Conferences
The meetings organized by the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) range from large international conferences to small workshops and expert group meetings. The purposes - or "mandates" - of such meetings are defined by the General Assembly or by the Economic and Social Council or are spelled out in international conventions. Those mandates include:
- Mobilizing Governments and non-governmental organizations to take action on major global problems
- Studying global problems and making recommendations on how to deal with them
- Preparing international conventions, standards and guidelines
- Serving as a forum where new proposals can be debated and consensus sought
- Monitoring compliance with international conventions or treaties
- Reviewing budgets and establishing policy
- Providing expert or technical advice and making recommendations on specific issues
- Training (seminars, workshops, training courses)
Conference Management Service of UNOV plans and coordinates conferences and meetings of United Nations bodies such as the following:
- Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
- Commission on Narcotic Drugs
- Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
- International Narcotics Control Board
- United Nations Commission on International Trade Law
- United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation
UNOV also provides conference and meeting support to the three other Vienna-based international organizations:
- International Atomic Energy Agency
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization
- Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
Although attendance at most conferences and meetings is limited to elected or designated members or to invited States or organizations, some events and activities at the Vienna International Centre are open to the public. Also, guided tours of the Centre organized by the Visitors' Service feature a visit to a conference room where a meeting is usually in session.
Listen to current meetings via Skype
It is now possible to use Skype to listen to UNOV/UNODC, UNIDO and CTBTO conferences held at the Vienna International Centre (VIC) for free anywhere in the world. Simply follow these instructions.