Permanent representation of Austria to NATO

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The Permanent Mission of Austria to NATO is the diplomatic representation of the Republic of Austria to NATO , based in Brussels . Before signing the State Treaty in 1955 , Austria committed itself to “always exercising a neutrality of the kind that is handled by Switzerland” ( Moscow Memorandum ). In the Federal Constitutional Law , Austria declared its permanent neutrality and undertook not to join any military alliances. In 1994 Austria joined the NATO Partnership for Peace and in 1995 the European Union.

Ambassador

Elisabeth Kornfeind has been the Austrian ambassador to NATO in Brussels since 2018 . Before that, she held various positions in the diplomatic service (including ambassador to Belgium ). Kornfeind studied law at the University of Vienna .

Partnership for Peace (PfP)

The Partnership for Peace has set itself the goal of ensuring peace and stability in Europe. This should take place on a joint basis with the partner nations of the PfP, with 28 OSCE members and 21 NATO countries being members. It is crucial that every nation participates in promoting transparency and the provision of military capabilities. However, every participant is free to participate in activities. Since 1995 Austria has traditionally been involved in joint disaster relief and humanitarian aid as well as in the improvement of search and rescue services. In addition to the Foreign Ministry, other departments are also active depending on the deployment.

Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)

The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) is a multilateral dialogue forum on security issues that was founded in 1997. The 50 members, including 29 NATO member states and 21 partner states, develop strategies for crisis management and cooperate, for example, on environmental, economic and scientific issues. In cooperation, Austria concentrates on political dialogue, military and civil cooperation.

Operations with a UN Security Council mandate under NATO leadership

  • KFOR: The Austrian Armed Forces have been deployed in Kosovo as part of the Kosovo Force (KFOR) since 1999 to ensure peace and stability after the war in Kosovo. The basis for the operation was Resolution 1244 passed by the Security Council of the United Nations on June 10, 1999.
  • ISAF: On the basis of UN Security Resolution 1386, Austrian soldiers were sent to Afghanistan in 2002–2014 to support the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
  • RSM: The Resolute Support Mission (RSM) is a continuation of the ISAF mission, which is intended to ensure the success of this mission in order to maintain security and stability. Ten Austrian soldiers have been deployed in the Kabul region since 2015.

Protection of civilians (PoC)

During the NATO summit in July 2016, the Policy for the Protection of Civilians (PoC) was adapted by the individual heads of state and government. Austria played a pioneering role in this company. The Protection of Civilian Tigers Team was created in cooperation with Norway as early as 2013. In addition, Austria designed and developed the “food for thought paper”. These developments then led to the PoC being finally adopted. The purpose of the PoC is to minimize the possible negative effects of NATO missions, operations and activities on the civilian population. The negative effects of conflict activities by third parties should also be prevented. Protecting the civilian population is part of the mission of NATO forces, NATO-led forces and local forces. The protection of human rights and international humanitarian law play a major role in this. In addition, humanitarian aid operations are to be supported and information on deaths is to be passed on. Special attention is paid to groups of people who are particularly in need of protection.

Disaster and emergency aid

Austria also cooperates with NATO in the area of ​​civil protection through the framework organization Euro-Atlantic Partnership (EAPC). The cooperation extends, among other things, to the areas of international disaster relief, the training and further education of Austrian experts and the contribution to international civil defense exercises. The EAPC also provides guidelines that are intended to enable the emergency services from different nations to work together.

Visitor service

The visitor service offers free tours of the NATO headquarters . Interested parties must register at least eight weeks in advance using a form.

Internship opportunities

In order to get to know the tasks and working methods of the Austrian representation to NATO in practice, there is the possibility of doing internships abroad. Prerequisites are ongoing and / or completed studies at a university or college.

Interested parties apply with a résumé and a letter of motivation in English.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ neutrality. In: aeiou Austria Lexicon. Graz University of Technology, accessed on October 20, 2018 .
  2. ↑ neutrality. In: aeiou Austria Lexicon. Graz University of Technology, accessed on October 20, 2018 .
  3. ^ NATO Partnership for Peace. In: aeiou Austria Lexicon. Graz University of Technology, accessed on October 20, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Ambassador. In: Austrian representation to NATO. Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, accessed on October 20, 2018 .
  5. ^ Partnership for Peace (PfP). In: Austrian representation to NATO. Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, accessed on October 20, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). In: Austrian representation to NATO. Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, accessed on October 20, 2018 .
  7. ^ Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. In: North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO, accessed October 20, 2018 .
  8. ^ Cooperation between Austria and NATO in the context of security policy. In: Federal Chancellery. Federal Chancellery, accessed on October 20, 2018 .
  9. ↑ Operations with a UN Security Council mandate under NATO leadership. In: Austrian representation to NATO. Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, accessed on October 20, 2018 .
  10. ↑ Protection from civilians (PoC). In: Austrian representation to NATO. Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, accessed on October 20, 2018 .
  11. ↑ Disaster and emergency aid. In: Austrian representation to NATO. Retrieved October 20, 2018 .
  12. ↑ Visitor service. In: Austrian representation to NATO. Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, accessed on October 20, 2018 .
  13. ↑ BMEIA, Austrian representation at NATO: internship. Retrieved October 20, 2018 .
  14. ↑ Internship opportunities. In: Austrian representation to NATO. Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, accessed on October 20, 2018 .