UN General Assembly
1977

116. Austria has always tried to make an active contribution to the work of the United Nations bodies concerned with human rights questions. I should like to express Austria's appreciation of the work done to these bodies. They have constantly sought to advance the cause of human rights despite the wide variety of views and the differing social and political systems represented in these bodies. 117. In speaking of human rights I should like to pay a tribute to the valuable contribution which regional organizations make in this field. As the representative of a European country I should like at this point to stress the significance of the European Convention on human rights and the European Social Charter. By adopting these instruments the member States of the Council of Europe have agreed on effective machinery for the protection of human rights.