On Thursday, 23 October 2025, a practice-oriented specialist seminar on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities took place at the IIR at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), led by Professor Monika Polzin in cooperation with the organisation Lebenshilfe Austria. Lebenshilfe Austria is a human rights organisation dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the rights of people with intellectual and multiple disabilities in Austria.
During the seminar, the students presented various aspects of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and discussed these with Ms Nicole Braunstein, Chair of the Self-Advocacy Advisory Board, and the Secretary General of Lebenshilfe Austria, Mr Philippe Narval. The presentations covered both fundamental topics, such as the history of the Convention and its individual provisions, as well as current issues, such as its significance for recent domestic court rulings. Following each presentation, a lively and substantive discussion ensued, in which the students participated with great enthusiasm. Finally, the exchange continued over a joint lunch.