Practical Information for Participants to RA-15/WRC-15

RA-15 website 
WRC-15 websiteDATES and Venue

The Radiocommunication Assembly 2015 (RA-15) will be held from 26 to 30 October 2015 in Geneva, Switzerland, immediately preceding the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) that will be held from 2 to 27 November 2015 at the same venue.

Both events will take place at both the ITU Geneva Headquarters and the International Conference Centre of Geneva (CICG). Please note that the two buildings are located next to one another.

Security and access

​Access to the event premises within the CICG will be limited to persons wearing a valid RA-15/WRC-15 event photo badge, which will be scanned through the ITU badge reader system upon entry and departure from the event venue.  Note that the badging desks for the two events will be located at the ITU Montbrillant building entrance (also see Participation and Registration).

During RA-15/WRC-15, access to the CICG is planned as follows:

     07:00-24:00   from 26 to 30 Oct 2015
     07:00-24:00   from 2 Nov to 27 Nov 2015 (opening hours during the weekends will be provided on-site)

PARKING

​Parking restrictions are in force in the streets adjacent to the ITU and the CICG. Participants may obtain parking cards providing access to the underground garage situated between the ITU Varembé and Montbrillant buildings. A limited number of parking cards, valid only for the duration of the meeting, are available on a first-come/first-served basis from the Delegate Registration Service at itu-r.registrations@itu.int.

Meeting room management and reservations

For meeting room reservation matters during RA-15 and WRC-15, participants are invited to contact:

Room Management Service
CICG Espace Varembé (ground floor)

Opening hours: throughout the event, Monday to Friday from 07:30 – 19:00
E-mail: room.management@itu.int
Tel: +41 22 730 5746 / +41 22 730 6250

CICG floor plans and access map  /   ITU circulation plan

Given the high demand for meeting rooms, combined with limited available resources, priority will be given to official meeting sessions. It will also be possible for ITU Member States and Regional Groups to reserve meeting rooms outside of the official working hours of the conference, i.e. on weekdays before 09:00, during the lunch break from 12:00 to 14:00 and after 17:00 as well as during weekends.

IT facilities

• Wireless Internet access: available free-of-charge at both the ITU and CICG premises (wireless connectivity instructions to be provided on-site).
• Wired LAN available in CICG rooms 1, 2, 3 and 4 and in ITU room Popov.
• PCs with multilingual keyboards and network printers available at the cybercafés located at the ITU Tower building, level -2 and at CICG, level -1.
• ITU Service Desk for IT support:
  •             ITU Varembé building, ground floor, office V29 (office hours 8:30 – 12:00 and 13:30 – 17:00 from Monday to Friday, closed during weekends);
  •             CICG building, level -1, for the duration of the events only (office hours 8:30 – 18:00, Monday to Friday, closed during weekends).
   

Participation, visa matters AND registration

Further information on Participation and Registration
Registration to both RA-15/WRC-15 is carried out exclusively online through Designated Focal Points (DFPs) for ITU-R event registration responsible for handling all ITU-R event registration formalities. Registration desk opening hours during RA-15/WRC-15 (amended 26 Sept. 2015).

EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION BETWEEN PARTICIPANTS

As both RA-15 and WRC-15 are a paperless events, no pigeonholes will be available to participants who are invited to use electronic means of communication to exchange information.

List of Registered RA-15 Participants 
List of Registered WRC-15 Participants 
​       (A TIES account is required to access the lists of participants)

Documentation

In accordance with no. 9 of Annex 2 to Decision 5 (Rev. Busan, 2014) both RA-15 and WRC-15 will be completely paperless. All conference documents will be available electronically on the RA-15 website and WRC-15 website, respectively. An ITU TIES account is required to access RA-15 and WRC-15 documents and other electronic resources.

SCHEDULE AND TIMETABLE​

​ 

WEBCAST AND CAPTIONING​

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND Accommodation bookings

Participants are requested to make their own travel arrangements to Geneva, Switzerland.

Getting to Geneva and ITU 
See list of hotels for participants to ITU meetings in the Geneva area

ITU Bookshop

The ITU Bookshop with all current titles of ITU Publications, as well as a large selection of 150th anniversary themed ITU Souvenirs, will be open at both the CICG and the Tower Reception during the event. For more information on any ITU Publication, please see www.itu.int/publications.

Media and communication facilities and services

 See WRC-15 Newsroom

Accessibility

To enable persons with disabilities to fully participate to ITU's events, ITU is committed to provide reasonable accommodation. Both the ITU and CICG are generally accessible to persons with disabilities. Any specific requests for the provision of accessibility services can be made by directly contacting the Delegate Registration Service at itu-r.registrations@itu.int; additional requests will be subject to the availability of resources.

Social events

Member States and other Conference participants intending to host social events during the Assembly and the Conference are reminded that the ITU Protocol Service maintains and monitors a calendar of such events.

The main purpose of maintaining this calendar of events is to inform Member States and other participants planning to hold social events of possible scheduling conflicts. The ITU Protocol Service will seek to assist, to the extent possible, in identifying alternative times and date. It is, therefore, strongly advised that organizers of social events first liaise and coordinate with the ITU Protocol Service before proceeding with final arrangements for the date and time of a proposed social event. The ITU Protocol Service serves solely as a go-between to suggest possible slots based on its updated list of events and provides information on overlaps.

A copy of invitation should be send to protocol@itu.int with a clear indication of recipients (all participants or Heads of delegation only). Electronic distribution is strongly encouraged; please note that the events being a paperless meeting there will be no pigeon holes available for document distribution. The ITU shall not take responsibility for logistical or other arrangements of social events. These are strictly the responsibility of the organizer of each event.

Please note that invitation cards and other materials distributed during the events for social events should not bear any ITU logo or any conspicuous reference and signs that may suggest or even infer ITU's endorsement of the event.

For all matters regarding social events during the events, please send all inquiries to protocol@itu.int, (Tel. +41 22 730 59 27 – Fax +41 22 730 58 17).

MEDICAL SERVICE

​The services of a nurse are available to event participants from 08:45 – 12:30 and 13:45 – 17:30:

• on the ground floor of the ITU Varembé building, office V16, telephone +41 22 730 5397;
• at level -1 of CICG.

 In case of emergency outside the medical service office hours, please contact the ITU Security Service at 119.

Lost and Found Items

All lost and found inquiries can be addressed to the ITU Safety and Security Division, in the front entrance of the CICG.  

Banking and currency

Switzerland remains with the Swiss franc, usually indicated as CHF. While Switzerland is not part of the European Union and thus is not obliged to convert to the Euro, many prices are nonetheless indicated in euros so that visitors may compare prices. 

Merchants may accept euros but are not obliged to do so. Change given back to the client will most likely be in Swiss francs.

Climate

Visit the Meteoswiss website for weather forecast in Switzerland. 

Electrical appliances

The voltage in Switzerland, as in most of Europe, is 230V/50 Hz. Switzerland uses type C (2-pin) and Type J (3-pin) plugs. (Type C 2-pin plugs also fit J sockets.)

Most power sockets are designed for three pin round plugs. The standard continental type plug with two round pins, applied for many electrical travel products, may be used without problem.

Adaptors are available for sale in most hotels, at the CICG reception and also at the ITU Bookshop.