Media outlets can request permanent or temporary press accreditation for their correspondents to cover the range of activities taking place at the United Nations Office at Geneva, from meetings of the Human Rights Council and peace talks to other major conferences and events.
Accredited correspondents participate in bi-weekly press briefings chaired by the UN Geneva spokesperson and attended by the spokespeople of UN specialized agencies and programmes based in Geneva. Correspondents also have access to scheduled press conferences, stakeouts and background briefings on an almost daily basis.
The UN Information Service regularly issues press releases and the meeting summaries of major meetings happening in Geneva, including the sessions of the Human Rights Council, the human rights committees, and the Conference on Disarmament.
Facilities for the media include free or rented workspaces and access to radio and television studios and services, upon availability.
Inter-agency family and child support centres on Europe migration routes
Volker Türk, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, UNHCR Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Special Coordinator, Refugee and Migrant crisis in Europe
Press Stakeout by the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria
Update on Task Force for Humanitarian Access.
Staffan de Mistura, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Jan Egeland, Special Advisor to the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria
Human Rights Council 31st regular session (29 February-24 March)
Ambassador Choi Kyong-lim (Republic of Korea), President of the Human Rights Council (10th cycle)
2016 Humanitarian Response Plan
On 18 February in Geneva, the humanitarian community will launch the 2016 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP) which aims to provide critical and life-saving assistance to 13.6 million people affected by the conflict in Yemen. The plan brings together over 100 aid organizations to respond to an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, in which 21.2 million people – four out of five Yemenis – are in need of humanitarian assistance. Following the official launch, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, will brief the press about the Plan’s strategies and requirements as well as his recent missions across Yemen to improve humanitarian access. Jamie McGoldrick, Humanitarian Coordinator, Yemen
WHO update on global response to microcephaly, neurological disorders and Zika virus.
WHO has launched a global prevention and control strategy to guide its international response to the spread of Zika virus infection and the neonatal malformations and neurological conditions associated with it. The strategy includes working with partners to investigate and respond to increases in microcephaly and other neurological disorders in areas where there are also Zika outbreaks, to contain the spread of Zika virus, and fast track R & D, and boost preparedness in at risk countries. Zika has catalysed immediate action to put into place some of the practical processes that will underpin WHO’s new programme on outbreaks and emergencies. WHO will also give an overview of the vector control measures that work to prevent Zika. Dr Bruce Aylward, Executive Director, Outbreaks and Health Emergencies (ai), WHO Dr Pedro Alonso, Director Global Malaria Programme, WHO
WHO is currently mapping existing R&D for Zika in order to prioritize medical products and approaches that should be fast-tracked into development.
Until today, most research that could be useful for Zika has been carried out on other flaviviruses – such as dengue or yellow fever. WHO’s R&D efforts on Zika are part of the overall work on a roadmap – the R&D Blueprint - for better R&D preparedness based on the experience of the R&D work carried out during the Ebola outbreak. Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, Assistant Director-General, Health Systems and Innovation, WHO
The Human Cost of the Hottest Year on Record: Disasters in 2015
Robert Glasser, Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Debarati Guha-Sapir, Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters