VIENNA, 7 August 2026 – Organized by students from different universities with the support of the United Nations Association (UNA) Austria and attended by 180 participants with more than 45 nationalities, the Vienna International Centre Model United Nations (VICMUN) provided space for students to discuss a range of global issues. The committees this year addressed relevant topics which included space law and private companies in space, management of radioactive waste, sexual and reproductive health in emergency situations, electronic commerce and digital trade, the use of AI in armed conflicts, and many others.
Deliberations took place in conference rooms at the Vienna International Centre, the home to several UN offices and entities, allowing students to use the same infrastructure as professionals for their diplomatic simulation. On the first day of the conference, the Director General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),Monica Juma, gave an inspiring welcome speech. She highlighted current global challenges and emphasized the importance of the younger generation for shaping the present and the future. As she said: “The future is not something we simply inherit. It is something we build – conversation by conversation, idea by idea, partnership by partnership. And there is no better time to begin building it than now.”
Model United Nations (MUN) conferences give students the unique possibility to explore multilateral issues while providing valuable experience in public speaking and international diplomacy. As one of the students pointed out: “A model UN is a great place to find like-minded people and discuss interesting topics with them.” Another said that: “the model UN gives young people the opportunity to have their voices heard” while adding “maybe the UN could learn a thing or two from us”.
