31.05.2019 - The United Nations in Vienna

Space, the final frontier.... yes, I know, Star Trek has nothing to do with the United Nations. Or does it? Somehow, here in Vienna, at the Vienna International Centre, I couldn't help but think of the idea of the United Earth created in the series. Do we not achieve goals much better when we work together? After the unspeakable Second World War, it was exactly this idea of cooperation as a better alternative that led to the founding of the United Nations (UN) on October 24, 1945. Now there are 193 Member States and at least here in Vienna, one of the four headquarters of the UN, you can truly experience this collaboration and working towards common goals.

By the way, the UN complex is geographically located in Austria, but legally you leave the national territory when entering the premises. You notice this already at the entrance. German is not an official language here and the security personnel, who come from all over the world, speak to you in English. Just like at the airport, there is luggage and personal screening here. Security is of course a priority. That is why visits are only possible as part of a guided tour. You can choose between German and English, and admission costs 13 euros.

After a brief introduction, you then go together with the group to the Memorial Plaza. It is located in the center of the complex and the flags of all member states are flying around a fountain. Impressive! Incidentally, these are arranged alphabetically according to the English country names.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByN8rMHo-Xx/?igshid=m0a6w0yde747

Of course, you also encounter some of the over 5,000 employees from 125 countries who work here. The international atmosphere is fantastic.

But how did it actually come about that Vienna was chosen as one of the four headquarters of the UN? This is due to the neutrality in foreign policy that Austria has been dedicated to since 1955 and has enshrined in the constitution. This fact, and the offer of the Austrian state to use a building here almost free of charge, then led to the opening of a new headquarters in 1979. For the construction, there was an architectural competition and even then the project that placed great emphasis on efficient use of resources won. There are many windows that optimize the use of sunlight and thus retain heat in the building.

By the way, there are three other UN headquarters worldwide. Namely in New York, Geneva and Nairobi. Each one has its own specialty. Here in Vienna, the focus is on technical cooperation. That’s why the International Atomic Energy Agency is also located here, for example. And, of course, the Office for Outer Space Affairs.

I already mentioned that the UN can use this location almost for free. The annual rent for the building is actually a really small and symbolic amount of only 7 cents in Euro. It was agreed at the time in Austrian schillings. To be precise, 1 schilling annual rent was agreed for 99 years.

It is also interesting to see what has been created here in the building, because the area around the UN City was still virtually undeveloped in 1979. For example, there is a post office, a supermarket, a kindergarten and even its own subway station.

This raises the question of whether it is worth working here. Of course, apply if you are interested. In addition to perfect English and/or French, the qualification must, of course, be a match. To make your decision even easier, here is another plus point: Since you are working on stateless territory here, you do not pay taxes! And the UN also offers its own pension fund.

What else is there to see? Plenty of art. Because when a UN member state gives a gift, it is often something artistic or something with a high symbolic character. For example, China gifted a sculpture that is set up on the edge of the Memorial Plaza. Here you can see the goddess Nüwa, who according to an ancient Chinese legend mends a hole in the sky. Symbolically, she is now supposed to help close the ozone hole.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByN8-U3ormG/?igshid=1jxoni29ahbu9

And if that's still not enough, you can also see the Peace Nobel Prize medal awarded to the UN in 2005.

So it's really worth making a detour to the UN when visiting Vienna. And to come back to the beginning of this article, I would like to conclude with one of my favorite series:

Star Trek is not primarily a political series, but the creators have clearly incorporated the idea of interplanetary nationhood and understanding among different species. The series actually began in 1966, at the height of the Cold War. And maybe the longing for us to simply work better together was particularly strong at that time. But I hope that we don't need inspiration from Vulcans in 2063 to finally start working together properly.