The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
As Austria announced today that it will go into its fourth nationwide lockdown amid soaring cases of Covid-19 infections, the Alpine country will also become the first European country to make vaccinations against Covid 19 mandatory starting in February 2022.
Asked by journalists at a press briefing at the United Nations in Geneva whether vaccinations should be compulsory, Fadela Chaibe, the spokesperson of the World Health Organization (WHO) said “No, immunization policies are decided within the national domain. It is up to countries to decide. WHO guidance aims to demonstrate the benefits and safety of vaccines for the greatest possible acceptance of vaccines rather than impose mandatory vaccination. So, this is the official WHO position.”
Austria, a country of 8.9 million, has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe — only 65.7% of the population are fully vaccinated.
Elizabeth Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) emphasized that “the requirement that states employ should be the least intrusive option to achieve the desired results”. She added that “they really should use all measures available to encourage people to get vaccinated in the first place. That includes public information campaigns and particular those aimed at communities and groups that are marginalized or have a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy. We would say that that is important. Obviously, Austria has decided to proceed to mandatory vaccination.”
Earlier this month, Austria introduced rules that barred unvaccinated people from restaurants.
According to WHO’s Fadela Chaib, “countries should really take a risk-based approach to make a decision in curbing the transmission of Covid based on assessment of their own epidemiological situation.”
She added that “it has some, as I said, ethical, human rights implications. So, countries should look at this very closely and take into consideration also groups of people who cannot get vaccinated because of any medical condition. Or, they do not have access to a vaccine, this is also a situation where people want to get vaccinated, but they don’t have access to vaccines.”
WHO’s spokesperson also stressed that “the solution is not only in the hands of governments, it’s also the individual behavior to try to curb down the number of Covid and to reduce transmission.”
OHCHR’s Liz Throssells also refers to the principles of international human rights law where restrictions must be necessary, proportionate and non-discriminatory.
“Restrictions must be based on law that is in force and publicly accessible”, Ms Throssell said. ‘Necessary’ and what we mean by that is that be that restrictions or the actions taken must be necessary to achieve a legitimate aim and, in this case, we are talking about public health. And they must respond to a pressing social need. So obviously the context of this is rising covid cases in some countries. ‘Proportionate’: the action must be proportionate to the interest at stake, proportionate to achieve its aim and it should be the least intrusive option among those that could be achieved. And this is really an important final point here is ‘non-discriminatory’.”
While countries including Italy and France have made vaccination against Covid-19 mandatory for health workers, Austria will be the first country in Europe to apply such a requirement for the society at large.
-ends-
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations flags flying.
- Medium-wide shot, inside the press conference room, showing speakers and participants.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Fadela Chaib, Spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “Is vaccination mandatory? No. Immunization policies are decided within the national domain. It is up to countries to decide. WHO guidance aims to demonstrate the benefits and safety of vaccines for the greatest possible acceptance of vaccines rather than impose mandatory vaccination. So, this is the official WHO position.”
- Close shot, journalists seated and masked, listening to the press briefing, a TV screen in the background showing a speaker.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Elizabeth Throssell, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “The requirement that states employ the least intrusive option to achieve the desired results. I mean, again, they really should use all measures available to encourage people to get vaccinated in the first place. That includes public information campaigns and particular those aimed at communities and groups that are marginalized or have a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy. We would say that that is important. Obviously, Austria has decided to proceed to mandatory vaccination.”
- Close -up, a participant taking notes of the press conference.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Fadela Chaib, Spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “Countries should really take a risk-based approach to make a decision in curbing the transmission of Covid based on assessment of their own epidemiological situation.”
- Close-up, journalists seated and masked, attending the meeting.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Fadela Chaib, Spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “It has some, as I said, ethical, human rights implications. So, countries should look at this very closely and take into consideration also groups of people who cannot get vaccinated because of any medical condition. Or, they do not have access to a vaccine, this is also a situation where people want to get vaccinated, but they don’t have access to vaccines.”
- Close shot of the face of one of the journalists.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Fadela Chaib, Spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “The solution is not only in the hands of governments it’s also the individual behavior to try to curb down the number of Covid and to reduce transmission.”
- Close shot, a technician supervises the briefing on Zoom.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Elizabeth Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Restrictions must be based on law that is in force and publicly accessible. ‘Necessary’ and what we mean by that is that be that restrictions or the actions taken must be necessary to achieve a legitimate aim and, in this case, we are talking about public health. And they must respond to a pressing social need. So obviously the context of this is rising covid cases in some countries. ‘Proportionate’: the action must be proportionate to the interest at stake, proportionate to achieve its aim and it should be the least intrusive option among those that could be achieved. And this is really an important final point here is ‘non-discriminatory’.”
- Close shot, a journalist, masked, standing in the press conference room
- Close shot, participants attending the meeting.
- Medium shot, a technician supervises the briefing on Zoom while a TV screen shows two speakers in the background.
Similar Stories
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | WMO
As world’s water reserves change, countries must prepare for a new reality: WMO
New data showing that rivers were at their lowest level for decades last year provides further evidence that the climate crisis is real and countries must act immediately to protect themselves from the increasing threat to communities and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
The key findings from WMO’s State of Global Water Resources 2025 report covering the hydrological cycle and extreme events in the five-year period to last year:
- 2025 was one of driest years for river discharge in 35 years
- Past seven years have seen abnorfmal river flows
- Water storage on Earth’s land surface has decreased in past decade
- Widespread glacier loss across all regions for fourth consecutive year
- Asia and Africa are regions most affected by water-related disasters
- Water data availability has improved, but gaps remain in hard-hit areas
Highlighting the long-term decline in the Earth’s freshwater storage and glacier melt, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo explained that the planet’s water reserves used to act as a planetary “savings account” that absorbed the occasional dry season, avoiding a water crisis. “One of the central stories of the 2025 report is what is happening to that savings account? And the simple answer is that we are depleting it,” she told journalists in Geneva.
Groundwater reserves are equally stretched and have been in decline since 2014, WMO’s report states, with nearly two-thirds of monitored wells worldwide showing levels lower than the historical norm and indicating a shift “further toward deficit…not recovery”.
“At the same time, we are seeing more water-related disasters,” Ms. Saulo said, while also stressing that the currently strengthening El Niño “will increase the risk of drought in some areas, and flooding in others”.
Glaciers disappearing
In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass, leading to short-term hazards including floods and long-term water insecurity, according to WMO.
Responding to a question about whether the changing global water cycle might have contributed to the deadly Nepal-China flooding disaster, Ms. Saulo explained that melting ice and rock was just one factor in the chain of events that ultimately sent a massive and deadly wall of water and debris downstream on 26 August, killing at least 1,367 people.
“You asked if it could happen again? Absolutely; the problem in this region is that there’s 63,700 glaciers at the last count,” she told a Press Conference in Geneva. “Even if you’re looking with remote sensing with satellites at these glaciers, you might see some faults, you might see some slight shifting, that does not mean necessarily catastrophic collapse. So, in order to plan for this, it’s very, very difficult. But the international community is looking very hard at ways in which we can bring people together to solve some of these monitoring issues.”
Data indicates that glaciers shrank between 2023 and 2025 with cumulative losses of 1,400 gigatonnes of water – or about one third of annual fresh water needs.
Every major glacier region on Earth lost ice for the fourth consecutive year.
“All 19 glacier regions around the globe lost ice; in Central Asia, Iceland, the Russian Arctic and western Canada and the United States, it was among the three worst years on record,” said Wayne Jenkinson, WMO’s Director of Hydrology and Cryosphere.
Some regions with smaller glaciers such as Central Europe, the Caucasus, the western Canada and the United States may already have reached “peak water”, Mr. Jenkinson warned.
“After this point, the glacier gives less meltwater each year simply because there is less ice left to melt. That matters for every community downstream that relies on water during hot, dry summers,” he explained.
Narelle van der Wel, WMO’s Head of Cryosphere Monitoring, Predictions and Services, stressed that while some further glacier loss is unavoidable, the eventual scale of the decline is not predetermined.
“Some glacier loss is inevitable, but total loss of glaciers is not yet inevitable,” she said, pointing to emissions reductions as central to limiting future losses.
Preparing for moving baselines
The report does not attribute every observed change to climate change alone. WMO says pressure on water resources and natural variability also contribute.
Mr. Jenkinson said governments need to prepare for “moving baselines” as historical patterns become less reliable.
“The situation 30 years ago is not where we are today,” he said. Countries, he added, need to prepare “for those changes that have really already arrived”.
ends
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
The deadly Ebola virus outbreak in DR Congo continues to spread across the vast country despite some success in containing it, aid officials said on Tuesday, in a renewed call for international support to help responders on the ground.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WFP
‘Super El Niño’ and converging crises worsen hunger in South Sudan and across the region - WFP
South Sudan’s hunger crisis is becoming increasingly catastrophic as violence, extreme weather and dwindling aid leave millions without enough food, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UN WOMEN
In war-torn Gaza, a growing number of women-headed households face “impossible decisions” every day, amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and still-scarce resources, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk made the following remarks to the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar at the 63rd Human Rights Council.
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk today delivered an update on the global human rights situation to the 63rdsession of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Repeated attacks on humanitarian warehouses put vital medical aid at risk in Ukraine - WHO
A new airstrike overnight damaged one of the main warehouses used by the UN health agency to store humanitarian medical supplies in the Kyiv region, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. This is the third attack to affect a WHO-used storage in the last three months.
2
2
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WMO
Powerful El Niño heightens extreme-weather risks through 2027, as countries brace for impact - WMO
Fuelled by extraordinarily warm waters across the tropical Pacific Ocean, the El Niño climate pattern is expected to intensify in the coming months. Forecasters are almost certain that it will persist through February next year, with unusually warm conditions expected across the globe.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , IFRC , UN WOMEN , WHO
Nepal flood deaths near 1,000 as those spared struggle to survive – UN humanitarians
With the death toll in Nepal’s catastrophic flash floods inching towards 1,000, rescue workers are facing harsh conditions while survivors lack access to food, safe water and health care, humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNDRR , IFRC , WHO
Nepal: Flooding disaster “not over” as humanitarians work around the clock
While search and rescue efforts continued Friday following flash floods and mudslides in northern Nepal, UN humanitarians are taking stock of the devastation amid concerns over more flooding to come.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNIFIL
Damaged roads, disrupted services and renewed military activity are putting civilians at risk in south Lebanon, UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) warns.
The UN peacekeeping mission is urging restraint and renewed political engagement to prevent further escalation.
1
1
1
Edited News | ICRC , UNODA
Amid unconfirmed reports that fully autonomous and AI-guided drones are now being used on the battlefield, UN chief António Guterres and the President of the Red Cross on Tuesday renewed their urgent call for stricter controls, before it is too late.