Austria, and in particular the Federal Ministry of Defense, has been actively involved in crisis prevention, conflict resolution, peacekeeping, and crisis management under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) for 65 years. The Defense Ministry currently participates with approximately 180 soldiers in five of a total of eleven UN-led missions worldwide. This underscores Austria's long-standing commitment to international security and stability.
The largest contingent of the Austrian Armed Forces, with over 160 soldiers, is currently deployed in Lebanon, where it is responsible for the logistics of the UN mission there. A special feature of this deployment is the first time that the contingent is headed by a woman: Colonel Maria Eder leads the mission on site. In addition, more than 20 Austrian soldiers are serving as military observers in Western Sahara, Cyprus, the Middle East, and Kosovo, making a significant contribution to maintaining peace and security. Austria's engagement in these regions is part of global efforts to de-escalate conflicts and strengthen stability.
In addition to the military component, a key focus of the engagement is the protection of civilians, particularly within the framework of the "Women, Peace and Security" agenda. In line with the Global Framework on Munitions adopted in 2023, an international expert network in the field of ammunition storage security was established. Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner emphasized that the aim was to increase the visibility of women in technical professions and enable their equal participation in the implementation of the framework agreement. Austrian expertise and the training offered make an important contribution to the safety of the civilian population, as unplanned explosions in ammunition storage facilities – often caused by poor management, conflict, organized crime, and terrorism – have occurred in over 100 countries in recent years.
A central element of this commitment is the "UN SaferGuard Women Managing Ammunition Network" course, initiated by the Austrian Armed Forces and first conducted as a pilot project in 2023. As part of Austria's candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, this course will now take place for the third time, from June 30 to July 11, 2025, at the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt. Sixteen international experts were selected from 89 applications, including, for the first time, a representative of the Austrian Armed Forces. The participants and trainers come from a total of 16 countries. Minister Tanner concluded by noting that Austria's engagement within the United Nations should not only reaffirm support but also promote the joint advancement of peacekeeping for current and future challenges, which requires new and innovative thinking.