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.
CEDAW: Women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations, also Concluding Observations of latest session on: Moldova, Colombia, Benin, Andorra, Cambodia, Tajikistan, Seychelles. Nicole Ameline, Chairperson CEDAW
Briefing on the humanitarian situation in West Africa’s Sahel region (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, The Gambia and northern parts of Cameroon and Nigeria). People in the Sahel are among the most vulnerable in the world and crises in the region are becoming more frequent. New approaches are needed for emergency actors to address such recurrent crises. The UN recently published the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel which encompasses emergency and development work and that of the UN in the fields of security and governance. Robert Piper, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa Said Djinnit will brief the press on the situation in West Africa. He will be in Geneva on the occasion of the closing meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the Greentree agreement on the Bakassi Peninsula.
Joint WHO/UNEP Press Briefing on the occasion of International Lead Poisoning Prevention week of action The briefing will cover a variety of key issues including the health impacts on children, sources and routes of exposure and information about the campaign week of action taking place 20th-26th October 2013 Maria Neira, Director, Director, WHO Department of Public Health and Environment David Piper, Deputy Head Chemicals Branch, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) ]
Embargoed: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO) press briefing on release of the latest IARC Monographs evaluation, Monograph Volume 109, on Ambient Air Pollution. Ambient air pollution has a significant impact on health. During a week-long meeting at IARC in Lyon, France, a panel of leading international experts will review the latest scientific literature to evaluate the carcinogenicity of ambient air pollution. The experts will present the results of the evaluation and address journalists’ questions about the Monograph and the impact of ambient air pollution on cancer. The embargo lifts at 11h30 Geneva time, on Thursday 17 October 2013. Dr Kurt Straif, Head of the IARC Monographs Section Dr Dana Loomis, Deputy Head of the IARC Monographs Section
Pre-launch press briefing: 2013 World Disasters Report – Focus on technology and the future of humanitarian action Joelle Tanguy, Under Secretary General, Humanitarian Values and Diplomacy, IFRC Simon Eccleshall, Head, Disaster Crisis and Management, IFRC Sarmad Alsarraj, Information Technology Specialist, IFRC
GAVI Alliance CEO to update media on plan to immunise a quarter of a billion children by 2015 and prevent 4 million deaths. New report tracks GAVI’s performance towards 2015 goals. · On 14 October, the GAVI Alliance will release a frank and transparent assessment of progress towards immunising an additional quarter of a billion children by 2015. · GAVI’s Mid-Term Review report comes two years after a successful pledging meeting in London in June 2011 secured US$ 7.4 billion for immunisation between 2011 and 2015. · The report will be formally presented at a meeting of GAVI donors and partners in Stockholm on 30 October but is being released to media two weeks ahead of the event. · More information on GAVI’s Mid-Term Review meeting: http://www.gavialliance.org/funding/how-gavi-is-funded/resource-mobilisati on-process/gavi-mid-term-review-meeting-october-2013/ Seth Berkley, Chief Executive Officer, GAVI Alliance
The Director of UNISDR (the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) will present the results of UN global survey of people living with disabilities and how they cope with disasters. Over 5,000 responses were received and the survey helps to explain why disabled people die, or are injured, in disproportionate numbers in disasters. Elizabeth Longworth, Director, UNISDR
