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Austria - OPCAT Situation

Updated 06.06.2013

Austria has signed the OPCAT in September 2003 and ratified the instrument in December 2012. Austria started to implement the OPCAT before ratifiying and they designated the Austrian Ombudsman Board as future NPM in November 2011, by means of a reform to the Ombudsman's legislation. It also foresees a role for the Human Rights Advisory Council (formerly Human Rights Advisory Board), which will need to be further defined.

The Austrian Ombudsman Board started its operations in July 2012.

The SPT member Christian Pross is the SPT Focal Point for Austria.

Opcat status
OPCAT Ratification December 4, 2012
UNCAT Ratification July 29, 1987
NPM Designated

Austrian Ombudsman Board

NPM Type

National Human Rights Institution

Information
Population 8 192 880
Area (sq km) 83 870
Number of prisons 28
Prison population 8671
Federal Structure Austria is divided into 9 States.
Quick links

CAT: Concluding Observations (May 2010)

UPR: Draft report of the Working Group (February 2011)

CPT: Report (2009)

Commissioner for Human Rights (Council of Europe): Report (2007)