PP-14 Practical Information for Participants
Venue
The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference will be held at BEXCO (Busan, Republic of Korea) from 20 October to 7 November 2014. The Convention Centre is located some 60 minutes away from the airport and 30 minutes from the city centre, by bus.
Address:
BEXCO - Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre
55 Apec-ro Haeundae-gu
Busan (612-704), Republic of Korea
Tel:
+82 51 740 7300
Fax:
+82 51 740 7320
E-mail:
bexco@bexco.co.kr
Website:
www.bexco.co.kr
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Participation, registration and credentials
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Conference agenda and proceedings
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Final meeting of C14, informal meeting and first day programme
Saturday, 18 October 2014
09.30 hrs Final meeting of ITU Council 2014
Sunday, 19 October 2014
18.00 hrs Informal meeting of Heads of Delegation to exchange views and assist the Secretary-General in formulating recommendations to the official meeting of Heads of Delegation, in accordance with
No. 49 of the General Rules, and, in particular, to give advance consideration to the proposed structure of the Conference and to proposals concerning the officers of the Conference.
Monday, 20 October 2014
09.00 hrs Formal meeting of Heads of Delegation
10.30 hrs Opening Ceremony
14.30 hrs First Plenary Meeting
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Security and access to the Conference premises
Access to the official Conference premises within the Convention Centre will be strictly limited to persons wearing a Conference event badge with photograph. Participants are advised that all delegates, observers, media representatives, ITU and Host Country secretariat staff, and all technical and support staff of the Convention Centre, will only be admitted to the Conference premises upon presentation of this badge.
All participants will be security screened at access points to the Convention Centre, similar to security controls found at airports. All participants will also have their conference event badge scanned at these access points.
It is recommended that participants coming to the Convention Centre limit their hand luggage to one small briefcase. Anything larger than cabin luggage will not be permitted inside the Conference premises.
Participants are reminded to safeguard their personal belongings at all times while in the Conference premises and their hotel area.
All lost and found inquiries can be addressed to the PP-14 Conference Event Security Team at the Event Security Office located in Hall 2 of the Conference premises.
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Documentation
Conference official documents
Proposals from Member States
to amend the Constitution and Convention of the ITU should, in order to ensure their timely transmission to all Member States, reach the Secretary-General by
20 February 2014. The Secretary-General shall publish any such proposals for the consideration by all Member States (see Nos
224 and
225 of the Constitution and Nos
519 and
520 of the Convention, and
Annex 2 to Circular letter No. 165).
In accordance with
No. 40 of the General Rules, Member States are requested to submit to the secretariat, as soon as possible, and not later than
20 June 2014, other proposals for the work of the Conference. In order to comply with provisions
41 and
42 of the General Rules with regard to the format of proposals for the Conference, the secretariat has prepared
guidelines for the presentation of proposals.
Furthermore, in line with Resolution 165 (Guadalajara, 2010) and in order to ensure timely translation of documents, the
firm deadline for all contributions, with the exception of the deadlines outlined in Sections 8 and 17 of the General Rules, is no later than fourteen calendar days before the opening of the Conference, i.e. 7 October 2014. Member States are urged to give careful attention to the initial preparation of proposals so as to avoid revisions to documents.
Member States are strongly encouraged to use a new tool called the
Conference Proposals Interface (CPI) to prepare and submit proposals to PP-14. It will facilitate and optimize treatment of the contributions by the secretariat and accelerate their publication into the six languages of the Union. In case a Member State does not use CPI, proposals can be sent directly to
ppcontributions@itu.int.
Documents will be made available by electronic means to Member States and Observer Organizations and Entities in accordance with
provisions 43-45 of the General Rules. To meet the ongoing challenge of
Decision 5 (Rev.Guadalajara, 2010) and options for reducing expenditure, the Conference will be conducted in a paperless manner as far as possible.
PP-14 documents will be made available at the Conference website. Participants are informed that a limited number of paper copies of PP-14 documents (maximum two per delegation) will be made available at the Conference venue in accordance with requests submitted to the PP-14 secretariat in reply to Circular Letter 165.
Delegations which have missed that deadline and would like to receive paper copies of PP-14 documents should inform the secretariat no later than
31 July 2014 at
pp14contributions@itu.int, indicating the requested number of copies and languages.
There will be
no paper copies of preparatory documents distributed to delegations who have not submitted their request by 31 July 2014.
Participants are reminded to bring their laptop PCs with them to the Conference.
In-conference documents distribution
The Document Distribution Service will be situated in front of the main conference room of the Convention Centre. This service will provide pigeonholes for delegations and observer organizations/entities, reserved for
official documentation only.
Conference related publications (publications, brochures, flyers, books etc.)
PP-14 will be conducted in a paperless manner as far as possible.
A virtual "PP-14 kiosk" will be created on the PP-14 website and the PP-14 mobile app to gather electronic copies of brochures, books, CD-ROM, USB Keys and flyers, participants want to share.
Paper distribution will not be authorized except in the side event(s) of the contributor. Electronic copies of the material should be sent to
PP14contributions@itu.int. Upon authorization by ITU secretariat, they will be posted in the PP-14 kiosk.
Election materials
Roll-ups for elections will not be authorized in the BEXCO except in country's social events.
Dedicated shelves will be reserved for election brochures and flyers. However electronic copies of the material should be submitted to
PP14contributions@itu.int for authorization. Upon authorization they will be made available in selected distribution areas in quantities provided by contributor.
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The ITU Bookshop at PP-14
An on-site Bookshop with several titles of ITU Publications will be available on
BEXCO Hall 2 during the event.
Available titles will include the most recent editions of ITU's SMS4DC (4.1), the ITU Statistical Yearbook, the World Telecommunication Indicators Database, various ITU-T and ITU-R Handbooks and many others.
Please send any specific pre-orders prior by September 1 to
sales@itu.int for pick-up at the ITU Bookshop. Otherwise, firm orders placed at the on-site Bookshop for any title not readily on-hand will benefit from free shipping from Geneva to your preferred address.
For more information on any ITU Publication, please see
www.itu.int/publications or write to us at
sales@itu.int or
freel@itu.int.
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Policy Statements
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Media and communication facilities and services
Media accreditation for PP-14 opened on Monday, 14 July, and will officially close at midnight CET on Tuesday, 14 October. Details of how to apply for accreditation will shortly be available on the
ITU PP-14 Newsroom.
The Newsroom will house a wide range of resources for journalists in all six working languages of the Union, including topical Backgrounders, speeches, visual materials such as photos, videos, PowerPoints and infographics, and webcasts of all substantive sessions (Plenary, Working Group of the Plenary, COM 5, and COM6).
Media facilities on-site will include a dedicated working area, and the ITU Media Team will be happy to facilitate interviews with key officials of the conference.
Nomination of Media focal point in Delegations
With the increasing media interest in ICTs and in the work of ITU, around 300 local and international media officially accredited to follow the PP-14 event are expected.
To facilitate their work, and also to ensure delegations get the chance to tell their stories about the issues and achievements that their country cares about, delegations are invited to nominate a Media Focal Point for any press enquiries before or during the event.
This Media Focal Point will serve as the contact person for the ITU Media Team, enabling them to get in touch with your delegation quickly to pass on requests for interviews, photos or videos. It is suggested that the Media Focal Point be someone on delegation who will be in a position to respond quickly should the ITU Media Team need to get in touch – it need not necessarily be the person who would actually be interviewed by journalists, but rather the person who will be charged with coordinating with ITU's team to ensure you get the chance to get your message across.
The name, mobile number and email of the Media Focal Point should be sent to
pressreg@itu.int. This list will be kept confidential and will not be shared directly with journalists.
Delegations who nominate a Media Focal Point will receive in exchange, from October 18, a regularly updated list of all formally accredited PP-14 media with email contact details.
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Accessibility
To enable persons with disabilities to fully participate at the conference, ITU is committed to provide reasonable accommodation.
The conference venue is generally accessible to persons with disabilities. Accessibility features and services available at the conference will be announced on the official conference website and will include captioning of the main meetings, signage and dedicated lanes for persons with disabilities, among others. Any additional requests for the provision of accessibility services can be made during the registration process or by directly contacting
pp14registration@itu.int; additional requests will be subject to the availability of resources.
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IT facilities
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Meeting room management & reservations
Meeting rooms within the Conference premises at the Convention Centre will be managed by the ITU secretariat.
Delegations wishing to reserve a room are requested to contact the Room Reservations Service at
PP-14-roomreservations@itu.int. Requests will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. During the Conference, the Room Reservation Service will be located in Office No. 16 at the Convention Centre.
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Social events
Member States and other Conference participants intending to host social events during 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 Conference 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. However, the ITU Protocol Service can liaise with the Conference and Publications Department in order to ensure distribution of invitations in the pigeonholes of delegation. It is recommended that organizers properly label their invitation envelopes. Except for this service, 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 Conference 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 Conference, please send all inquiries to protocol@itu.int, (Tel.
+41 22 730 59 27 – Fax
+41 22 730 58 17). In order to register for a social event, please fill in the social events form and return to the ITU Protocol Service. Please note that information contained in this form is for coordination and protocol purposes only.
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Passport and visa requirements
All foreign nationals travelling to the Republic of Korea must be in possession of a valid passport and a visa which suits the purpose of one's visit. Visas are issued by the Embassy or Consulate of the Republic of Korea under the assignment given by the Minister of Justice. Upon request, duly registered participants will be supported for visa issuance by receiving an Invitation Letter for Visa from the Host Country PP-14 Preparatory Secretariat. However, a person meeting certain qualifications may enter the Republic of Korea without a visa. For detailed information, please refer to the
'Visa Requirements' section of the Host Country website.
The time it takes to issue a visa differs by Embassy, and may take a considerable period depending on circumstances. Therefore, applying for a visa in advance is highly recommended, at least three weeks before departure.
*Please note that a visa cannot be obtained through the ITU secretariat.
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Travel arrangements and transport
Participants are requested to make their own travel arrangements to the Republic of Korea.
Transfers from Gimhae International Airport to selected official hotels will be provided free of charge to participants who have used the online hotel room booking service through the official agency designated by the Host Country (see below). Participants are strongly encouraged to provide information by 19 September 2014. An Information Desk will provide assistance at both Incheon and Gimhae International Airports. A travel agent will be available in the Convention Centre to assist with travel arrangements.
Shuttle services to and from selected official hotels and the Convention Centre will be provided free of charge to Conference participants. Relevant information will be provided to all participants in the Convention Centre in Busan.
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Official carrier
Korea Air, as the official carrier for PP-14, provides a special discount for participants (including for one accompanying person) at 15% for economy class and 10% for business class. To reserve flight tickets, please contact any branch office of Korean Air or the website's reservation center.
Please note that presentation of your official registration confirmation letter or an invitation letter sent on behalf of the Government of the Repulic of Korea (Circular Letter No. 164) will be required.
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Accommodation and hotel room bookings
To reserve rooms in hotels recommended by the Host Country, participants are invited to book online through the official Professional Conference Organizer (PCO) and the Housing Bureau at:
Room acknowledgements will be provided after completion of the online reservation. Please note that you need an
Access Code in order to make hotel reservations. The code will be accessible on the ITU PP-14 website and only with a TIES account.
General information on Busan and the Republic of Korea can be found on the
Host Country website.
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Tour
The Host Country ITU PP-14 Preparatory Secretariat is offering tour programmes to explore industrial sites and tourist attractions in the Republic of Korea. Further information will be updated via the Host Country website.
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Banking and currency
Major banks are usually open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 16:00. A bank (Busan Bank) is located within BEXCO and is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 16:00. The currency in the Republic of Korea is the Won (KRW). Monetary units are KRW 10, KRW 50, KRW 100, and KRW 500 coins, and KRW 1,000, KRW 5,000, KRW 10,000, and KRW 50,000 notes. For higher denominations, negotiable cashier's checks are used. Subject to exchange rate fluctuations as of 27 May 2014:
USD 1 = KRW 1,023.30, CHF 1 = KRW 1,143.99, EUR 1 = KRW 1,397.52.
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Climate
The average temperature in Busan is 17.6°C (63.7°F) in October and 11.6°C (52.9°F) in November. The average number of rainy days (with more than 1mm of rain) in Busan is four days per month. Clothing should be suitable for a changeable climate, and a raincoat or umbrella for occasional showers may be useful.
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Electrical appliances
The Republic of Korea uses a 220-volt AC, 60Hz electrical current. Visitors from certain countries need an adaptor for electric appliances, and an adaptor and transformer to use their 110/125V appliances.
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Mobile phones in the Republic of Korea
- Telephones bought in the Republic of Korea are SIM locked and will only work with the designated SIM card.
- If you wish to use your own telephone in the Republic of Korea with a local SIM card, it will work provided that your telephone is NOT SIM locked.
- To use your own mobile phone in the Republic of Korea, you should verify in advance that your phone supports 800 MHz(B5), 900 MHz(B8), 1800 MHz(B3), 2100 MHz(B1), or 2600 MHz(B7).
- You may rent a mobile phone at the Incheon International Airport or at the PP-14 Conference centre (BEXCO).
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Shipping and importation instructions
Instructions on shipping and importation can be found
here.
