Graduated from secondary school in Vienna; served voluntary military service; studied law, economics and international affairs in Vienna, London and Geneva; obtained degree of a Doctor of Law in 1975.

Married, has three children.

Professional Experience:

Since 1976 works in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Austria:

Attaché of the Cabinet of Associate for Legal Issues and Department on International Affairs in London and Geneva; First Secretary and Deputy Head of the Mission in Rabat (1981-1985); Member of Austrian delegation in CSCE meetings in Madrid and Geneva  .

1985-1988 Head of the Human Rights Office of the Department for Legal Issues MFA under UN, EU and ÑSCE meetings.

1988-1992 Minister and Deputy Permanent Representative of Austrian Mission under UN and international organizations in Geneva.

1992-1993 Ambassador and Special Representative of the International Conference on Human Rights.

1994-2000 Director on Human Rights under the International Humanitarian Law, Minorities Issues and Gender Issues MFA.

Representative of Austria in the UN Committee for Human Rights in the UN General Assembly, Representative of the EU Work Group on Human Rights.

2000-2002   Ambassador in Luxemburg             

2003 Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Appointed an Austrian Representative in the UN Committee for Human Rights, participated in the UN General Assembly sessions, range of international conferences within the frames of the Council of Europe and OSCE.

Participated in the conferences of UN, Council of Europe and OSCE

Additional Functions:

1988-1990 Co-organizer of informal consultations on human rights between East and West in Geneva;

1988-1992 Representative in the CERN Committee for Finance and Municipality;

1990-1992 Chairman of Western Group on Human Rights in Geneva;

1997- 1998  Vice Chairman of the UN Committee for Human Rights;

1997-1998 Chairman of the Council of European Work Group at the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

1998 Chairman of the EU Work Group on Human Rights;

2000 Moderator of the OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Human Rights and Freedoms, Struggle with Various Forms of Intolerance and Human Trafficking;

2000-2003 Ambassador of Austria in Luxemburg.

February 2003 - currently - Director ODIHR/OSCE

 Acting as a Director on Human Rights he was an organizer of various international conferences, including:

- International Meeting on Minorities Issues (Vienna 1995)

- International Round Table on Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Vienna 1996)

- International Experts' Meeting on Juvenile Cases (Vienna 1997)

- International Experts' Meeting on the Rights Protection of Internally Displaced Persons (Vienna 1997, 2000 ãã.)

- International Diplomatic Seminar "Universal Protection of Human Rights - Application of International Obligations on the National Level " (Salzburg 1997)

- International Conference "5^th Anniversary of the World Conference on Human Rights: Creation of " (Vienna 1998)

- Special Meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers on the occasion of the 5^th Anniversary of the World Conference on Human Rights (Vienna 1998)

Lecturer in the Diplomatic and Administrative Academy, Vienna and in the EU Master Programme for Democracy and Human Rights. Has a range of publications on international issues regarding human rights.