MEDIA ARRANGEMENTS FOR GENERAL DEBATE OF FIFTY-EIGHTH SESSION OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 23 SEPTEMBER - 3 OCTOBER

Note to Correspondents

MEDIA ARRANGEMENTS FOR GENERAL DEBATE OF FIFTY-EIGHTH SESSION

OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 23 SEPTEMBER - 3 OCTOBER

The general debate of the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly will begin on Tuesday, 23 September, and will continue through Friday, 3 October, in the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters.  The Building will be closed to the public from 22 September to 5 October, and access will be restricted to those persons who are accredited and wearing a United Nations grounds pass.

Access for accredited media, with a valid United Nations grounds pass, will be through the Visitors’ Entrance at 46^th Street and First Avenue or the entrance at 42^nd Street and First Avenue.  Resident correspondents without equipment are exempt from screening through metal detectors.  However, resident correspondents carrying media equipment will have to pass their equipment through security screening.

Non-resident media representatives and their equipment will be required to pass through a magnetometer.  Camera crews accompanying resident and non-resident correspondents, as well as all categories of temporary correspondents, must use the 46^th Street entrance where they and their equipment must pass through security screening.

Media Accreditation

Correspondents already possessing a valid United Nations grounds pass will not need additional accreditation for the general debate.  All others should make arrangements to receive accreditation by contacting:  the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit (MALU), room S-250, United Nations Headquarters, tels.:

(212) 963-6934, (212) 963-7164; fax: (212) 963-4642.

The Media Accreditation Pass and ID Office is located in UNITAR Building, 807 United Nations Plaza, room U-100, on the corner of 45^th Street and First Avenue.  Accreditation for the general debate will be issued at the North Lawn Facility, located at First Avenue and 47^th Street.

Correspondents can begin the registration process online by logging on to the MALU Web site, at www.un.org/media/accreditation, effective Monday, 8 September.

The hours of operation for the Pass and ID Office will be, as follows:

DAY	DATE	TIME
Friday	12 September	9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Monday	15 September	9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Tuesday	16 September	9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Wednesday	17 September	9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Thursday	18 September	9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday	19 September	9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday	20 September	9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sunday	21 September.	9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Monday	22 September	9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Tuesday	23 September	9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Wednesday	24 September.	9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Thursday	25 September	9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday	26 September	9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday	27 September	9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday	28 September	9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Monday	29 September	9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Tuesday	30 September	9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Wednesday	01 October	9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Thursday	02 October	9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday	03 October	9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

All media personnel are advised to arrive early to allow sufficient time for processing.  Last-minute arrivals will encounter delays, including road closures for motorcades.

For information on the general debate, log on to the United Nations Web site, at www.un.org/ga/58.

United Nations Audiovisual Materials

Photographs, videotapes and audiocassettes are available from the United Nations.  During the general debate, the offices providing these services will open at 9 a.m.

Photographs will be available to accredited correspondents free of charge.  Photographs of morning speeches will be available during the afternoon of the same day; photos of the afternoon speeches will be available the morning of the following day.  Please direct photo inquiries and requests to:

     United Nations Photo Library

     Room S-805L

     Tel.: (212) 963-0034 or (212) 963-6927

     Fax: (212) 963-3430

     Audiocassettes of speeches will be available, free of charge, from:

     United Nations Audio Library (located in the first basement

     Concourse level 1-B, in Room GA-27)

     Tel.: (212) 963-9272 or (212) 963-9269

     Fax: (212) 963-4501

Speeches are normally available in the original (“floor”) language in which they are delivered.  Special requests for a recording of the interpreter’s track in one of the six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) should be made in advance, and are subject to the limitations of the recording facilities.

Live television feeds will be available through commercial carriers.  For information, please contact:

     UNTV

     Tel.: (212) 963-7560

     Fax: (212) 963-3860

Please note that unilateral television production services will not be available from United Nations Television during the general debate.

Other Arrangements

     Pool Coverage:  Owing to logistics and space considerations, selected media pools will do nearly all visual media coverage.  The pools are reserved exclusively for United Nations television and United Nations photographers, internal wire services, and photo agencies.  In the case of print media, the United Nations Correspondents’ Association (UNCA) will notify the Department of Public Information (DPI) of its representatives.

     TV and Photo Coverage in the General Assembly Hall:  There are seats available for media representatives in the Press Gallery of the General Assembly Hall.  Tickets will be distributed in room S-250 and at the Liaison Desk, on the 3^rd floor of the Secretariat Building, half an hour before the morning and afternoon meetings, on a first-come, first-served basis, and, subsequently, as space becomes available.  Correspondents leaving the Press Gallery before the end of a meeting should return their tickets to the Media Liaison Desk for use by others.

     Quiet Room for TV Interviews:  A small, quiet room will be available for ENG taped interviews.  Broadcasters need to bring their own portable lights.  For bookings/inquiries, contact:

     Media Liaison Desk

     Tel. (212) 963-7756 or (212) 963-3353

     Copies of Speeches for Press:  The text of speeches by heads of State, heads of government or heads of delegation, as provided by delegations, are available from the relevant delegations and the Media Documents Centre, located in the

3^rd floor press area.

     United Nations Press Release Coverage:  DPI will provide press release coverage, in English and French, of the general debate, other proceedings in the General Assembly Hall and Security Council meetings.  Press releases may be obtained from the Media Documents Centre in the 3^rd floor press area, and are also available on the United Nations Web site, at www.un.org/News.  Further queries should be directed to the Press Service:

     Tel. (212) 963-7211 (English Unit)

     Tel. (212) 963-7191 (French Unit)

     Internet:  The United Nations Web site will present full coverage, in English, of the general debate at:  www.un.org/ga/58 and in the other five official languages under their respective pages.  It will offer a live webcast of the official proceedings of the general debate, as well as selected press conferences.  The Web site will also make available texts of statements in the Plenary in their original language, press releases, radio programmes and photos, along with background information regarding the general debate.  The general debate webcast will be archived for six months.

     Press Conferences and Briefings for Journalists:  During the general debate, press conferences will be held in room S-226.  The briefing by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General will be held daily, at noon, in the same room.

     Coverage of Bilateral Meetings:  Photo opportunities will be available for bilateral meetings that are open for coverage.  Media representatives covering these meetings will be asked to assemble at the Liaison Desk on the 3^rd floor of the Secretariat Building, from which point they will be escorted by a liaison officer from DPI.

     Coverage of Treaty Signature/Ratification Event:  Media representatives will be able to cover the signature and ratification of treaties during the general debate from a special platform near the Delegates’ Entrance (ground level).  There will be space for a limited number of photographers.  Please direct inquiries to:

     Media Liaison Desk

     Tel. (212) 963-7756 or (212) 963-3353

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