Guide to the Vienna International Centre (VIC)

The Vienna International Centre (VIC)

The Vienna International Centre (VIC) was designed by the Austrian architect Johann Staber and inaugurated on 23 August 1979. Located on the banks of the River Danube, it is only a ten-minute ride by underground (U-Bahn) to Vienna’s city centre. The Austrian Government is leasing the building to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as to the other United Nations and international organizations in Vienna, at a symbolic rate of 1 Austrian schilling (€0.07) per year.

In addition to the IAEA, the VIC accommodates other United Nations and international organizations, all of which are listed at the end of this booklet. The VIC comprises several buildings, labelled A to M. The A and B buildings house the IAEA. Building M is the main conference building. Buildings D and E house the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and other United Nations entities, and the F and G buildings house various IAEA support services, such as the IT and printing services, VIC Medical Service and the IAEA Library, as well as the VIC Cafeteria and Restaurant.

The official address of the IAEA is: International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna International Centre, Wagramer Strasse 5, PO Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria.

How to Reach the VIC

By public transport

The VIC can be reached with the U-Bahn by taking line U1 (marked in red on maps of the transport network) towards Wien Leopoldau and alighting at Kaisermühlen-Vienna International Centre station. Single tickets, multiple tickets for two, four or eight journeys or for one, three or eight days, and weekly tickets can be purchased from vending machines in all U-Bahn stations, at tobacco shops with the sign ‘Tabak Trafik’ or at the VIC newspaper stand located in the C building. Weekly tickets are valid from Monday to Sunday and can be used for unlimited travel on all modes of public transport (U-Bahn, bus, tram and local trains (S-Bahn)) within the city of Vienna.

Further information can be obtained here.

By taxi

Since all meeting participants have to go through the registration formalities, those arriving by taxi should ask to be dropped off at Wagramer Strasse 5, Gate 1 of the VIC. For departures, a taxi may be requested at the United Nations Security and Safety Service (UNSSS), located at Gate 1. An additional fee is charged for taxis ordered by telephone. The customary tip for taxi drivers in Austria is 10% of the fare.

Please note that there may be an extra charge for luggage, which is not shown on the meter.

From Vienna Airport

By bus

The Vienna Airport Lines bus service operates at hourly intervals, from 05:10 to 20:10, every day. Buses depart from the VIC bus station, which is located on Wagramer Strasse, in front of Gate 1. The trip usually takes about 30 minutes and costs €8.

By train

An S-Bahn service departs from the airport and stops at Wien Praterstern approximately every 30 minutes. The trip usually takes about 25 minutes. After arriving at Wien Pratertstern station, it is necessary to change to U-Bahn line U1 towards Leopoldau (further information is listed under 'Public transport' above) to reach the VIC. Alternatively, the City Airport Train (CAT) links the airport with the City Air Terminal at Landstraße Wien-Mitte U-Bahn station. The trip takes about 16 minutes; the fare is approximately €9 for a single ticket and €16 for a return ticket.

For further information, please visit City Airport Train (CAT).

Meeting Registration

IAEA meeting participants are advised to arrive at Checkpoint 1/Gate 1 of the VIC one hour before the start of the meeting on the first day in order to allow for timely registration, security check and issue of grounds passes.

Upon arrival at Gate 1, meeting participants are requested to identify themselves with their national passport or a valid official identification document at the IAEA Registration Desk. Meeting participants should bring their invitation letter to facilitate the registration process. Unannounced meeting participants or visitors will only be admitted to the VIC if they can produce evidence of the purpose of their visit or an invitation letter from the IAEA.

The United Nations Pass Office will issue meeting participants with a grounds pass. Please note that it is mandatory to wear the grounds pass visibly at all times while on the VIC premises.

In cases of unannounced arrivals, the UNSSS needs to obtain confirmation of meeting participation, which could delay the registration process.

Meeting participants who have special requirements should notify the Scientific Secretary of the relevant meeting or the IAEA’s Conference Services Section in advance of the kind of assistance they require. Based on the information received, the necessary arrangements will be made with the UNSSS.

Emergency Procedures

UNSSS

Persons with physical disabilities (permanent or temporary) that would exclude them from active participation in an evacuation of the premises are requested to notify the UNSSS when registering for a meeting. In the event of an emergency evacuation, they will be attended to by staff assigned by the floor’s Evacuation Officer/Scientific Secretary (if appropriate), or by UNSSS personnel.

The Security Control Centre is equipped with a public address system for important announcements. Should an emergency situation arise requiring a general (all areas) or partial (selected buildings) alarm, the appropriate announcement — starting with the word “attention” — will be made by UNSSS. All persons on the premises must pay attention to such announcements and follow any instructions..

When an alarm is given in your area

• Stop working;
• Turn off (and disconnect to the extent possible) all electrically powered equipment;
• Clear corridors of obstructions; and
• Follow the advice of the Scientific Secretary/Technical Officer or Conference Services staff/UNSSS personnel and evacuate the area via the nearest emergency exit.

Public assembly areas both on and off the VIC premises have been designated by UNSSS and will be made known, as the situation requires.

In an emergency

• Be prepared for fire and other emergencies at any given time;
• Familiarize yourself with the location and use of fire extinguishers and push-button alarm boxes;
• Familiarize yourself with the emergency exit plan and cooperate with the Scientific Secretary and his/her team; and
• Do not remain in, or return to, an area that is being or has been evacuated until instructed to do so.

Remember the emergency sequence

1. Report fire, smoke, burning smells and other emergencies, and alert persons in the vicinity of the incident;
2. Rescue persons injured and/or in imminent danger but do not expose yourself to danger; and
3. Extinguish fires only during their initial stage but do not expose yourself to danger and make sure that the escape route is safe. 

How to Report an Emergency

Call 99 from an internal telephone and state the following:

• Where: Give the exact location of the emergency.
• What: State the nature of the emergency (e.g. fire, medical) and whether there are any persons in imminent danger. Report on injuries and any other relevant details.
• Who: Give your name and room number and stay on the line until the Security Officer ends the call.

Answer the Security Officer’s questions to the best of your knowledge; keep to the facts (no guesses/assumptions). Do not hang up: the Security Officer will terminate the call.

What to do in the aftermath of a crisis at the VIC

In the event of a crisis of any nature at the VIC, the IAEA has developed an IAEA-wide crisis recovery plan. An evacuation of the VIC would be coordinated by the UNSSS, and the IAEA Crisis Recovery Team would subsequently need to be able to account for all staff and meeting participants at the VIC.

The IAEA Crisis Recovery Team has set up an external email address for use in emergencies. To be able to establish the status of meeting participants as quickly and efficiently as possible in the event of a crisis, participants should send an email as soon as possible after leaving the VIC to this email address and provide the following information:

• Your full name;
• Status (injured/healthy);
• The title of the meeting being attended;
• Present location/address; and
• Present telephone contact details.

Please do not try to contact the IAEA by telephone, as phone lines need to be kept as free as possible. Meeting participants should check the IAEA website regularly following a crisis to get the latest information on current and future meetings. To the extent possible, the IAEA will subsequently contact meeting participants by email or by telephone to provide updated meeting information.

Meeting participants are requested not to communicate with the media. Any media inquiries should be directed to the IAEA’s Organizational Resilience Group.

Should you be evacuated from the VIC following an incident likely to result in contamination of any kind, avoid close contact with other persons to the extent possible and administer self-decontamination (thorough full body wash, sealing contaminated clothes in an air-tight container) as soon as possible.

Should you experience any post-incident medical issues, proceed immediately to the nearest hospital or, in severe cases, call 144 to reach the Austrian national medical emergency service.

Services in the VIC and General Information

Information Services

General information about the VIC, the IAEA and Vienna, as well as other information material and maps, can be obtained in the M building (ground floor).

Hotel Reservations

See Travel Agency below.

Banking Services

Bank Austria has two branch offices at the VIC:

• One is located on the ground floor of the D building (D0E 71), external telephone number: 050505-30200, fax number: 050505-30205, internal extension: 4988+30231.
   
• The other is located on the first floor of the C building, external telephone number: 050505-30200, fax number: 050505-30210, internal extension: 4988.

The offices are open from 08:00 to 16:00. Bankomat machines (ATM) are available outside both offices.

• The United Nations Federal Credit Union is located on the first floor of the C building, external telephone number: 26060-5753, fax number: 26060-5870, internal extension: 5751, or send an email.
  
  The office is open from 08:30 to 16:00 (17:00 on Thursdays).

Postal Services

The VIC post office is located on the first floor of the C building. It is open from 08:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday. The internal extension is 4986.

Telephones

The official telephone number of the IAEA is: [+43] 1 2600 followed by the necessary extension. If the extension is unknown, dial 0 for the IAEA switchboard. Telephones are available in all meeting rooms and may be used for internal and local calls. For internal calls lift the receiver and dial the required extension. For local calls (within Vienna) lift the receiver, press 0 and dial the desired telephone number. Please note that mobile phone numbers may not be dialed from these telephones.

Travel Agency

American Express is the official travel agency of the IAEA. It offers travel services for both official and private travel. It is located on the ground floor of the G building (G0E 85), external telephone number: 2600-23040, internal extension: 23070, or send an email. It is open from 08:30 to 17:30, Monday to Friday. For private flight bookings, the travel agency is only open from 10:00 to 16:00.

Catering Facilities

• The VIC Cafeteria, located on the ground floor of the F building, offers a variety of hot and cold dishes, snacks and drinks. The opening hours are as follows:
  
  Breakfast: 07:30-10:00
  Lunch: 11:30-14:30
  Coffee: 07:30-15:30
   
• The VIC Restaurant is located on the ground floor of the F building and is open from 11:30 to 14:30. Table reservations can be made from 10:00 by dialing internal extension 4877
   
• Coffee bars are located on the ground floor of the M building and on the fourth and seventh floors of the C building. The coffee bar on the ground floor of the M building is open daily from 9:00 to 16:00. An additional coffee bar is located on the first floor of the M building and is open according to the planned coffee breaks of meetings held on this floor.

• The Cocktail Lounge is located on the ground floor of the F building and is open from 11:30 to 20:00, Monday to Thursday, and from 11:30 to 21:00 on Fridays.

Medical Services

• The VIC Medical Service is located on the seventh floor of the F building and is available from 08:30 to 17:30 (15:00 on Thursdays). During the summer, the service is available from 08:00 to 16:00. Emergencies, however, are dealt with at any time during regular office hours. The internal extension is 22223.
  
  In case of emergency, dial 22222 from an internal telephone.
   
• The pharmacy is located on the seventh floor of the F building (F07 07). It sells over-the-counter and prescription drugs and is open from 10:00 to 17:00, from Monday to Friday. The internal extension is 21599.

Document Services

Publications are exhibited in the corridor between the A and M buildings and may be purchased at reduced prices from the Marketing and Sales Unit and collected from the Documents Distribution area located on floor -1 of the F building (F-1 52). The internal extension is 22477.

Should photocopies of technical documents be required in the course of a meeting, please contact the Scientific Secretary of the meeting.

Computers

Computers with internet access are available in most of the meeting rooms and in the IAEA Library. An 'Internet Corner' is located on the ground floor of the M building, as well as on the fourth floor of the C building. High-speed wireless internet is available in the M building and can be accessed by connecting to the Wi-Fi network 'WLAN-GUEST'.

Library

The IAEA Library is accessible by all meeting participants and visitors. It is located on the first floor of the F building (F01 46). The Library makes available scientific publications, international newspapers, journals, audiovisual material, documents and technical reports. A reading room and computers with internet access are also available. The IAEA Library is open from 09:30 to 17:00 from Monday to Friday. The internal extension is 22620, or send an email.

Lost and Found

The United Nations Security Service Duty Room on the ground floor of the F building (F0E 21) provides a "lost and found" service. The extension is 3903.

Nursing Room

A nursing room is located at C0E01 in the rotunda. It contains individual private booths for breastfeeding or expressing milk as well as a kitchen with microwave and refrigerator and a common seating area which may be used for nursing and bottle-feeding. The room is open at all times and may be accessed by all caregivers working at or visiting the VIC regardless of gender.

Vienna Service Office

The Vienna Service Office, located on the ground floor of the C building (C0E 14), provides information about sightseeing tours in and around Vienna. It is open from 08:30 to 13:30, Monday to Thursday. The internal extension is 4234.

Other Services at the VIC

Newspaper stand

The VIC newspaper stand sells a wide array of international newspapers and magazines, books and public transport tickets. It is located on the ground floor of the C building and is open from 08:00 to 18:00 (or from 07:30 to 16:30 during the summer) from Monday to Friday.

Dry cleaning services

Dry cleaning services are available on the ground floor of the G building from 11:30 to 15.00 from Monday to Friday. The internal extension is 22484.

IAEA souvenirs

The IAEA Staff Association Souvenir Shop, under the direct mandate of the IAEA Staff Council, sells to staff of the IAEA, UNIDO, UNOV, CTBTO and other approved international organizations, members of Permanent Missions, conference participants and other VIC visitors, souvenir items bearing the official IAEA logo.

The store is located next to the Rotunda on the way to F Building. It is open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. The internal extension is 26715 (during opening hours).

United Nations Gifts

The United Nations Gift Counter is located at Gate 1 and is open weekdays from 10:00 to 16:00.

United Nations Postal Administration

The sales counter of the United Nations Postal Administration, offering stamps and souvenirs, is located at Gate 1. Please note that mail with United Nations stamps can only be dispatched from the VIC. It is open weekdays from 11:30 to 16:30. The internal extension is 5243.

United Nations Women’s Guild Gifts

The United Nations Women’s Guild, located at Gate 1, offers gifts and donates the profits to children’s charities around the world. It is open weekdays from 12:00 to 15:00. The internal extension is 21313.

General Information

Time zone: Austria observes Central European Time.

Electricity

The electricity voltage is 220 volts (50 cycles). A standard voltage converter and an adapter should be sufficient for conversion. Normally, electrical outlets in Vienna require a two-pronged plug with round prongs.

Shopping in Vienna

Shops are generally open from 09:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and from 09:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays. Shops are closed on Sundays, except for certain supermarkets at railway stations, some U-Bahn stations and the airport.

Website for IAEA meetings

The following logistical information is available on the IAEA web page for events:

• Guide to the Vienna International Centre (VIC);
• Greening the VIC;
• VIC Guidebook for People with Disabilities;
• VIC Sustainable Transportation;
• Hotels in Vienna;
• General information on Vienna;
• Vienna sightseeing;
• Vienna public transport map; and
• Austrian visas information
• Code of Conduct – To Prevent Harassment, Including Sexual Harassment, at UN System Events

The information contained in this brochure was compiled by the Conference Services Section of the IAEA’s Division of Conference and Document Services.

United Nations and Other International Organizations in the VIC

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO): [+43] 1 26030-0

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): [+43] 1 2600-0

International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR): [+43] 1 26060-5895

United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL): [+43] 1 26060-4060

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): [+43] 1 26060-4545

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): [+43] 1 26060-4048

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO): [+43] 1 26060-0

United Nations Information Service (UNIS): [+43] 1 26060-3325

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): [+43] 1 26060-0

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA): [+43] 1 26060-4950

United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS): [+43] 1 26060-5617

United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV): [+43] 1 26060-0

United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA): [+43] 1 26060-4032

United Nations Register of Damage Caused by the Construction of the Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (UNROD): [43] 1 26060-4690

United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR): [+43] 1 26060-4360