Photo Archive

International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East, Vienna, Austria on 2-3 December
Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka opens the seminar

Palestinian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Almutawakel Taha (right) shaking hands with former Israeli Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Eli Dayan (third from the right).

World AIDS Day, 1 December
Pupils launched balloons along with personal messages voicing the call to "lead, empower and deliver on AIDS" in the Memorial Plaza of the Vienna International Centre

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Mr. Antonio Maria Costa, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (left), read out the message of the United Nations Secretary-General during a commemorative event at the Vienna International Centre on 26 November, chaired by H.E. Ms. Norma Goicochea Estenoz, Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations (Vienna) and Representative of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (right).

Russell Schweickart, Astronaut and Chair of the International Panel on Asteroid Threat Mitigation (IPATM, second from right), presented the report "Asteroid Threats: A Call for Global Response" to media at the Vienna International Centre on 25 November "Asteroid Threats: A Call for Global Response". Other panellists were (from left to right): Richard Crowther, Chairman of the Working Group on Near-Earth Objects of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of COPUOS; Dorin Prunariu, Cosmonaut and Chairman of the Board, Romanian Space Agency; and Walther Lichem, Member of IPATM.

Thomas Stelzer, Assistant Secretary-General (fourth from left) addresses the audience at the symposium "Can 'United Nations' be taught?" at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna on 22 November 2008.

UNIS Vienna marks UN Day at the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs. The Ministry held an Open House Day on 26 October (Austrian National Day) with a focus on Austria's role in the United Nations.

Anton Bebler, former Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations (Geneva), delivered a keynote speech at a special event for UN Day, which was organized by the UN Association of Slovenia. At the University of Ljubljana awards were presented for the ten best diploma, Master's and doctoral theses on the work of the United Nations on 23 October.

Agreement on new International Anti-Corruption Academy signed
INTERPOL Secretary-General Ronald K. Noble (left) and UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa (right) signed an agreement on 13 October at the Vienna International Centre to establish the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Laxenburg near Vienna. More ...

Eager and enthusiastic faces at this year's "World Space Week event" at the Vienna International Centre
On the occasion of the World Space Week (4-10 October), pupils from Vienna could drive the Dignity Rover (Mars rover), try on a space suit and listen to a multimedia presentation on Mars exploration and the AustroMars expedition on 9 October. More ...

Students Forum "Uniting for Peace in Vienna"
On the occasion of the International Day of Peace (21 September), young people from Southeast Central European capitals ring the peace bell at the Vienna International Centre on 22 September and participate in an arts project at Modul University in Vienna on 23 September. More...

Launch of the Millennium Development Goals Report 2008 at the Vienna International Centre
Panellists (from left to right): Hans Winkler, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs; Maher Nasser, Director, United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna; Ulrike Schelander, National Director, Care Austria; Andrey Ivanov, Acting Head, Poverty Practice Unit, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Bratislava
To learn more about the Millennium Development Goals Report 2008

Visitors to the Vienna International Centre (VIC) write messages of peace on the occasion of the International Day of Peace on 21 September. Messages are being collected and displayed from 8 to 19 September at the entrance hall of the VIC. Subsequently the peace messages will be presented to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on 22 September 2008.
To book a guided tour to the VIC.

Memorial ceremony to mourn the victims of the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, on 8 August 2008 at the Vienna International Centre. Ringing the peace bell by Klaus Renoldner, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, and art performance by Kazuko Kurosaki.

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Deputy Administrator, Shana Dale, paid a visit to the Vienna International Centre on 13 June on the occasion of the 51st session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

Under the motto "Kick the Habit: Towards a Carbon Free Economy" Vienna-based organizations (VBOs) celebrated World Environment Day in a market-like atmosphere. Staff members and guests had the opportunity to test-drive zero-emission vehicles, learn about recycling and how to reduce their carbon footprint. UNOV Deputy Director-General Franz Baumann, speaking on behalf of all VBOs, outlined some of the environmentally-friendly initiatives already in place at the Vienna International Centre (VIC) and called upon all staff members, as international civil servants, to lead by example in being more environmentally friendly.

Presentation of the "Business Friends of the Danube" on 2 June
With the "Business Friends of the Danube" the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) started an ambitious project creating a win-win situation for all involved parties and the Danube River in particular. "Membership of the Business Friends of the Danube carries responsibilities that are not only financial. More importantly, members agree to cooperate with Governments to preserve the uniqueness of the Danube River and its resources over the long-term", said Philip Weller, Executive Secretary of the ICPDR. Panellists (from left): Walter Köhler, Chief of ORF's TV series Universum; Josef Pröll, Austrian Environment Minister; Philip Weller, ICPDR Executive Secretary; and Sir Michael Llewellyn-Smith, Board Director of Coca-Cola Hellenic and Chairman of the Social Responsibility Committee.
 

60 Years UN peacekeeping 
UNIS Associate Information Officer Lothar Mikulla reads out the message of the UN Secretary-General for 60 years UN peacekeeping and the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on 29 May in Hof am Leithaberge (Lower Austria). On occasion of the International Day, a solemn farewell is paid to the Austrian contingent, including a Croatian detachment of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on the Golan Heights.

Panel discussion in the run-up to World Environment Day (5 June)
Panelists (from left) Stefan Schleicher (Wegener Zentrum, Graz University), Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer (CEO of Austrian oil and gas company OMV), Helga Kromp-Kolb (University for Natural Resources and Applied Sciences, Vienna), and Ernest Rudel ("Hohe Warte" Meteorological Centre), moderated by Martin Kugler (centre) of the daily "Die Presse", debated issues around the World Environment Day 2008 theme "Kick the Habit: Towards a Low Carbon Economy" at a panel discussion in the Vienna International Centre.

Mr. Franz Baumann, in his capacity as Acting Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, signed on 20 May the condolence book of the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Vienna in remembrance of the victims of the earthquake that struck Sichuan, China, on 12 May 2008.

UNIS students forum
On 9 May 2008, UNIS Vienna hosted a Students' Forum entitled "The Role of Vienna-based International Organizations as Hub against Uncivil Society".
From left to right: Mr. Christian Strohmann, UNIS Officer-in-Charge, Mr. Bojan Bertoncelj, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations (Vienna), Ms. Martha Villa Godínez, Associate Information Officer, Prof. Anton Grizold and Prof. Bojko Bucar from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Group photo of the Slovene Students at the Vienna International Centre.

New conference building inaugurated 
On 25 April, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) and Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik (left) jointly inaugurated the new conference building (M Building) at the Vienna International Centre. Mr. Ban stated: "The building will also be used as the central hub of many diplomats from all around the world to discuss the future of our world."