JULY • Connection e.V. participates in the UPR of Austria and Georgia at the UN

27th December 2025

«Connection e.V.» submitted two reports to the upcoming 51st session of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR), concerning Austria and Georgia.

The UPR is an important process to analize the situation of human rights in a country and for its improvement.

Civil society organizations are welcome to submit reports to call attention on specific issues and suggest specific recommendations.This review procedure concerns all UN Member States, thus it is very relevant and offers a unique opportunity to advocate for specific rights such as the human right to conscientious objection to military service and publicly recall concerned international standards.

AUSTRIA

Read the full report on Austria ↷

«Connection e.V.» addressed the punitive and discriminatory length of alternative service which is 9 months, while military service is 6 months long. It also addressed the non—recognition of the right to conscientious objection for serving members of the armed forces and issue of juvenile recruitment. Other issues presented are insufficient wage for objectors, strict time limits for conscientious objection application and disqualifying conditions.

«Connection e.V.» suggests the following recommendations:

⸻ reduce the length of alternative civilian service in order to comply with the Human Rights Committee’s recommendations;

⸻ provide all conscientious objectors with an alternative to military service that is not punitive or discriminatory in terms of its nature, cost or duration.

⸻ revise article 1(2) of the Civilian Service Act establishing a time limit on the submission of applications for recognition of conscientious objector status, so that conscripts and volunteers are able to object before the commencement of military service, or at any stage during or after military service;

⸻ eliminate all automatically disqualifying conditions concerning applicants for alternative civilian service, such as the one about previous crimes, in order to comply with international human rights standards about conscientious objection to military service and the right to change one’s beliefs;

⸻ increase the wage provided to both conscripts and conscientious objectors to military service performing military and alternative civilian service respectively;

⸻ amend the legal framework to allow for serving members of the armed forces to apply for early release for reasons of conscience;

⸻ raise the minimum age for voluntary recruitment into the military to 18 years of age, according to the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Human Rights Committee and previous UPR recommendations.

GEORGIA

Read the full report on Georgia ↷

«Connection e.V.» reported on the implementation of the right to conscientious objection to military service with a particular focus on the punitive and discriminatory length of the alternative civilian service and the lack of provisions for professional members of the armed forces. The report addresses also the issue of juvenile military training involving the handling of firearms and it further examines the need to amend the Criminal Code by explicitly criminalizing the recruitment and use in hostilities of children below the age of 18 years by the armed forces and non—state armed groups.

«Connection e.V.» suggests the following recommendations:

⸻ reduce the length of alternative service for conscientious objectors so that it is the same length as the military service;

⸻ provide all conscientious objectors with an alternative to military service that is not punitive or discriminatory in terms of its nature, cost or duration;

⸻ introduce specific provisions to explicitly allow for professional members of the armed forces to apply for early release for reasons of conscience; any requests should be reviewed by an independent and impartial authority;

⸻ take measures to ensure that students below the age of 18 years at higher military educational institutions are exempt from military training that involves the handling of firearms and military discipline, according to the recommendation of the CRC;

⸻ amend the Criminal Code by explicitly criminalizing the recruitment and use in hostilities of children below the age of 18 years by the armed forces and non—state armed groups, according to the recommendation of the CRC.

Keywords:    ⇒ Austria   ⇒ Conscientious Objection   ⇒ Georgia