Schweitzer

Ambassador Désirée Schweitzer assumed the position of Director General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance in the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs in 2018. Before serving as High-Level Liaison for the Austrian 2017 OSCE Chairmanship in the Office of the OSCE Secretary General, she was Deputy Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities/Head of Environmental Activities, with responsibility for energy security matters. A career diplomat, she served as Deputy Head of the Austrian Permanent Mission to the OSCE as well as Deputy Head of Division for OSCE and Council of Europe Affairs. Prior to that she was responsible for European Union (EU) enlargement issues. Her overseas postings have included Washington, D.C., New York and Islamabad. She holds a Doctor of Law degree from the University of Vienna and is an alumna of the Austrian Diplomatic Academy. Amb. Schweitzer is Chair of the Board of the Austrian Development Agency and President of UN Women Austria.