic has demonstrated the need for more international cooperation. Austria has already donated 2 million vaccine doses bilaterally to countries in need and 650,000 vaccine doses to counties on the Western Balkans under the EU vaccine sharing mechanism. Chancellor Kurz also raised the issue of sharing oxygen and medicines and offered to treat COVID patients from neighboring countries in AT hospitals.

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg delivered Austria’s statement in the UNGA General Debate on September 23. In his address, the Foreign Minister focused on the multilateral challenges of COVID-19, the Situation in Afghanistan, artificial intelligence and values. He also issued a clear message of support for the prohibition of nuclear weapons:

“We cannot increase our security by increasing our potential to destroy. And, most of all, by hanging on to the myth of nuclear deterrence. We need to eliminate these horrendous weapons of mass destruction. Their prohibition is a first step." 

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg

Watch the full address here: