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Ombudsperson Achitz criticises the fragmented anti-discrimination laws in Austria
Universal Periodic Review (UPR): The Austrian Ombudsman Board reports to the UN Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in Austria
As part of the “Universal Periodic Review” (UPR), the UN Human Rights Council regularly reviews the human rights situation in all member states – including Austria. The Austrian Ombudsman Board, as Austria's 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 simply because she is a girl, 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 here at the very bottom of this page (video, in English).
The Austrian Ombudsman Board participates in the UPR on the basis of the Paris Principles of the UN Human Rights Council. Human rights institutions that meet all the criteria are granted A-status by the UN Human Rights Council. The Austrian Ombudsman Board holds A-status and is therefore entitled to participate in meetings of the UN Human Rights Council. It works together with civil society and NGOs and contributes to the UN’s 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
Source: Austrian Ombudsman Board
