Economic globalisation and security challenges call for global solutions and have prompted changes in international development policy: The developing countries are being increasingly assimilated into the world economy and the coordination of development policy in international organisations and institutions is playing a growing role.

Getting more done through concerted international efforts

Multilateral development cooperation plays a key role in the overall approach of Austrian development policy. Austria supports multilateral organisations through direct contributions, specific programmes and by implementing joint projects.

Together with the other member states under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), for example, Austria adopted the Strategic Plan 2008-2011, which contains goals such as capacity building, aid effectiveness and gender equality. Projects by the United Nations International Emergency Children’s Fund (UNICEF) promoted by Austria focused on fighting polio, curbing genital mutilation of women in Burkina Faso and supporting Iraqi child refugees in Syria. Via the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Austria financed a study on the ongoing implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000).

Towards one world

Austrian Development Cooperation is engaged internationally and collaborates in the bodies of the United Nations, the World Bank Group and the OECD as well as in the development cooperation committees of the European Union that deal with relevant issues.

Coordinating humanitarian relief programmes also comes under the heading of multilateral development cooperation. Austria works here closely with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Red Cross, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP).