Global Responsibility is member of the European umbrella organisation CONCORD (European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development). Since 1 April 2008, Global Responsibility has taken over the agendas of AGEZ and EU–Platform, both former umbrella organisations for Austrian nongovernmental organisations active in the field of development cooperation.

Our Mission

Global Responsibility advocates for Austrian and international politics to be in solidarity with disadvantaged people. It stands for equal opportunities and equal participation, a just global distribution of goods, peaceful development as well as preserving the earth’s natural resources.

Humanity and the assertion of political, social, cultural and economic human rights present the main basis for realizing the goals and their corresponding activities. Impartiality and independence, guarantee the capacity to act and make decisions.

Our Goals

Positioning and assertion of interests: Forming a clear opinion and standpoint towards development policy and humanitarian issues is promoted through educational work, information activities and discussions. Through advocacy, lobby-, information- and media activities towards all relevant parties, as well as the public, the joint position is emphasized, and helps in increasing the public perception of development-policy issues. This broadens on the one hand, understanding of the relationship between development aid and humanitarian help, and on the other hand it increases the significance of civil society organisations. This leads to implementing development-policy goals, improving and increasing development and humanitarian aid, as well as local development-policy work, and also to an increase in the realization of the potential of NGOs.

Service: This includes securing the active participation and involvement of the member organisations in development policy, development assistance, humanitarian aid and sustainable economic, social and ecological development, through information and coordination activities. Providing information from the member organisations that eases access to finances (budget guidelines for institutional government funds), and relevant further training options.

Our Fields of Work

Policy work

• Developing, documenting and presenting of position papers, by utilizing relevant know-how from member organisations, as well as international partner networks (for example CONCORD).

Advocacy, lobbying and if applicable representation within boards

• On the Austrian level: Parliament/development policy subcommittees; development aid advisory board; ministries/working groups in or within ministries; the Austrian Development Agency; development bank
• On the European level: EU-Parliament; development policy committees of the EU-Parliament; secretariat; political groups; EU council including all relevant COREPER; development assistance (CODEV) and ACP; EU-Commission, CONCORD
• On the international level: OECD, UN organisations, international finance institutions, WTO

Media and public relations

• Press releases, press conferences
• Specific campaigns on key areas of work and current issues
• Strenghtening International partners and networks in the south and east by providing space and support

Services and information for member organisations:

• Networking (Austrian and international): Membership, formal and informal cooperation
• Information centre
• Capacity building

Our Staff

Lukas Wank, Director
Johannes-Michael von Loën, Assistant
Monika Stumpf-Hulsrøj, Finance & Project Management
Katharina Eggenweber, Policy Officer
Sophie Veßel, Policy Officer
Ilona Reindl, Policy Officer Private Sector & Development
Paula Kunzemann, Assistant & Info Mail
Birgit Mayerhofer, Programme Manager Humanitarian Assistance
Hannah Hauptmann, Public Relations
Roland Bauer, Campaigner

Maternity Leave

Karin Kuranda, Policy Officer

Our Board of Directors

Sybille Straubinger, Chairwoman
Walter Hajek, Vice-Chairman
Stefan Fritz, Finance Officer
Andreas Balog
Bernhard Drumel
Andreas Knapp
Markus Meister
Daniel Seller
Annemarie Schlack
Ines Zanella

Contact Us

GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY – Austrian Platform for Development and Humanitarian Aid
Apollogasse 4/9, 1070 Wien
Fax: +43 1 522 44 22-10, Tel.: +43 1 522 44 22-0
E-Mail: office@globaleverantwortung.at