Vienna was elected to the Steering Committee of the European Coalition of Cities against Racism (ECCAR) in 2025. For its first meeting in Vienna this year, the Committee chose the topic "From Evidence to Action".
The two-day Steering Committee meeting took place on 24 and 25 March in the District Council building of Vienna's 10th district, Favoriten. The meeting was held in hybrid format with three different working languages (German, English and French), allowing over 100 experts from 54 European cities to participate.
The event was organised by the team of Theodora Manolakos, Head of the Department for Integration and Diversity (MA 17) in the Vienna City Administration. The City of Vienna was also represented by members of its Human Rights Office, the Vienna Anti-Discrimination Office for LGBTIQ Matters (WASt), the Department for Education and Youth (MA 13), the Women's Department (MA 57) and the Gender Mainstreaming Section in the Executive Group for Organisation and Safety (MD-OS). On the first evening the guests were welcomed by Deputy Mayor Bettina Emmerling, who is in charge of integration matters in the Vienna City Government.
Further participants came from major international organisation working against racism, such as the EU Fundamental Rights Agency and Equinet, the European Network of Equality Bodies.
The ECCAR meeting focused on equality data, especially in the context of racist discrimination, and included the presentation of the Vienna Action Plan against Racism, adopted in 2025.
About ECCAR
The European Coalition of Cities against Racism was launched by UNESCO in 2004 to combat racism and discrimination. Vienna joined ECCAR in 2009 and has served as a member of the Steering Committee since 2025.
By now, 200 cities from all parts of Europe are ECCAR members and have joined forces in their commitment to promote human rights and fight discrimination.