VIENNA, 13 February 2026 – Organized with students from 34 different schools across Austria, Türkiye, Germany, and the Russian Federation, Modell UNO Wien provides space for students to discuss a range of global issues. This years’ committees addressed topics from the influence of facial recognition on freedom of the press, to the stability of supply chains, and the status of water security in 2076.
Deliberations took place in one of the main conference rooms, Boardroom D, allowing students to use the same infrastructure as professionals for their diplomatic simulation. “This makes your model United Nations conference special,” explained Sonja Wintersberger, Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna, “You are meeting at an actual United Nations hub here in Vienna, which is home to one of the four main offices of the United Nations and headquarters to very important UN entities.”
To emphasize the importance of Model UN conferences for young people, Christoph Wiederkehr, the Austrian Federal Minister of Education, gave an opening address that encouraged students to take up opportunities to engage with global topics and enjoy their conference.
Model United Nations conferences give students the unique possibility to explore multilateral issues while providing valuable experience in public speaking and international diplomacy. As Wintersberger told participants: “Through this exercise, you are not only simulating diplomacy; you are building the skills the world needs: listening, negotiating, and forging consensus.”
The opening of the last conference day was also attended by Ambassador Gabriela Sellner from the Austrian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Vienna, which provided support to Modell UNO Wien taking place at the Vienna International Centre.
