The Philippine Permanent Mission
The Officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy also concurrently compose the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the other major International Organizations in Vienna. Within this context, the Philippine Ambassador to Vienna also holds the title of Philippine Permanent Representative. Being a Permanent Mission, the Ambassador and other Embassy officials and staff (who serve as either alternate representatives or advisers), represent the Philippines in the activities and meetings of the Vienna-based UN subsidiary bodies, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), UN Office on Outer Space Affairs, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO-PrepCom), the OPEC Fund for Industrial Development, and others.
Owing to the great relevance of the issues these organizations discuss to Philippine national interest, the Philippine Government accords a high degree of importance to active involvement in these international organizations. Multilateral work thus constitutes an equally substantial portion of the duties and responsibilities of the Ambassador and his officers and staff.
From its assumption of the Chairmanship of the Asian Group in Vienna on 1 January 2009 until 30 June 2009, the Philippine Permanent Mission in Vienna continues to uphold its commitment and tradition of advancing the national interests within the Vienna-based UN bodies such as COPUOS, IAEA, UNCITRAL, UNIDO and UNODC while again earning the respect of its peers in Vienna.