NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS ARRANGEMENTS FOR CORRESPONDENTS FOR GENERAL DEBATE OF FIFTY-FIRST SESSION OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Press Release

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS ARRANGEMENTS FOR CORRESPONDENTS FOR GENERAL DEBATE OF FIFTY-FIRST SESSION OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The general debate of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly will begin on Monday, 23 September, and continue until Friday, 11 October, in the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters.

At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, 24 September, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) will be opened for signature, and will remain open until 1 p.m. That day, because of the large number of journalists covering the visit of heads of State, government and foreign ministers to sign the Treaty, the Building will be closed to the public.

Security Checks

All media carrying equipment must go through the Visitors' Entrance and walk through the magnetometer. Permanently accredited journalists without bags and equipment may use the 42nd Street entrance. The Visitors' Entrance will open at 8 a.m. on Monday, 23 September, and at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, 24 September. The remainder of the general debate will open at 9 a.m.

Media Accreditation

The Accreditation Centre is located in the Visitors' Lobby, on the left-hand side of the Information Desk. Office hours will be: Saturday, 21 September, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 22 September, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Mondays through Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Grounds Restrictions

Media representatives will be permitted to do stand-ups and/or interviews in the General Assembly public lobby only. The following areas will be off limits to the media, except for the predetermined pools:

-- Secretariat Entrance (and grounds outside);

-- Delegates Entrance (and grounds outside);

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-- Second floor and any floor over the fifth floor without a confirmed appointment. Non-compliance with this restriction will be subject to withdrawal of accreditation.

Hours of Access

The Visitors' Entrance will open at 7:30 a.m. for those members of the media carrying equipment that must be screened. Journalists accredited exclusively to cover the general debate must also use that entrance. Access to booths in the Trusteeship Council will be from 8:30 a.m., and journalists will be subject to personal and equipment screening.

Remote Live Coverage

Media representatives will be able to see live television coverage of the proceedings on the in-house television channels. The gavel-to-gavel coverage will be on channel 6 and channel 38 on the cable box; live and taped coverage of other activities will be on channels 3 and 16.

The main coverage from 23 September through 11 October will include:

-- Arrivals Photo opportunity inside the Delegates Entrance (8:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.);

-- Signing ceremony of the CTBT in the Trusteeship Council;

-- Speeches in the General Assembly Hall;

-- Official luncheons;

-- Departures.

Upon clearance from the office concerned, some appointments and bilateral meetings will be opened for coverage, such as:

-- Appointments of the United Nations Secretary-General and General Assembly President;

-- Bilateral meetings.

The predetermined pools will be composed of still photographers, official television crews and selected United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) members. UNCA members should contact their President to be considered for the pools.

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