For information only - not an official document

UNIS/INF/400
4 March 2011

Vienna an important hub for security and development issues

VIENNA, 4 March (UN Information Service) - "Vienna has succeeded in consolidating and strengthening its role as a UN seat and as a centre of excellence on security and development issues. The tasks of the UN family established here in Austria have become increasingly important, a fact reflected for example in the role played by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in combating drug trafficking and organized crime," Yury Fedotov, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), said at a meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs in Vienna on 4 March.

The Foreign Minister hosted a luncheon for the heads of the Vienna based-organizations: Mr. Fedotov, Yukiya Amano, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tibor Toth, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and Kandeh Yumkella, Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The participants discussed the international response to the global security issues of drug trafficking, armed conflict and nuclear non-proliferation and Mr. Fedotov underlined the importance of Austria's contributions to maintaining international peace and security.

Austria is a longstanding troop contributor to United Nations peacekeeping missions, with some 90,000 Austrians having participated in UN-mandated peace missions since 1960.

Throughout Austria's 2009-2010 tenure on the UN Security Council, the rule of law was a primary focus. During its presidency of the Council, Austria has overseen the adoption of resolution 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, which aims at ensuring the protection of civilians in the framework of UN peacekeeping missions.

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For more information please contact:

Regina Rohrbach
Information Officer, UNIS Vienna
Tel: (+43-1) 26060-3898
Mobile: (+43) 699-1459-3898
Email: regina.rohrbach@unvienna.org