Austria’s ranking in the HRI has improved from 2008 to 2009, moving up three positions from 21st to 18th. The country improved its performance across all five pillars, most dramatically in Pillar 4 (Protection and International Law), moving up nine positions to 10th. It improved by six positions in Pillar 5 (Learning and accountability) to finish in 14th place this year. It also climbed three positions in Pillar 3 (Working with humanitarian partners), and one position in both Pillars 1 (Responding to needs) and 2 (Prevention, risk reduction and recovery). Improvements in Austria’s ranking in several quantitative indicators, as well as positive changes in its rankings in the qualitative (survey) indicators in all five pillars of the HRI, help explain Austria’s climb in the rankings. Austria ranks 19th for generosity and burden sharing, based on volume of humanitarian assistance in proportion to GNI.

Compared with its peers, Austria received its highest rankings for indicators around neutrality and impartiality, non-discrimination, needs-based responses and supporting the needs of refugees, where it ranked first compared with its peers. In the HRI’s quantitative indicators, Austria remains, however, among the bottom-ranked donors in terms of funding local capacity and funding UN coordination mechanisms and common services. It also received low rankings for the timeliness of funding to complex emergencies, funding of UN Consolidated Inter-Agency appeals, IFRC and ICRC Appeals, strengthening local communities’ capacity for disaster and crisis preparedness, and participation in main accountability initiatives.
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