Austrian Commission for UNESCO
The work of UNESCO in Austria is carried out by the competent bodies within the Austrian federal government, such as the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture, the Federal Ministry of Science and Research, the Federal Chancellery and the Austrian Commission for UNESCO.
The UNESCO World Heritage List currently includes more than 936 cultural and natural heritage sites in more than 150 countries, among them nine world heritage sites in Austria: Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg, Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn, Hallstatt-Dachstein / Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape, Semmering Railway, City of Graz - Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg Wachau Cultural Landscape, Historic Centre of Vienna, Fertö/Neusiedler See Cultural Landscape and Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.
Biosphere Reserves are internationally recognised inland or coast sites where models for the sustainable management of the biosphere are developed, tested and implemented. Austria currently has six biosphere reserves: Gossenköllesee, Gurgler Kamm, Lobau, Neusiedler See, Grosses Walsertal und Wienerwald.
UNESCO keeps a Memory of the World Register with a view to preserving the world’s documentary heritage – books, manuscripts and audiovisual media in libraries and archives. At present the Register includes more than 150 items, Austria has so far contributed ten entries: Vienna Dioscurides, Final Document of the Congress of Vienna, Historical Collections of the Phonogrammarchiv, Papyrus Erzherzog Rainer, Vienna City Library Schubert Collection, Atlas Blaeu-Van der Hem of the Austrian National Library, Brahms Collection, Collection of Architectural Gothic Drawings, Tabula Peutingerian and the Bibliotheca Corviniana Collection jointly with Hungary.
The "Intangible Cultural Heritage" consists of five overlapping areas: "Oral Traditions and Expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage", "Performing Arts", "Social Practices, Rituals and Festive Events", "Knowledge and Practices concerning Nature and the Universe", and "Traditional Craftsmanship". Meanwhile the Austrian Inventory contains more than 50 inscriptions.
Over 9000 educational institutions in more than 180 countries are combined in UNESCO’s Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet). Known as UNESCO Associated Schools, they are special in that they translate UNESCO concerns – education for peace, promotion of democracy and human rights, environmental education, intercultural learning, etc. – into their day-to-day practice. At present, 69 Austrian schools are recognised as UNESCO Schools.
Universities and research institutions that undertake to research and teach within the scope of objectives and themes spanned by UNESCO are recognised as UNESCO Chairs. At present, more than 700 of such chairs in 128 countries have been accepted, among them five in Austria: