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.
Previous Press Conferences
OCHA Press Conference
Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
IFRC Monthly press briefing
UNCTAD Press Conference
(under embargo until 11 July at 5 p.m. GMT)
Supachai Panitchpakdi, UNCTAD Secretary-General
Taffere Tesfachew, Director, Division on Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes, UNCTAD
WHO Press Conference
The continued success in global tobacco control is detailed in this year’s WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2013. The fourth in the series, this year’s report presents a snapshot of the tobacco control measures, with country-specific data updated and aggregated through 2012.
(The report will be available on password-protected site that will be shared with journalists as soon as it is ready. All material will be embargoed until Wednesday, July 10 at 18h Geneva time.)
Dr. Douglas Bettcher, WHO, Director, Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases
Dr. Armando Peruga, WHO, Programme Manager, Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases
Press Conference by the Commission of Inquiry on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Mr. Michael Kirby, Chair
Mr. Marzuki Darusman, Special Rapporteur on the DPRK
Ms. Sonja Biserko
WHO Press Conference
Dr. Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director- General, Health Security and Environment, WHO
Press Conference by the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation
Yuri Bashmet, conductor and musician, Professor and Chair of the Moscow Conservatory
Anatoly Karpov, President of the International Foundations of Peace Association, Ambassador of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and world chess champion
Elmira Scherbakova, Head of the Organizing Committee of Russian Cultural Seasons
IFRC Press Conference
Mr Bekele Geleta, Secretary-General, IFRC
Mr Walter Cotte, IFRC Under-Secretary General (Programme Services)
Mr Simon Eccleshall, IFRC Head of Disaster and Crisis Management
Press Conference by the President of Colombia
Press Conference by IRENA
Mr. Michael Taylor, responsible for IRENA’s international analysis of renewable technology costs and performance, and main author of the report.