As part of the “UPR, the UN Human Rights Council regularly reviews the human rights situation in all member states – including Austria. The Austrian Ombudsman Board, as the Austrian national human rights institution, also contributes to this review and reports regularly to the UN Human Rights Council.
In his speech, delivered via video to the Human Rights Council on 1 July 2026, Ombudsperson Bernhard Achitz criticised, amongst other things, Austria’s fragmented anti-discrimination legislation: If, for example, a girl is discriminated against at school on the basis of her ethnicity, there are avenues for complaint. However, if she is discriminated against on grounds of being female, there is no legal basis for lodging a complaint with the Ombud for Equal Treatment. ‘This situation leads to legal uncertainty and confusion,’ said Achitz. He calls for uniform standards of protection for all vulnerable groups, regardless of the grounds on which they are discriminated against.
You can find the full speech of Ombudsperson Bernhard Achitz at the bottom of this page (video, in English)
The Austrian Ombudsman Board participates in the UPR on the basis of the UN Paris Principles. Human rights institutions that meet all the criteria are granted A-status and are entitled to participate in meetings of the UN Human Rights Council and other UN bodies. The Austrian Ombudsman Board holds A-status since 2022. It works together with civil society and NGOs and regularly contributes to the UN’s Universal Periodic Review and other State Reviews.
UPR Monitoring Tool
As part of a research collaboration, the Austrian League for Human Rights and the Austrian Ombudsman Board have developed an online monitoring tool which highlights where Austria is falling short on human rights. It also demonstrates that there is an urgent need for action in this area.
UPR: Universal Periodic Review | OHCHR
Ombudsperson Achitz criticises the fragmented anti-discrimination laws in Austria