On 18 September 2024, in Vienna, Austria, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia, Raimonds Oškalns, submitted the letter of credence to the Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV), Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ghada Waly.
In the ensuing conversation, the officials exchanged views on topics of current importance in the UN work and Latvia’s priorities. Ambassador Oškalns commended the contribution made by the UN Office in Vienna to strengthening the global rules-based multilateral system. The Ambassador expressed assurance that Latvia was committed to engaging actively in the organisation’s work.
Raimonds Oškalns informed the Director-General that Latvia had been confirmed as a member of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) for the period of 2025–2027. The Ambassador also underlined that Latvia had applied for membership of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), which is expected to strengthen Latvia’s expertise in terms of science, innovation policy and economy in the space sector and to contribute to international cooperation.
Background information
Vienna, alongside New York, Geneva and Nairobi, is a city hosting United Nations offices: UNODC – the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; UNOOSA – the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs; UNIDO – the United Nations Industrial Development Organization; and other bodies.
The United Nations Office in Vienna is working in several specific directions: combating drug trafficking, organised crime, terrorism and corruption, cooperation on the peaceful use of space, and international trade law. Research and publications by the United Nations Vienna Office make an important contribution to shaping the national legal framework and policies of UN Member States.
Latvia is actively involved in UN work in Vienna, standing up for democratic values and gender equality and strengthening a rules-based international order. In April 2024, Latvia was confirmed as a member of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) for the period from 2025 to 2027. Being a member of the CCPCJ, Latvia will strengthen the legal system of Member States and capacity to detect, prevent and combat all forms of organised crime, while ensuring equal access to justice and building effective, accountable and inclusive law enforcement institutions at all levels. The Commission is made up of 40 Member States, with members serving three-year terms.
On 9 April 2024, the Cabinet adopted a decision on Latvia joining COPUOS – the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. COPUOS was set up in 1959 as a permanent committee of the General Assembly with a broad mandate covering promotion of the space science and technologies, enhancement of international cooperation in the space sector, and addressing legal issues arising from the use and exploration of outer space. COPUOS and its subsidiary bodies hold annual meetings in Vienna.