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Document WSIS-03/GENEVA/ADM/1-E (Rev. 1) (Revised text is highlighted)
26 November 2003
Original: English

INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS

World Summit on the Information Society
 First Phase, Geneva, 10-12 December 2003

A. General Information: venue, dates, premises...
B. Registration: on-line and off-line pre-registration, Designated Focal Points (DFP), credentials, badging...
C. Programme of Meetings
D. Languages
E. Documentation
F. Media: media  accreditation, Media Center, press conferences...
G. Accredited Civil Society and Business Sector Entities
H. Other Events Related to the Summit
I. Security
J. Other Useful Information: visas, vaccination, hotels, currency, electricity, climate, internet connection, map ...

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

Introduction

1.  The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) will be held under the high patronage of the United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan, with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) taking the lead role in its preparation, in cooperation with interested United Nations (UN) bodies and other international organizations, as well as the two host countries. The first phase of the Summit will take place in Geneva, from 10 to 12 December 2003. The second phase of WSIS will be held in Tunisia from 16 to 18 November 2005.

Venue and dates of the first phase of the Summit

2.  The first phase of WSIS will be held from 10 to 12 December 2003 at the GENEVA-PALEXPO Exhibition and Conference Center (herein after called PALEXPO), Chemin Edouard Sarasin, Grand Saconnex, CH-1218 Geneva, Switzerland.

3.  PALEXPO is situated adjacent to the Geneva Airport, at the North East end of the Airport. It is a 5 10 minute walk from the Airport Arrival Building. Special WSIS shuttle buses will be provided for the WSIS participants from the Airport Main Building, Arrival Area, to PALEXPO Hall 7, where the WSIS Registration Service is located. A WSIS Information Desk will be located in the Airport Arrival Lounge (open 07h30-21h00) from 8 to 12 December 2003.

Access to the WSIS Registration Service

4.  The WSIS Registration Service is located in Hall 7 of PALEXPO.

• Arrival by plane: regular WSIS shuttle buses will be available from the airport to Hall 7.

• Arrival by train: a rail connection from Geneva main railway station (Cornavin) to the Geneva Airport Railway station will leave you within walking distance of Hall 7. You can also take a WSIS shuttle bus at the airport. 

• Arrival by bus: Public Bus 10 will leave you at the Airport where you can take a WSIS shuttle bus. Public Bus 18 or 28 stop in front of Hall 7, Bus 5 will stop underneath Hall 5 (within walking distance of Hall 7).

5.  The WSIS Registration Service in PALEXPO Hall 7 is a 5-minute walk from the main entrance to the Summit premises at PALEXPO Halls 1 and 2. Shuttle buses will circulate from the Registration area in Hall 7 to Hall 5. Access to Halls 1 and 2 are from Hall 5.

6.  All halls at PALEXPO are accessible to disabled persons (wheelchairs by elevators/lift).

Participation

7. The Summit is open to delegates from all States. The delegation of each State participating in the Summit and that of the European Community shall consist of a head of delegation and such other representatives as may be designated.

8. Participants from the following observer entities may participate in the Summit:

• Entities and organizations having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly

• UN Secretariat and organs

• UN Specialized Agencies and other invited intergovernmental organizations

• Associate Members of Regional Commissions

• Accredited civil society entities (including NGOs)

Accredited business sector entities (including all ITU Sector Members who are automatically accredited). Please note that 1 August 2003 was the deadline for submission of requests for accreditation of civil society and business entities for the first phase of the Summit in Geneva.

9. A limited number of accredited media and press representatives will also have access to the Summit premises.

Access to the Summit premises

10.  The WSIS Registration Service in PALEXPO Hall 7 can be accessed without a badge.

11.  To access the Summit premises (Halls 1 and 2), participants are advised that each delegate from the national delegations, all members of parties of Heads of State and Government, participants from Intergovernmental organizations, civil society (including NGOs) and business entities (including ITU Sector members), media representatives, Summit Secretariat, Host Country Secretariat and all technical support staff, will only be admitted to the Summit premises at PALEXPO upon presentation of a Summit Badge with photograph.

12. Regular ITU or UN passes from Geneva, New York or other duty stations will not suffice for entry to the Summit premises.

13. It is recommended that participants coming to PALEXPO limit their hand luggage to one small briefcase (cabin luggage) and, if needed, one laptop computer. A luggage holding area will be available in Hall 5 (at a cost of 1.50 Sfr per piece).

Welcome reception

14.  A welcome reception, co-hosted by the President of the Swiss Confederation and the Republic and Canton of Geneva, will be held at PALEXPO Halls 1 and 2 from 18.00 to 19.30 on 9 December 2003. Participants will need their Summit badge to access this event (see section B. Registration).

Organizational meeting

15.  The Summit will begin with an Organizational meeting that will be held in the Plenary Hall located in Hall 1 of PALEXPO at 10.00 on Wednesday 10 December 2003. This meeting will elect the President of the Summit and the President of the Organizational meeting, adopt the Summit Rules of Procedure and agenda, elect the other officers of the Summit, consider the organization of work, appoint the members of the Credentials Committee and hear the Report of the Preparatory Committee.

Opening ceremony

16.  The official WSIS Opening ceremony will take place from 14.00 to 15.00 on Wednesday 10 December 2003. During the Opening Ceremony, the Secretary-General of the U N, the Presidents of the Swiss Confederation and of Tunisia, the Secretary-General of the ITU, the President of the WSIS Preparatory Committee Meeting (PrepCom) as well as one speaker representing civil society and business sector entities, respectively will address the ceremony. The Opening ceremony will be followed immediately by the first Plenary Meeting of the Summit.

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B. REGISTRATION

Pre-registration process

17.  Pre-registration is highly recommended for all participants in order to avoid delays upon arrival at PALEXPO. Pre-registered participants may proceed directly to the WSIS Badging desk in Hall 7. Participants who have not pre-registered will be required to first proceed to the WSIS Registration Desk in Hall 7.

Designated Focal Points (DFPs) for WSIS participation

18.  WSIS pre-registration for participants will be conducted by the WSIS Registration Service on the basis of information provided through (DFPs) for participation in the Summit. National delegations as well as organizations or entities listed in § 8, which have not yet provided information on their DFP, are urged to do so by consulting the WSIS Registration website at:
https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/geneva/registration/index.html. Each DFP will receive a user name and password that will allow it to proceed with on-line pre-registration.

Pre-registration

On-line

19.  An on-line pre-registration service will be available from 1 October to 3 December 2003.  DFPs are urged to use this on-line pre-registration service provided for that purpose at

https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/geneva/registration 

20. National delegations should note that information provided through the secured on-line pre-registration system does not replace the requirements for credentials (see § 33 and 34 below). 

Off-line
 
21.  In exceptional cases, where on-line pre-registration is not possible, DFPs are requested to contact the WSIS Registration Service by fax or by letter in order to obtain off-line registration forms. Such requests should be addressed to:

WSIS Registration Service
c/o ITU Montbrillant Building, Office M.200
Place des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 20
Fax: +41 22 730 61 67

Pre-registration confirmation letter

22.  The DFP and each pre-registered participant will receive a confirmation letter by e-mail or by fax, within 5 working days of receipt of completed pre-registration forms. Each pre-registered participant must present this letter to the WSIS Badging Desk, together with one form of photo identification (e.g. passport, driver’s license, employee ID card) in order to receive an official Summit badge. This confirmation letter can also be used as a supporting document to apply for a visa to Switzerland.

23.  Enquiries concerning pre-registration should be sent to WSIS_ARP@itu.int

On-site Registration & Badging

Location

24.  The WSIS Registration Services will be located in Hall 7 of PALEXPO. (see § 4).

Opening hours

25.  The on-site WSIS Registration Service will be open as follows:

5-8 December 2003
09.00 to 13.00 and 14.00 to 18.00

9-12 December 2003:

08.00 to 21.00 non-stop

Pre-registered participants:

26.  All pre-registered participants who have received a confirmation letter from the WSIS Registration Service may proceed directly to the WSIS Badging Desk where they will be required to present their confirmation letter (see § 22) and one form of photo identification (e.g. passport, driver’s license, employee ID card). Based on these elements a Summit badge will be issued.

Other participants:

27.  Participants who have not pre-registered should first proceed to the WSIS Registration Desk in Hall 7 where they will be required to provide proof of representation, i.e. copy of letter of credentials, letter of representation signed by head of delegation, organizations or entity, registration form duly stamped/signed by the Head of delegation, Head of organization or entity or Designated Focal Point. Upon acceptance by the WSIS Registration Service, the participant may proceed to the WSIS Badging Desk where a Summit badge will be issued.

28.  Participants who have obtained a Summit badge may leave the Summit grounds and re-enter at any time. Loss of a Summit badge must be reported immediately to the WSIS Security Service. 

Issuance of Summit badges prior to the event

29.  The WSIS Registration Service will provide a badging service for pre-registered participants from 10 November to 3 December 2003 at ITU headquarters in Geneva. This badging service will be open on workdays from 9.00 to 17.00 and is located at the ITU Montbrillant building (office M200). Geneva based missions and observer entities based in Geneva are strongly advised to use this service, if possible.

30.  Badges for Heads of State and Government and their parties will be issued prior to the Summit. Detailed information on processing and delivery of these badges can be found in circular-letter DM 1086 dated 4 November 2003. 

Additional access badges (Overpasses)

31.  For security and safety reasons, access to the Plenary room will be strictly controlled by presenting transferable access badges (overpasses), which are in addition to Summit badges. Control measures (limited access) may also be imposed for access to other areas as defined by WSIS Security Services. Each Government delegations will receive 6 overpasses in total for the Plenary room (including 4 overpasses for their reserved seats). Intergovernmental organizations will receive 3 overpasses for the Plenary room (including 2 overpasses for their reserved seats). 600 overpasses for civil society (including NGOs) and 300 overpasses for business entities (including ITU sector members, which are business entities) will be provided to and handled by self-organizing mechanisms of civil society and business, (i.e. Civil Society Bureau for the Civil Society entities and the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris for business entities).

List of participants

32.  The WSIS Registration Service will publish a list of announced participants prior to the Summit on the basis of information provided through DFPs for participation in the Summit.

Credentials

33.  Delegations of States participating in the Summit are reminded that credentials of representatives to the Summit must be signed either by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The credentials of representatives and the names of alternate representatives and advisers shall be submitted to:

The Secretary-General
World Summit on the Information Society
Credentials Committee Secretariat
International Telecommunication Union
C/o WSIS ARP, Montbrillant Building, Office M.200
Place des Nations, CH-1211 GENEVA 20

34.  Further information concerning credentials can be found in circular-letter DM-1085 dated 4 November 2003. For additional information, please contact: wsis-credentials@itu.int;  fax +41 22 730 6167. 

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C. Programme of Meetings

Programme of meetings

35.  Information on the official Programme of meetings will be available on the WSIS website at https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/geneva/index.html  and onsite on screens. The programme will also be included in the “Summit Journal”, which will be issued on a daily basis and will specify meeting details such as rooms and times of meetings.

Plenary

36.  Morning meetings of the plenary will be held from 09.00 to 13.00 and afternoon meetings from 14.00 to 21.00, except for the opening day, Wednesday 10 December, when the plenary is scheduled from 10.00 to 12.00. 

Seating arrangements

37  At the opening of the Summit and at subsequent meetings of the Plenary, each Government delegation will be assigned four seats, two seats at table and two seats behind.

38.  In the case of open Committee meetings, each Government delegation will have two seats, one at the table and one behind.

39.  Specially identified seating facilities will be available for observers.

Room reservations

40.  Regional groups: room reservations will be taken on a first come, first served basis. For such reservations, please contact: WSIS_roomreservations@itu.int. During the Summit, please contact the Room Reservation office (Hall 1). The Office number will be provided later date. 

41.  Delegation meetings: no meeting rooms nor offices will be provided by the WSIS Secretariat. The WSIS Secretariat strongly recommends that delegations use their own Missions. For those countries with no Geneva-based Missions, please address your requests to the Swiss Executive Secretariat: bruno.romazzotti@seco.admin.ch.

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D. Languages

Languages

42. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the six official languages of the Summit.
Official documents of the Summit will be made available in the six official languages.

Interpretation services

43. Statements made in any of the six official languages will be interpreted into the other official languages. Any representative may, in accordance with rule 47 of the provisional Rules of Procedure, make a statement in a language other than an official language of the Summit. In such cases, the delegation should provide either an interpreter from the non-official language into an official language or a written text of the statement in one of the official languages. This interpretation or the written text will be considered by the Secretariat to represent the official text of the statement and will be used by the interpreters as the basis for interpretation into the other official languages.

44.  To the extent possible, the text of statements in the Plenary should be made available in advance to the interpretation services. If the statement has not been sent electronically to WSIS_Statements@itu.int, a hardcopy can be hand-delivered at any time to the officers in charge of the speakers list in Plenary (Mr. Noh-Ik Park and Mr. Toru Nakaya).

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E. Documentation

Statements

45. Government representatives and observers wishing to circulate their statements made in plenary are requested to deliver 800 copies to the WSIS Documents Center (Entrance Hall/Mezzanine). A further 500 copies should be provided if the statement is to be made available to the Media Center (Hall 2). Advance copies can be sent to:

Interexpologistics Ltd.
PALEXPO
CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex
Geneva, Switzerland
Ref: WSIS 2003/Documents Center/ (Entrance Hall/Mezzanine).
Attn: WSIS Docs Control/Statements

46. Statements must contain a clear indication of: 
1) source; 2) contact person 3) time of delivery of statement in Plenary, 4) original language of text (if text submitted in more than one official language), 5) if text is to be checked against delivery (please note that this check can not be done by the Summit Secretariat). All texts should be submitted to the Summit Secretariat at the above address before the speaker takes the floor. Summit participants are reminded that the Summit Secretariat will not be able to offer translation nor reproduction services for such texts. Delegations wishing to have their statements posted on the Internet (Summit website) are kindly requested to provide an electronic copy on diskette to the above address or by e-mail to WSIS_Statements@itu.int.

Official documentation

 
47. Official documentation will be made available on the WSIS website at:

 https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/geneva/docs.html

Pre-Summit document distribution

48.  All participants will receive a set of official documents upon registration in Hall 7 in an official language corresponding to the information provided to the Secretariat upon pre-registration.

Summit document distribution

49.  The Documents Center will be located in the Entrance Hall/Mezzanine of PALEXPO.

50. National and observer delegations will be assigned an individual box at the Documents Center in Hall 1 where copies of official documents issued during the Summit will be placed. Delegations are reminded that these document boxes are reserved strictly for the distribution of official Summit documentation and may not be used for the circulation of other papers or for any other purpose.

51. Accredited representatives of civil society (including NGOs) and business sector (including ITU Sector Members) entities will be able to obtain official Summit documents at their specially designated lounges located in Hall 2 of PALEXPO (see § 81).

52.  Accredited representatives of the media will be able to obtain official Summit documents at the Media Center Documents counter located in Hall 2 of PALEXPO.

Post Summit distribution

53.  Official documentation will be made available after the Summit on the WSIS website at: www.itu.int/wsis/geneva/index.html

Information documents

54.  National delegations and observer entities wishing to make information documents available to Summit participants are requested to deliver 800 copies to the WSIS Documents Center (Entrance Hall/Mezzanine). A further 500 copies should be provided if the information document is to be made available also to the Media Center (Hall 2).

Advance copies can be sent to:

Advance copies can be sent to:
Interexpologistics Ltd.
PALEXPO
CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex
Geneva, Switzerland
Ref: WSIS 2003/Documents Center/(Entrance Hall/Mezzanine).
Attn. WSIS DocsControl/Information

55. Documentation must carry a clear indication of: 
1) source of material; 2) contact person. The Summit Secretariat cannot undertake the translation nor reproduction of such materials. Information documents will be made available to Summit participants in quantities and languages provided to the Secretariat. A special area will be set up for this purpose near the Document Centre in the Entrance Hall/Mezzanine). Distribution of this documentation will be authorized and managed by WSIS officials at the Documents Center. Any material distributed without authorization will be removed. Those wishing to have their documents posted on the Internet (Summit website) are kindly requested to provide an electronic copy on diskette to the above address or by e-mail to WSIS_Contributions@itu.int.

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F. Media

Media accreditation and facilities

56.  Media accreditation for members of the media is available on the WSIS website. An online application form with instructions is available at www.itu.int/wsis/newsroom/accreditation
Media accreditation services will be available in Hall 7 of PALEXPO as follows: 
5-9 December: 09h00 to 13h00 and 14h00 to 21h00
10-12 December: 08h00 to 19h00 

57.  Media accreditation will be available onsite but media are strongly urged to complete their accreditation in advance of arrival in Geneva to avoid unnecessary delays and to ensure approval of your accreditation. Media who have received confirmation of the accreditation may pick up their media passes from the accreditation centre on presentation of two forms of photo identification (passport, driver’s license, employee identification etc.) Media with valid accreditation credentials to the United Nations or who were accredited to ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003 need only fill in the online form (without submitting the otherwise required supporting documentation).

Accreditation for Media Traveling with Heads of State or Government

58.  Media traveling with Heads of State or Government and heads of delegation must register through the official media accreditation channel and will need to be included on a list being submitted to WSIS Media Accreditation by the Delegation media liaison officer. Please note that unless they are pre-accredited through the Delegation media liaison officer they will have to go through full accreditation before gaining access to Palexpo and that this could be a lengthy process.

59.  There is no need for media traveling with Heads of State or Government to provide further supporting documentation as required under normal accreditation procedure as badges will be prepared in advance and distributed at arrival by the delegations media liaison officer. The delegation media officer will contact those journalists traveling with Heads of State or Government to inform them of the complete requirements.

Official Photographer or Cameraman

60.  An official photographer or cameraman can be designated by each delegation. They will be accredited as a media representative and will have all the rights of other media. However, during the speech of their Head of State or Government to the plenary session the official photographer or cameraman will be escorted by a media liaison officer from the designated media pool to an area within the Plenary hall that will provide privileged photo opportunities. These individuals will be identifiable by an armband, which will be provided to the media liaison officer for the delegation. Please note there is only one armband per delegation, however, this can be exchanged between photographers or cameraman if so desired.

Media Centre

61.  The Media Centre for journalists accredited to cover the Summit will be located in GENEVA-PALEXPO Hall 2. Facilities will include two hundred and fifty (250) workspaces available on a first-come, first served basis, with power outlets and Internet access available. Some workspaces will have computers. Journalists are advised to bring their own laptops. A separate area for radio and television journalists will also be available. The Media Centre will be available starting at noon on 8 December through the closing of the Summit. The Media Centre will be open from 07h30 until 24h00. 

62.  The plenary meetings, roundtables, press conferences and some other activities will be broadcast live into the Media Centre. Audiovisual and sound feeds of the plenary meetings, roundtables, press conferences and other activities will be provided to broadcasters live. 

63.  A media document counter in the Media Centre will provide journalists with all documents, as well as copies of daily press releases in English and French covering the main activities of the Summit. They will also be made available electronically on the Summit website at www.itu.int/wsis.

Media Pools

64.  At certain times, access for media to some other parts of the building will be restricted because of space or security considerations. Coverage in restricted areas will be arranged on a "pool" basis and media will be escorted to restricted areas by WSIS media liaison staff, as needed.

65.  Media Pool information and sign up will be located at the information desk in the Media Centre 

66. Visual media coverage of the arrival and welcoming of Heads of State and Government at Palexpo, as well as the opening ceremony and plenary will be done by selected media pools. Crews will be escorted by Media Liaison staff into location.

67. Governments’ official photographers will have an opportunity, on a rotating basis, to cover the speech of their Head of State, Head of Government or Head of delegation, from set positions in the Plenary and Roundtable rooms. Owing to space limitations, they may not remain to cover other speeches and may be required to move into and out of these set positions with other members of the media pools.

68. A limited number of still photographers, escorted by media liaison staff, will also be allowed to take photographs from the Plenary and Roundtable rooms. The Media Pool Coordinator in the Media Centre will organize these operations.

Arrangements for Coverage of Bilateral Meetings

69. Photo opportunities may be available for bilateral meetings between heads of State and Government and other high officials that are open for coverage. Media representatives covering these meetings will be asked to assemble at the Media pool departure point in the Media Centre at which time a Media Liaison Officer will escort them to the location. Please note that it will be up to the delegations to determine the size and composition of the bilateral media pools and to contact the journalists they wish to participate in the pool.

Press conferences & other media events

70. Daily press briefings by the Summit, Host Country and United Nations Spokespersons will be held at noon in the official press conference room located at the Media Centre. This room is also available between 08h30 and 19h00 from 9 to 12 December for press conferences organized through the following categories:

Delegations, Observer Delegations and Associate Members of regional commissions
Civil Society
Business Entities
UN programmes and agencies, WTO, the World Bank and other international organizations

71. The press conference room is fully equipped with audiovisual and facilities for interpretation into French and English. If the speaker’s language is not an official language of the Summit, interpreters from the language of the speaker into English and/or French must be provided by the delegation/organization booking the press conference. 

72. Given the very limited availability of slots for the official press conference room, and to ensure all participants gain equitable access to this room, bookings have been restricted to ONE reservation per delegation/organization until Wednesday, 3 December. Once this deadline has passed, all delegations/organizations may reserve additional press conference slots should any still remain. Each slot is also restricted to a maximum duration of 45 minutes which includes 15 minutes to set-up and clear the room. Participants are therefore requested to strictly adhere to a 30-minute time-frame for their press conference.

73. Requests for press conferences must be submitted in writing by:

a senior official from the Delegation, Observer Delegation and Associate Member of regional commissions, UN programmes and agencies, WTO, the World Bank and other international organizations

Paola Cassola (paola.cassola@ties.itu.int) of the WSIS Executive Secretariat (Civil Society) for NGOs and Civil Society participants

Bryce Corbett (bryce.Corbett@iccwbo.org) of the International Chamber of Commerce for Business Entities

74. The request should include the name(s) of the speaker(s), their title(s), subject to be discussed and language of the speaker. Also to be included are the contact details of a media representative who can provide further information to accredited media.

75. All room reservation requests, notification of other media events and general queries relating to press conferences for delegations should be directed to Victoria Knight from WSIS Media Services in Geneva at (tel: +41 22 730 5599; fax: +41 22 730 6923; e-mail: wsismedia@itu.int). It is important to make sure that all requirements described in paragraph 92 above are fully met. Requests that are incomplete or not routed through the appropriate channels may not be processed. 

76. Attendance at press conferences will be limited to accredited journalists. The only exceptions are the press attaché and a limited number of other officials of the delegation/organization directly concerned with the press conference, as well as United Nations officials covering the press conferences.

77. A daily schedule of press conferences and media events will be posted in the Media Centre and on the Summit website at: www.itu.int/wsis/geneva/newsroom/calendar.html.

Media information

78. Media materials and background information about the Summit are available from WSIS Media Services or the United Nations Department of Public Information and is posted on the Summit website at https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/geneva/newsroom.

79. During the Summit, staff in the Office of the Spokesperson for the Summit will be available to provide information to journalists for background and for the record.

80. To facilitate media contacts, delegations are invited to provide the Office of the Spokesperson with the name and telephone number in Geneva of the person in the delegation who journalists may contact to request interviews or other information. Please provide this information to WSIS Media Services in Geneva (Tel: +41 22 730 60 48; Fax: +41 22 730 52 10; e mail: wsismedia@itu.int).

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G. Accredited Civil Society and Business Sector Entities

81. Representatives of civil society (including NGOs) and of business sector entities (including ITU Sector members) will be assigned a number of offices at Palexpo as well as specially designated lounges for their use during the Summit.

82. For pre-registration and badging please consult section B of this document.

83. There is no limit per accredited entity to the number of representatives of each such entity that may participate at the Summit. There is no registration fee for the Summit.

84. Participants are responsible for making their own hotel reservations and travel arrangements. They should make early reservations because of the large number of participants expected. All participants interested in attending the Summit should ensure that they have adequate medical insurance prior to arrival.

85. Representatives who have obtained a Summit badge can leave the Summit premises and re-enter any time. Access to the Plenary hall may be restricted at certain times and overpasses required.

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H. Other EVENTS RELATED TO THE Summit

86. A diverse program of seminars, panels, forums and workshops on issues relating to the Summit is being organized through the Host country secretariat. The calendar for those events will be available at the Summit premises. A list of scheduled events is available at http://www.wsis-online.net/event/
General information for other Summit events is available at: http://www.wsisgeneva2003.org/03_summit/events.html.

87. To access other Summit events taking place in the Summit premises (Hall 1 and 2 and Rooms A-C underneath Hall 1) a Summit badge is necessary. 

88. The ICT4D Platform in Hall 4 is not part of the Summit premises. It can be accessed with a Summit badge or with an ICT4D badge, which is provided for by the ICT4D registration desk in Hall 7. The ICT4D badge does not give access to the Summit premises. Participants leaving Halls 1 and 2 and going to Hall 4 again will be subject to security screening and checks on their return to the Summit Premises.

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I. Security

89. The Swiss authorities and UN/ITU have jointly prepared the security plan for the Summit as part of this plan, there will be a security perimeter around part of Palexpo, and only those participants who have received a photo-badge will be admitted inside this perimeter.

Security Responsibilities

90. In general, security matters outside the Summit premises are the responsibility of the Host Country while security matters within the designated Summit premises at Palexpo are the responsibility of the United Nations Security and Safety Service and the SG of the Summit.

Access to the Summit Premises during the Summit

91. It is recommended that participants coming to PALEXPO limit their hand luggage to one small briefcase and, if needed, to one portable computer.

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J. OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

Visas and vaccination

Swiss visa requirements:

92. Information about Swiss visa requirements can be found at: http://www.auslaender.ch/einreise/visumvorschriften_e.asp.

93. Participants requiring a visa to enter Switzerland are requested to contact the office (embassy or consulate) representing Switzerland in their country or, if there is no such office in your country, one that is closest to the country of departure. The pre-registration confirmation letter can be used as a supporting document for this purpose.

94. In exceptional cases, if problems are encountered, the WSIS Secretariat can, at the official request of the government, organization or entity, approach the competent Swiss authorities in order to facilitate delivery of the visa. Any such request should be submitted to: WSIS_VisaAssistance@itu.int.

Vaccinations

95. At present, no vaccination certificates are required for travel to Switzerland.

Hotel and travel arrangements

96. Representatives are responsible for their own hotel reservations and travel arrangements to and from Geneva. A special WSIS shuttle bus service will be provided from the airport to the registration area in Hall 7 and from the registration area to the Summit site (Halls 1,2,4 and 5). Hotel accommodation should be reserved as soon as possible due to the large number of participants expected at the Summit. All those interested in attending should ensure that they have adequate medical insurance prior to arrival. For information and further assistance, please refer to the WSIS website at: https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/geneva/accommodation/index.html.

Transport facilities in Geneva

97. All participants with a Summit badge will be allowed free access to the TPG (Transports Publics Genevois) from the 8 to 13 of December within the Geneva metropolitan area.

Currency, cheques and credit cards

98. The official currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc. Foreign currencies and foreign currency travellers cheques may be exchanged at banks and most hotels.

99. Banking facilities are available at Geneva Airport and in the Geneva downtown area. Banks are usually open from 08.30 to 16.30.

100. Credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club are widely accepted in Switzerland. Foreign currency travellers cheques, credit cards or cash may be used to pay hotel and other expenses in Switzerland.

Electricity

101. The standard electricity in Switzerland is 220 volts, 50 hertz. The usual plugs found in Switzerland are C and J plugs (for details and description see http://kropla.com/electric.htm). It is advisable to bring conversion plugs or adapters, if needed.

Climate

102. The climate of Geneva is temperate maritime, with central Europe continental influence. The temperature in December range is between 5 and –1 degree Celsius (40 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit), with an average of 2 degrees Celsius (35 degrees Fahrenheit). Some periods of rain or snow are possible.

Services available at PALEXPO

103. Two restaurants will be available for participants, as well as coffee and snack stands located in Halls 2 and 4. Banking facilities will be available at PALEXPO from 8 to 12 December 2003, from 0830 to 17.00 and on 13 December 2003, from 09.00 to 16.00. There will also be a cashpoint in Hall 4. A medical service will be available 09.00-21.00 (Entrance Hall/Mezzanine)

Internet connection

104. The ITU and the UN Department of Public Information will provide live coverage of the Summit through the Internet in six languages. Internet users will be able to follow the Summit proceedings by viewing the live web cast and access such on-line information as press releases, daily highlights, official documents, daily journal, statements and other information. These will be available at: www.itu.int/wsis/geneva/newsroom.

105. A wireless LAN will be available at the Summit premises. Please note that printing facilities from a wireless LAN connection are not possible at Palexpo. More information about this facility will be available soon on the WSIS website at: www.itu.int/wsis/geneva/index.html.

Palexpo Area picture and map

106. A view of the PALEXPO area is available at: http://www.palexpo.ch/en/Home/Espaces/Halles/index.php.

107. A map of the area is available at: http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/images/carte1c.gif.

Secretariat Focal Points

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