NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS ON COVERAGE OF HUMAN RIGHTS 75 HIGH-LEVEL EVENT
The UN Human Rights Office is organising a High-Level Event on 11 and 12 December to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The HR75 event will take place at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), located at the Palais des Nations in Rooms XIX and XX.
The following provides practical information for media who plan to cover the event.
Media accreditation:
Media representatives holding valid badges to enter the Palais des Nations are not required to register for this event.
Media representatives without valid badges issued by the UN Office at Geneva will need to register at: https://indico.un.org/event/1008476/
Please see the “Information for journalists” webpage for additional details on accreditation requirements.
Media representatives whose accreditation has been approved will receive confirmation via email.
Media whose accreditation has been approved can collect their printed press badges at the Peace Gate (by the flag entrance in front of the Place des Nations – see map).
When collecting press badges, media representatives will be asked to present a valid passport or national identification with a photo from a State recognized by the United Nations General Assembly.
Badges can be collected at the Peace Gate starting from 07.00 on 11 December until 17.00, and the same hours for 12 December.
All media personnel are advised to arrive early to allow enough time for security screening. Last-minute arrivals may encounter delays.
Media travelling with official State delegations will need to register on the above-mentioned link. In lieu of a letter from their media outlet, they should upload a note verbale from the respective permanent mission to the UN Office at Geneva listing them as part of the travelling delegation, along with the media outlet they represent.
For media travelling with official delegations who are listed in the note verbale, a member from the respective permanent mission can collect your press badge for you from the Pregny Gate (main entrance in front of the Red Cross; see map) between 07.00 and 17.00 on Friday, 8 December.
Media travelling with delegations will also be asked to present a valid passport or national identification with a photo that matches the name on their badges when entering the Palais des Nations.
NB: Each delegation with a participating dignitary will be allowed to designate one official photographer and one official cameraperson who will receive a “Delegation-Media” badge. These individuals will need to register on the general registration for the event found at the below link and should choose "Member or Observer State" under Representation Type - https://indico.un.org/event/1005099
For questions on media accreditation, kindly contact: accreditation-media@un.org
Access to the UN premises in Geneva:
A UNOG-issued media badge is required to access the Palais des Nations.
Access to the meeting room:
Accredited media will have access to all public meetings within the limits of the room capacity. No secondary badge will be required for accredited media. The meetings in connection with the HR75 high-level events will take place in Room XX on 11 December, and Room XIX and XX on 12 December. A designated press gallery has been located to the left in both rooms and will be clearly marked “PRESS”.
Media representatives will enter Room XIX and XX from the main door and will be required to comply with the screening procedures applicable to all the participants in the session. Cameras and other audio-visual material will be subject to electronic screening.
Please note, there will be very limited space available in Rooms XIX and XX. In the case there is no available space in Room XX on 11 December, media will be able to view the proceedings from Room XIX, which will serve as a spill over room for all participants on 11 December only, where the webcast of the HR75 meeting will be transmitted on large screens in the six official UN languages (English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Russian). If no space is available in neither Room XIX nor XX on 12 December, media can follow the proceedings from the Media Centre (please see below).
NB: These arrangements will be applicable also to the media representatives permanently accredited to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Media Centre and Virtual Human Rights Centre:
There will be a media centre located in Room XXII of the Palais des Nations on 11 and 12 December – open from 08.00 to 20.00. The media centre will have multiple screens set up where media can watch live on webcast the HR75 meetings in the six official UN languages (English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Russian). Desk space will be available on a first-come first-served basis. Staff will be available at the media centre to assist accredited media.
A Virtual Human Rights Centre has also been set up to follow key meeting events. To access the Virtual Human Rights Centre, please pre-register at: https://wtvglobal.6connex.eu/event/HumanRights75/register
Press conferences and interviews:
The list and location of press conferences by Heads of State, Government or Delegation, or United Nations senior officials will be posted on this web page: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/press-conferences
Press conferences take place either in the official press briefing room located in the A/C building on the REZ level located past the cafeteria (access through door XXI; see map), or the press stakeout position located behind room XX.
Please note that UNTV will not provide coverage nor webcast of State press encounters.
General information:
For general information about the HR75 events, to arrange interviews and for other media-related requests, contact:
Ravina Shamdasani, UN Human Rights Chief Spokesperson, +41 (0)22 917 91 69 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org
Liz Throssell, UN Human Rights Deputy Spokesperson, +41(0) 22 917 92 96 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org
Marta Hurtado, UN Human Rights Spokesperson, +41 (0)22 917 94 66 / marta.hurtadogomez@un.org
Radio facilities:
Audio distribution boxes are available in the press gallery and media centre.
Television
A limited number of camera positions will be available in the back of Rooms XIX and XX.
Priority will be given to official camerapersons and television teams from the same country as the dignitaries addressing the HR75 high-level events. A limited number of crews may work from fixed positions at the back of the rooms and on the perimeter.
Audio distribution boxes are available at the back of the room. Filming of interviews and stakeouts is not allowed in the conference rooms.
Pool coverage may be arranged as needed.
Accredited cameramen and photographers who plan to cover the sessions should contact Mr. Daniel Johnson, acting Chief of the Radio and Television Section, UN Information Service at Geneva, daniel.johnson@un.org, Mr. Gilles Sereni, Production Assistant, UN Information Service at Geneva,+41 22 917 4632 or untvgeneva@un.org ,or Anthony Headley, OHCHR Public Information Officer - Audio Visual, anthony.headley@un.org
UN Television (UNTV) will distribute live and archived coverage of statements in the HR75 high-level events.
Media organizations may download broadcast quality video for the HR75 high-level event from the UNTV cloud. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ilu8kvtGk0AtIpxC3cKhcHcjAco_8ZKv?usp=drive_link
Video highlights and news edits will also be available via the multimedia newsroom: http://unognewsroom.org.
Photo:
Only accredited media are authorized to take photos. A limited number of photographers will be able to work in areas on the floor designated by Information Service staff. Priority will be given to official photographers. Pool coverage may be arranged as needed.
No flash equipment may be used. For further information, please contact Mr. Gilles Sereni (+41 22 917 4632 or +41 79 444 6041).
A selection of photos of speakers in the high-level event and some highlights of the meeting will be available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unisgeneva/
Official website and social media:
Information on all aspects of the HR75 can be found at the following website:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/human-rights-75
Information will also be available on the UNOG website:
https://www.ungeneva.org/en/events/2023/12/human-rights-75
The website contains the programme, news, practical information and statements related to the meeting.
Information about the HR75 high-level event will also be posted on the UN Human Rights Office’s official social media accounts, as follows:
Facebook unitednationshumanrights
Instagram @unitednationshumanrights
LinkedIn UN Human Rights
Regular updates, news and photos will also be shared across the five UN Geneva social media platforms: X, X FR, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Webcast:
Sessions will be accessible by webcast. You can follow proceedings live, or access archives at: https://media.un.org/en/webtv/
Access to other facilities:
All accredited journalists will have access to the Serpentine Bar located on the 1st floor of the E-building and the UN cafeteria. Vending machines for coffee, tea and snacks are also available in the building, as well as ATM machines.
ENDS
Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media;
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.
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