Vienna's International Organizations, Missions & Institutes

Read the latest headlines about diplomatic missions and international organizations in Vienna and Austria

Viennese Merchants' Guild Prepares for Chinese Century

Something is happening in the Viennese school system. The VBS Vienna Business School will offer its students the opportunity to learn Chinese (Mandarin) at all six school locations from autumn onwards and to take advantage of an extensive range of Chinese language and culture courses.

March 18, 2019

Evo Morales in Vienna to Present Bolivia's Anti-Drug Policy

Bolivian President Morales took part in the annual meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs at the Vienna International Center and was in Vienna on this occasion. He also met Federal President Alexander van der Bellen.

March 14, 2019

Iraqi Expert Roundtable in Vienna - How to Reconstruct the City of Mosul?

More than 70 experts from Iraq, Austria and the relevant international community met in Vienna at the invitation of the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce to discuss the reconstruction of the devastated northern Iraqi city of Mosul and find solutions. Here is the report of the Expert's Round Table on the Reconstruction of the City of Mosul.

March 14, 2019

Austrian Foreign Ministry Summoned Ukrainian Ambassador Scherba for Talks

Journalist Christian Wehrschütz has been barred from entering Ukraine for one year. The Austrian Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry Johannes Peterlik and Harlem Désir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, demand the lifting of the entry ban for ORF correspondent Christian Wehrschütz.

March 11, 2019

Minister of External Affairs of India Sushma Swaraj Met Karin Kneissl

Karin Kneissl, Austrian Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs accompanied by senior officials of her Ministry recently visited India. The visit of Minister Kneissl is part of the regular exchange between the two countries. During the visit, Minister Kneissl had a meeting with External Affairs Minister, Smt Sushma Swaraj, in New Delhi.

March 7, 2019

Una Notte Italiana at the Concordia Ball 2019

The Concordia Ball, the most important ball held annually at Vienna City Hall, will take place on Friday, 14 June 2019 under the motto "Una Notte Italiana". If you have always dreamed of elegantly waltzing through a festively decorated ballroom, look no further! Grab your dancing shoes, dress in your best gown and enjoy a stunning experience in the home town of the Waltz!

March 7, 2019

What will be Going on at the IAEA in 2019?

What's ahead for the IAEA and its global agenda in 2019? Here is a preview of selected and important meetings and events at the IAEA.

January 7, 2019 · Updated: March 4, 2019; 19:03

Huawei Austria Sponsors Austrian Chinese Business Association

The Chinese technology group Huawei and the ACBA Austrian Chinese Business Association have sealed their cooperation at an evening event entitled "Huawei - Inside & Outside" at the Grand Hotel Vienna. Huawei is disputed internationally because of its 5G wireless network technology and its close connection to the Chinese government. Huawei maintains good business relations with the largest carriers in Austria, A1 Telekom Austria (America Movil), Hutchison Whampoa (Drei Austria) and T-Mobile Austria and supplies them with expensive 5G network equipment. In addition, Huawei will open its first flagship store outside China in downtown Vienna in the summer of 2019.

February 27, 2019

Saudi Arabia Closes Controversial Private School in Vienna

Saudi Arabia closes the controversial Saudi School Vienna in Vienna's Landstrasse district. The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Vienna sees "better" opportunities for integration into the local community by visiting other schools in Vienna.

February 27, 2019

Kneissl in the Eastern South Asia Countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal

Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl's journey through Eastern South Asia took her via Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan to India. The trip focused on bilateral relations between Austria and the individual countries, development cooperation and the expansion of economic activities in the fields of tourism, energy and infrastructure.

February 26, 2019

Official Visit of President of Hungary - Criticism of Expansion of Paks Nuclear Power Plant

President János Áder of Hungary paid an official visit to Austria. The main topic of discussion between Áder and Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen was climate protection.

February 25, 2019

Meet UNIDO's Director General Li Yong

Li Yong (李勇), born in 1951, is a senior economic and financial policymaker from the People’s Republic of China. He is the current Director General of UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization, based in Vienna, Austria. Previously he served as Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China.

February 22, 2019

Fight Against Anti-Semitism - The Jewish Community in NYC and Austria

As part of his trip to the USA, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz met David Harris, Executive Director of the AJC American Jewish Committee, and once again Holocaust survivor Rabbi Arthur Schneier.

February 21, 2019

Meet the Ambassador of China to Austria: H.E. Li Xiaosi

Ambassador Li Xiaosi (李晓驷) has been Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Austria since 2016. He has been a career diplomat since 1985 with previous oversees posts in Germany and Switzerland. He speaks Mandarin, German and English.

February 20, 2019

Meet the Ambassador of Ukraine to Austria: H.E. Dr. Olexander Scherba

Ambassador Dr. Olexander Scherba has been Ambassador of Ukraine in Austria since November 2014. He has been a career diplomat since 1995 with oversees posts in Germany and the US. Besides Ukrainian and Russian, he speaks German and English.

February 12, 2019

Olexander Scherba - ORF Foreign Correspondent Wehrschütz has Violated Sovereignty of Ukraine

In the case of the controversial Ukraine correspondent of the ORF, Christian Wehrschütz, the Ukrainian ambassador in Vienna, H.E. Dr. Olexander Scherba, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, announced in a written statement that the accreditation in the war zone of Ukraine was "unlikely". The reason is still the "illegal" crossing (documentary filming) of the Crimean bridge which was illegally built by the Russian side.

February 12, 2019

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Vienna, Austria

Updated address and contact details of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Vienna, Austria (中华人民共和国驻奥地利共和国大使馆 / Botschaft der Volksrepublik China in der Republik Österreich), including Political Section, Economic and Commercial Section, Culture Section, Science and Technology Section, Office of the Defence Attaché, Consular Section, Protocol and Administrative Section and the Section of Education.

February 8, 2019

Austria Boosts Funds for the Battle against Female Genital Mutilation

In the context of the International Day against FGM - Female Genital Mutilation, both the Austrian Foreign Ministry and the AIF - Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF - Österreichische Integrationsfonds), which is largely financed by the Austrian Foreign Ministry, are increasing the financial resources amounting to € 6 million for the international fight against FGM. This day commemorates the fact that around 200 million girls and women worldwide are affected by female genital mutilation. In Austria alone, 8,000 women with a migration background are affected.

February 6, 2019

Founder of Global Peter Drucker Forum Honored as Excellent Management-Ambassador

Dr. Richard Straub, who resides in Paris for more than two decades, received the Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (Große Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich) at the Austrian Embassy in Paris.

February 5, 2019

The End of the INF Treaty - Europe Could Become a Nuclear War Zone

In an interview with the APA - Austria Press Agency the political scientist and disarmament expert Heinz Gärtner recently stated that the background of the US termination of the INF Treaty on the Prohibition of Medium-Range Nuclear Weapons might be the expansion of the deterrence potential and that Europe could thus become the target area of a nuclear conflict. At a panel discussion organized by the International Institute for Peace (IIP) on 11 February 2019, Heinz Gärtner, together with representatives of the United States and the Russian Federation, will examine the background of this issue.

February 5, 2019

Visit to the Palestinian Territories: Austria's Van der Bellen for a Two-State Solution

Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah: "We are friends of Israel AND of the Palestinians. We want to deepen relations with both sides". Mahmoud Abbas thanked Austria for the "historical relationships" cultivated since Bruno Kreisky.

February 5, 2019

Israel State Visit: "Austria is jointly responsible for the Shoah"

During his state visit to Israel, Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen emphasised Austria's co-responsibility for the Shoah. In the Holocaust memorial Jad Vaschem Van der Bellen bowed before the Jewish victims of National Socialism. Meanwhile, as expected, there is no lifting of the boycott against Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl or members of the Freedom Party's cabinet.

February 4, 2019

What Does the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement Mean for Austria?

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs has calculated that the savings potential through the elimination of customs duties amounts to around one billion euros across the EU and to around EUR 34 million for Austria. For Austria this means a rather modest growth effect of 0.011 percent of GDP.

February 4, 2019

EU-Japan Agreement Secures EUR 34 Million in Jobs and Prosperity in Austria

The EU's Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan entered into force on 1 February 2019. For Austria, Japan is by far the second most important market in Asia and the third most important overseas trading partner. About 1000 Austrian exporters are active in Japan, 80 companies have local branches. In 2017 the trade volume reached an all-time high of 3.5 billion euros.

February 4, 2019

Meet the New Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Austria: H.E. Ms. Maria Cleofe Natividad

The new Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Austria Ms. Maria Cleofe Natividad presented President Alexander Van der Bellen with her letter of accreditation at the Vienna Hofburg.

January 9, 2018 · Updated: February 1, 2019; 17:00

Meet the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Austria: H.E. Ms. Talya Lador-Fresher

Ambassador Talya Lador-Fresher has been Ambassador of the State of Israel in Austria since 2015 and is Israel's permanent representative at the International Organizations in Vienna. She once told "The Diplomatic Club", that "It is hard to be a diplomat, it is harder to be an Israeli diplomat and even harder to be an Israeli woman diplomat."

January 30, 2019

Holocaust Remembrance Day in Vienna: "We Remember"

On 27 January, the 74th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp by the Red Army was celebrated. On the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day various commemorative events were held in Vienna, among others by the Vienna Israelite Community at Heldenplatz.

January 29, 2019

Haus der Geschichte Österreich - Evaluation by a Team of Experts

The recently opened House of Austrian History is intended to present the history of Austria from the middle of the 19th century to as broad an audience as possible, with a special focus from 1918 to the present day in its European and international context. A team of experts met for the first time and will present a concept for the long-term design of the institution until the summer.

January 28, 2019

Kick-off for the 150th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Austria

This year, Japan and Austria are commemorating the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This week the kick-off event took place with the Japanese Ambassador in Vienna Kiyoshi Koinuma and the Head of the Section for Foreign Cultural Relations (Sektion V - Kulturelle Auslandsbeziehungen) at the Foreign Ministry, Section Head Ambassador Dr. Teresa Indjein.

January 25, 2019

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Praises the Role of Austria

"As the home of the OSCE, Austria has always been a strong and generous supporter of our work and has allowed our Organization to conduct its important work," said OSCE PA President Tsereteli.

January 24, 2019

Austrian Development Cooperation until 2021 - Sustainable Development Reaching People

In the next three years, the Austrian Development Cooperation will focus above all on the promotion of women and local development assistance.

January 24, 2019

Austria Appoints 15 New Ambassadors to Austrian Embassies Worldwide

Some top positions in the Austrian diplomatic service were awarded this week. The Council of Ministers of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to place new Austrian diplomats at head of following Austrian Embassies worldwide.

January 24, 2019

United Nations - Dr. Alexander Marschik Appointed New Austrian Ambassador to the UN Headquarters in NYC

In the context of an extensive replacement of ambassadors in the Foreign Ministry, Dr. Alexander Marschik was entrusted with the direction of the Austrian Mission to the United Nations in New York City. As a diplomat with 4 years of professional experience in New York, it is a return to familiar parquet.

January 24, 2019

Radio Interview with the Austrian Ambassador to the United Kingdom

Rosie MacLeod spoke to Michael Zimmermann, the new Austrian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, about the presidency and Austria's place within the European Union more generally.

Rosie MacLeod · January 21, 2019

Visit the United Nations Family in Vienna and Get to Know Its Members

Are you a committed citizen and want to learn how the United Nations works? Would you like to find out more about how the UN made its home in Vienna, one of the four global UN headquarters?

January 18, 2019

Hollywood in Austria's Mountains - Avalanche Drama Film Follows Current Avalanche Danger

In Tyrol, a Hollywood drama about a married couple whose perfectly believed family life gets completely out of balance when they barely escape an avalanche is currently in the making. Austrian film funding supports the production of "Downhill" with Will Farell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. With a shooting time of 8 weeks, an added value of 7 million Euros and 10,000 overnight stays is expected.

January 18, 2019

Austria Signed Memorandum with Economic Chambers of Western Balkan States

The representatives of the Economic Chamber and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Harald Mahrer and Karin Kneissl, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Economic Chambers of the Western Balkan states Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro. The aim is to strengthen regional cooperation at the economic level, particularly in the area of dual vocational training.

January 18, 2019

Vienna International Centre Celebrates 40th Anniversary in 2019

In 2019, the VIC Vienna International Centre (commonly known as UNO City) is celebrating its 40th anniversary. More than 4,000 employees from over 110 countries work here. Vienna is one of the four headquarters of the United Nations alongside New York, Geneva and Nairobi. Find out which 19 organisations the United Nations family in Vienna includes and what they do in Vienna.

January 18, 2019

New Austria-House in Minsk Expected to Strengthen Relations with Belarus

The Austrian Embassy, the Consulate and the Foreign Trade Office (Advantage Austria) are now under one roof. Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl met her Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei and visited the Stone of remembrance - The Massif of Names in Maly Trostinec, where almost 10,000 Austrian Jews were murdered during World War II.

January 15, 2019

Meet Austria's New Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna: H.E. Ms. Gabriela Sellner

Following her appointment by the Austrian Council of Ministers in April last year, Dr.a Gabriela Sellner has now been accredited as Head of the Permanent Mission to the United Nations (Vienna), IAEA, UNIDO and CTBTO.

January 11, 2019

New Appointments of Austrian Diplomatic Posts Abroad

At its meeting of 25 April 2018, the Austrian Council of Ministers decided to entrust the following Foreign Ministry officials with the direction of Austrian Missions.

April 25, 2018 · Updated: January 11, 2019; 17:15

Kosovo - Austrian KFOR Mission Extension until End 2019

At a time when tensions between Serbia and Kosovo are once again rising due to the dispute over Kosovo's own army, Austria has decided to extend its deployment within the framework of the multinational peacekeeping operation in Kosovo (KFOR) until the end of 2019 with a contingent of up to 600 members of the armed forces.

January 11, 2019

Embassy and Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna, Austria

Updated address and contact details of the Embassy of Ukraine in Vienna, Austria (Botschaft der Ukraine in der Republik Österreich), including Embassy Secretariat, Political and Media Issues, Economic Department, Regional Cooperation, Consular Section, and Military Attaché Office, and of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna.

January 11, 2019

Meet the New Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Austria: H.E. Mr. Sherzod Asadov

The new Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Austria, H.E. Mr. Sherzod Asadov presented Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen with his letter of accreditation at the Vienna Hofburg.

November 7, 2018 · Updated: January 11, 2019; 11:00

Austria's Contribution to the OSCE in 2019

The Main Committee of the Austrian National Council recently approved the continuation of numerous deployments to international missions, including tasks in the framework of the OSCE Special Observation Mission to Ukraine, the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the EU Mission to Georgia, where, inter alia, cooperation with the OSCE is taking place.

January 10, 2019

Vienna's UNODC Receives EUR 10 Million in Funding Agreements from UK

The United Kingdom and UNODC have signed two new funding agreements with a joint worth of EUR 10.13 million to strengthen UNODC's anti-corruption activities.

January 7, 2019

Global Report on Trafficking in Persons Launched in Vienna

The report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was presented by UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov at a special event of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) with Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl. Drawing on information from 142 countries, the report examines trafficking trends and patterns, and puts the spotlight on human trafficking in armed conflict.

January 7, 2019

Neil Richard Bush Appointed New Head of UK Delegation to the OSCE

The British FCO Foreign & Commonwealth Office has confirmed that Mr. Neil Bush will take over as the new Head of the UK Delegation to the OSCE in Vienna in March 2019. He succeeds Ms. Sian MacLeod OBE, who has held this position since August 2015.

January 7, 2019

UN Gets Christmas Tree from the City of Vienna - The VIC Will Be 40 Years Old in 2019

Every year the Viennese city administration provides the VIC - Vienna International Centre (UNO-City) with a Christmas tree, punch, zither music and a gingerbread craft station to create a pre-Christmas atmosphere.

December 20, 2018

EU-Africa Forum - Heads of State Share Vision on Cooperation Between Africa and Europe

The High-Level Forum Africa-Europe met at the ACV-Austria Center Vienna to focus on "Taking cooperation to the digital age". The debates focused on the cooperation between the European Union and African countries in the areas of innovation and digitisation, in particular the question of how the benefits of digital change can benefit everyone.

December 19, 2018