Vienna – Pirate Parties International

Report on the 69th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), Vienna

KG March 22, 2026 March 22, 2026

The 69th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) took place from March 9th to 13th at the United Nations offices in Vienna. The event was structured into plenary sessions, side events, and a number of mostly closed meetings. Representing Pirate Parties International, Lilia Kayra Kuyumcu and Kay Schroeder attended the session and followed the discussions closely. Overall, the atmosphere throughout the week was generally polite and friendly, and at times even a bit funny. The first three days were particularly crowded, with a noticeable drop in attendance toward the end of the session. This shift gave the later days a calmer and somewhat more relaxed tone. Plenary The …

Activism ECOSOC News PPI internal United Nations UNOV

Reviewing the “Convention against Corruption” in Vienna

KG September 4, 2025 September 4, 2025

The following is a comment from PPI’s main representative at UNOV, Kay Schroeder, who recently tried to attend the United Nations “Convention against Corruption” (UNCAC) in Vienna. “This week, the “Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption” has begun in Vienna. Unfortunately, I cannot attend, as civil society is barred from participating. Nevertheless, I would like to share my thoughts on the topic of anti-corruption, the obvious impossibility of addressing this issue by the very suspects themselves, and the accompanying shadowboxing. UNCAC is the highest decision-making body of the United Nations in the fight against corruption. Its tasks include implementing adopted measures, coordinating new initiatives, …

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Reflections from the 34th Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Side Event at UNOV

KG June 13, 2025 June 13, 2025

Last month PPI’s United Nations Office at Vienna main representative Kay Schroeder attended a side event co-hosted by Interpol and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime during the 34th Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. The event focused on the use of neurotechnologies in criminal justice. PPI is closely monitoring these conversations out of our concern that overzealous institutions will use these technologies to infringe on civil liberties. Neurotechnology includes everything from functional MRI scanners to brain stimulation devices. And the scary thing is that law enforcement have been adopting these technologies. While these capabilities promise new avenues for crime prevention, they also raise profound questions about …

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Pirates at the United Nations Office in Vienna, 2025!

KG March 24, 2025 March 26, 2025

We are pleased to present the following report from Kay Schroeder, PPI’s representative at the United Nations Office in Vienna. This year is the first time since before COVID that we were able to send representatives to all three UN offices (New York, Geneva, and Vienna). Please let us know if you would also like to visit the UN on behalf of PPI. Report of Kay Schroeder on UNOV Meetings of the UNODC The UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) invited its member states to attend the 68th Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna, held from March 10th to 15th. This marked my first appearance as …