It was back in 1966, that the Government of Austria offered to construct an international centre in Vienna and the following year a site on the left bank of the River Danube was designated for it. The building itself was designed by Austrian architect Johann Staber, following an international competition for the design of the buildings.
On 23 August 1979 the Vienna International Centre (VIC) was inaugurated and it has been home to numerous UN organizations since then. It immediately became the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) both of which had already been based in Vienna since 1957 and 1967 respectively.
Other United Nations units were transferred to Vienna from New York and Geneva, consolidated into the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV). The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was provisionally headquartered in Vienna before it was relocated to Gaza City in 1997. In March 1997, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) was established at the VIC.
Today the Vienna International Centre is home to more than a dozen UN organizations, offices and agencies.
Inside the VIC diplomats from 193 Member States and staff from more than 125 countries engage in multilateral work on a range of topics including nuclear safety and security, drug control, transnational organized crime and terrorism, sustainable development, international trade law and the peaceful uses of outer space.
The Vienna International Centre has been committed to the UN-wide ‘greening the blue’ initiative and became climate-neutral in 2015. This happened through a series of measures including energy efficiency upgrades and switching to 100 per cent renewable electricity supply. The remaining small amount of CO2 emissions is offset on a yearly basis.
In September 2024 the Summit of the Future in New York aims to bring new life into the multilateral system so that the world can deliver on the promise of the United Nations Charter and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Summit aims to adopt a Pact for the Future along with a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration for Future Generations. The work carried out by the UN organizations in Vienna is playing an essential role in this, by working to deliver a better, more peaceful, prosperous and fairer future for all.
Various events and activities throughout the year will be used to highlight the 45th anniversary of the Vienna International Centre.
Many of the UN organizations in Vienna are taking part in the Long Night of Research on 24th May when the public can come and see how they are using science and research to support peace and development around the world. Our Ciné-ONU screenings throughout the year along with activities for UN Day in October as well as Model UN conferences and careers fairs during the year will also mark the anniversary.
The United Nations headquarters in Vienna is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, marking four decades of diplomacy in the heart of Europe.
The United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and the City of Vienna celebrate 35 Years of 'UNO City'.
The Vienna International Centre (VIC), home to the United Nations family in Vienna and, along with New York, Geneva and Nairobi, one of four United Nations headquarters worldwide, marks its 30th anniversary in 2009.
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of the Vienna International Centre on 23 August 1979, the United Nations Information Service issued an information kit on the VIC and the Vienna-based Organizations.
