On 25 April 2017 the Austrian Government adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
A spokesman for the Österreichische Volkspartei said that Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz’s approval of the working definition should send a “national and international signal”.
The Austrian Government noted that the working definition was the first such working definition to be approved by an intergovernmental organization and that it should aid in the identification and combatting of antisemitism.
The working definition of antisemitism was adopted by the 31 Member Countries of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance on 26 May 2016 during the IHRA Plenary meetings held in Bucharest.
At the time then IHRA Chair, Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu, stated:
“All IHRA Member Countries share concern that incidents of antisemitism are steadily rising and agree that IHRA’s Member Countries and indeed IHRA’s experts need political tools with which to fight this scourge. IHRA’s 31 member countries- 24 of which are EU member countries- are committed to the Stockholm Declaration and thereby to fighting the evil of antisemitism through coordinated international political action.”
“By adopting this working definition, the IHRA is setting an example of responsible conduct for other international fora and hopes to inspire them also to take action on a legally binding working definition.”