On 26 October, MINURSO commemorated  the National Day of Austria by raising its flag at the Mission HQ in Laayoune next to the UN flag.

Six months after obtaining  its full independence with the signing of the State Treaty, Austria became, on 14 December 1955, the 70th member of the United Nations.

Since then, Austria has been actively contributing to the organization's work and Austrians have assumed many leadership positions including the former UNSG, Kurt Josef Waldheim, who served from 1972 to 1981.

As of 31 July  2023, 169 Austrian peacekeepers are deployed to peacekeeping missions worldwide including MINURSO. The Austrian flag has three stripes, two red and the third one in the middle white. The red stands for strength and bravery while the white stands for peace and honesty.

Alles Gute zum Nationalfeiertag Österreich !