United Nations Information Service

The United Nations Information Service Vienna (UNIS Vienna) is part of a 63-strong network of United Nations Information Centres spanning the globe, which are part of the United Nations Department of Public Information. They share a common goal: to help fulfill the substantive purposes of the United Nations by communicating the activities and concerns of the organization to the public.

UNIS Vienna plays a dual role: as UN Information Centre it serves four client countries – Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. By serving as the local voice of the UN in these countries, the Information Service aims to promote an informed understanding of the work and goals of the UN, by reaching out to media, government, academia, schools and civil society organizations. Furthermore, it provides public information support and promotional services to the substantive programmes of the United Nations based in Vienna, and acts as Secretariat to the UN Communications Group in Vienna.

UNIS Vienna runs the guided tours at the Vienna International Centre where one of the four UN headquarters – along with the UN Headquarters in New York City, the UN Office at Geneva and UN Office at Nairobi – is located. The Visitors Service offers lectures by UN staff members on the UN in general and the work of the Vienna-based organizations.

UNIS Vienna issues annual accreditation to bona-fide representatives of the media who are writing on UN system issues, on the basis of certain criteria. Accredited journalists to the UN receive access to the Vienna International Centre, information on the happenings in the UN world in Vienna and beyond, invitations to events and press briefings being organized at the VIC.

Over 1,500 civil society organizations with strong information programmes on issues of concern to the UN are associated with the UN Department of Public Information, linking the UN with people around the world. The NGO liaison service of UNIS Vienna maintains a distribution list of approximately 400 local NGO representatives, research institutes, political think tanks and initiatives of civil society.

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