Visit of the EU Council’s United Nations Working Party (CONUN) to the UN Organisations in Vienna

The first-ever visit of the EU Council's United Nations Working Party (CONUN) to the UN organisations in Vienna took place on 1 and 2 July 2026. CONUN helps steer the European Union's multilateral policy in the UN context and prepares strategic discussions on broader UN issues.

Organised by the EU Delegation, the two-day visit included high level meetings with all major Vienna-based organisations. Delegates met with UNOV Director-General and UNODC Executive Director Monica Juma, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, and senior representatives from UNOOSA, UNIDO and UNCITRAL, as well as civil society organisations. The Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria hosted a dinner reception as a courtesy of the host country.

The visit was marked by a high level of engagement on all sides. Over the course of the meetings, delegates gained a deeper understanding of the breadth of work carried out in Vienna, as well as the challenges facing the organisations, particularly in the context of the UN liquidity crisis and the UN80 initiative.

A particularly significant moment was the meeting with the chairs of four regional groups - the G77, the African Group, GRULAC and ASEAN - which underscored the EU's commitment to building strong partnerships.

Discussions with Monica Juma, Director-General of UNOV and Executive Director of UNODC, highlighted the strong alignment between the EU and UNODC. The exchange stressed the need for integrated responses to converging transnational threats, including organised crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime, terrorism and illicit financial flows, and underlined UNODC's critical role in bridging policy areas.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi provided delegates with an overview of the agency's foreign and security policy-related challenges, particularly in relation to Ukraine and Iran. UNOOSA, meanwhile, emphasised the importance of multilateral cooperation in space governance at a time of growing pressure from the rise of commercial actors, orbital congestion and the wider UN liquidity crisis.

The meeting with UNIDO offered an opportunity to deepen dialogue and discuss the organisation's work and priorities, revealing strong convergence with EU priorities.

Overall, all interlocutors agreed on the importance of the strategic partnership between the EU and Vienna-based UN organisation. It also reinforced the EU's core message of strong support for the UN system and for multilateralism at a difficult time.

Participants also noted that although Vienna is often seen primarily as a technical UN hub, its work is becoming increasingly politicised, whether in relation to UNODC, the IAEA or even at the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Delegates also had a chance to visit the UNODC Laboratory and Scientific Services, where they saw how the in-house laboratory uses science and innovation to develop cutting-edge solutions in the areas of drugs, crime and terrorism.