The humanitarian situation in Gaza is alarming.  According to UNICEF, nearly 400,000 children are currently suffering from trauma requiring psychosocial intervention. Many children also need urgent medical care that local hospitals, overwhelmed and under-equipped, cannot provide. The Austrian government is called upon ...

In Angelegenheiten des eigenen Wirkungskreises der Gemeinden kann, wenn die erstinstanzliche Behörde – die Bürgermeisterin bzw. der Bürgermeister – säumig ist, ein Devolutionsantrag an die übergeordnete Behörde – den Gemeinderat oder Stadtsenat – gestellt werden, sofern dies nicht durch einfaches Gesetz ausgeschlossen ...

Nach der österreichischen Rechtsordnung einschließlich des Allgemeinen Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetzes (AVG) und der Gemeindeordnungen (GO) der Länder besteht im Bereich der kommunalen Selbstverwaltung eine administrative Instanzenzugskette, die u.a. auf die Gemeindeautonomie zurückzuführen ist.  Die Selbstverwaltung der ...

In 2016, the United Nations (UN) presented the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a blueprint for a better world by 2030.  The SDGs address challenges such as poverty, inequality and environmental degradation.   However, despite their importance, progress towards achieving these SDGs has been slow, and like much o ...

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are required for emergency preparedness and crucial in responding to and mitigating the impact of disaster.  While government agencies and international organizations are important for disaster response, resilient communities rely on their CBOs. Community-based organizations are an ...

“It would be so easy now, and so tempting, to dismiss #COP29 – or the entire COP process – as a failure”, said a prominent expert on sustainability business practices and advisor to the UNFCCC.  “Not only would that be intellectually lazy, but also irresponsible”, he continued. The developed countries committed to prov ...