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Admission and fees

The Forum is open to:

• ITU members (Member States and Sector Members)
• organizations admitted as observers to ITU conferences and meetings, including other international organizations
• accredited media representatives
• the general public.

Participation by all ITU members (Member States and Sector Members) is free of charge. Organizations admitted as observers to ITU conferences and meetings, including other international organizations, may attend free of charge, but must complete the registration formalities and may not directly participate in the debate. Media representatives are entitled to attend free of charge following accreditation in the normal way by the Press Office, but may not directly participate. The Forum is also open to attendance, but not direct participation, by the general public (any entity which does not fall within any of the established categories is considered to be part of the general public), subject to payment at the registration desk of a registration fee of 200 Swiss francs, payable in cash or by credit card (American Express, Diners Club, Visa or Eurocard/Master Card).

Bank

A bank at which currency can be exchanged is situated next to the Post Office. It is accessible from inside the conference centre and is open continuously from 0800 to 1630 hours.

Climate in March

The climate in Geneva in March is mild to fresh, with daytime temperatures around 12 - 18° C.

Cloakroom

A self-service cloakroom is available in the main lobby of the CICG. The area is not monitored, and ITU cannot be held responsible for any loss or theft.

Conference venue

The ITU World Telecommunication Policy Forum and the Information Session will be held at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG), 15 rue de Varembé, 1202 Geneva, from 15 to 18 March 1998. The CICG is located opposite the ITU complex, at the junction of rue de Vermont and rue de Varembé.

Telephone number: +41 22 734 2800

Fax number: +41 22 733 5622

E-mail: itumail@itu.int

All messages must clearly indicate the name of the participant and the name of his/her administration/company to ensure delivery.

Documentation

The Policy Forum will have one document - the Secretary-General's Report - as the basis of its discussions. This document incorporates all contributions and comments received from members further to the drafts circulated in advance of the Forum. Copies of the first draft were sent in October 1997, and of the second draft in January 1998, to all ITU members. Subsequent drafts will be sent to all pre-registered participants upon acceptance of their registration.

Upon arrival, participants are advised to check at the registration desk that they have the latest version of the Secretary-General's Report. The report will be available to participants and attendees in English, French and Spanish.

The final document of the Forum will be available to all participants at the close of the event. It will subsequently be posted on the World Wide Web at <http://www.itu.ch/wtpf/wtpf98> for public access.

Electrical appliances

The electric current in Switzerland is 220 V/50 Hz.

Feedback

The organizers would be grateful to receive immediate feedback from participants concerning the Forum arrangements. For this purpose, evaluation sheets will be distributed on the final day of the Forum, either for completion on the spot or for return shortly afterwards by mail or fax.

Forum Information Session

A special Information Session is planned for 15 March 1998 at 1100 hours in order to present information on issues related to the theme of "Trade in Telecommunications", including the presentation of case studies. The programme will be published in due course.

Languages

Simultaneous interpretation will be available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese. All discussions will take place in plenary meetings; no parallel sessions are planned.

Medical service

The services of a nurse will be available to participants from 0845 to 1230 and 1345 to 1800 hours. The medical service is on level F of the CICG, behind the bar. From 1230 to 1345 and 1800 to 1900 hours, in case of urgency only, participants may contact the United Nations Medical Service, Door 2, Palais des Nations (Tel.: 907 2807; emergencies: 907 2222).

The following medical services in Geneva are open 24 hours a day:

Hôpital de la Tour

Avenue Jean-Daniel Maillard

Meyrin Tel.: 780 0111

Emergency Service

Hôpital Cantonal
24, rue Micheli-du-Crest Tel.: 372 3311 and 382 3311

Parking

Parking restrictions are in force in the streets adjacent to the ITU and CICG premises. To avoid fines, participants are advised to respect these restrictions, particularly in the area adjacent to the CICG main entrance.

Participants may obtain parking cards for the underground garage situated beside the ITU building at 2 rue de Varembé. These cards are available from the ITU Bookshop on payment of a deposit of 55 Swiss francs.

Post Office

A Post Office is situated to the left of the rue de Varembé entrance to the CICG. It is also accessible from inside the CICG. It is open on weekdays from 0730 to 1200 and 1345 to 1800 hours, and on Saturdays from 0800 to 1100 hours.

Press

Journalists wishing to accredit for WTDC 98 may do so on-line at www.itu.int/newsroom, or by contacting the ITU Press Office on Tel: +41 22 730 6039 Fax: +41 22 730 5939 E-mail: pressinfo@itu.int.

Registration of participants

3 WAYS TO REGISTER

To register by mail, fax or e-mail, please complete the registration form.

• Advance registration

Pre-registration is strongly advised in order to avoid long queues on the first day of the Forum. To facilitate delegate registration and participation in WTPF, it is recommended that delegates (ITU Member States and Sector Members) planning to attend the Forum designate heads of delegation and send us by fax (+41 22 730 5881) the list of representatives of their organization and name of the head of delegation.

• On-site registration

On arrival at the CICG, pre-registered participants are requested to proceed to the registration desk and present an official identity document (e.g. passport or driving licence) to obtain their badge.

The registration desk will be located near the main entrance and will be open at the following times:

Sunday 15 March 0900 to 1300 and 1400 to 1800 hours

Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 March 0800 to 1230 and 1330 to 1730 hours.

Unregistered participants should proceed to the registration desk, where they will be required to produce documentary evidence attesting to their employer (the name of their administration/ company and its address) in order to be eligible for admission as an ITU member. The fee of 200 Swiss francs for organizations and entities which are not ITU members may be paid in cash or by credit card (American Express, Diners Club, Visa or Eurocard/Master Card) at the cash desk situated nearby.

For logistical reasons, reserved seating can be guaranteed only for delegates who have registered prior to the event.

Restaurants

The CICG bars and restaurants will be open at the normal times during the meetings, as will the ITU cafeterias, self-service restaurant and "Le Satellite" restaurant.

Right to speak

Delegations will be issued with a hand-held card which should be raised in order to request the floor during the Forum. It is recommended that each delegation nominate a head of delegation to speak on its behalf.

Seating arrangements at the Forum

For pre-registered ITU members, seating in the meeting room(s) will be in French alphabetical order of country or company/organization, with name plates showing where participants are entitled to sit. Sector Members who will not form part of their country's delegation and who choose to register in their own names will be seated according to the organization name that appears in the ITU Global Directory. Those registering on-site will be seated according to availability of space. Observers will sit in a reserved section, again in French alphabetical order of organization.

Swiss entry visas

Participants requiring a visa in order to enter Switzerland are reminded that they must obtain the visa before travelling to Switzerland. Delegates from countries in which Switzerland is not represented (by an Embassy or Consulate) must obtain their visas in a third country.

The Swiss authorities have introduced new measures concerning visas. Visas are no longer issued at the airport other than in exceptional circumstances to persons from countries in which Switzerland has no representation (Embassy or Consulate), and then solely on presentation of documentary evidence, such as a mission order from their administration or an official letter of invitation, to the effect that the delegate is attending a conference of the Union. ITU can no longer intervene to have entry visas to Switzerland issued at the airport.

Telecommunications

The telecommunication centre is located on level E of the CICG and will be open throughout the working hours of the Forum. Those participants entitled to receive a franking privilege card will be issued with one, on registration, enabling them to the extent provided for in the International Telecommunication Regulations, to make service calls free of charge. Other communications will be subject to the normal charges.

When the CICG telecommunication centre is closed, communications can be effected from other points in Geneva, as indicated on the franking privilege card. It is also possible for delegates to have telephone calls requested at the CICG centre, or at the other addresses indicated on their card, transferred directly to their hotel.

Delegates can receive calls or messages direct at the CICG on the following numbers:

Telephone number: +41 22 734 2800

Fax number: +41 22 733 5622

E-mail: itumail@itu.int

All messages must clearly indicate the name of the participant and the name of his/her administration/company to ensure delivery. Participants will be paged by the signalling system in the meeting rooms by their name and badge number.

Transportation to the CICG

To call a taxi, dial 33 141 33. Bus routes 5 (direction "Palexpo") and 8 (direction "OMS") run from the city centre (bus 5 from Place Bel Air, bus 8 from Rive) and the square in front of the railway station (Place Cornavin, buses 5 and 8) to the Conference building. Passengers should get off at the stop named Vermont in rue de Vermont. A standard ticket for the Geneva city area costs 2.20 Swiss francs and can be purchased from the orange machines situated at each bus stop. It is necessary to have the correct money when using these machines. The above-mentioned ticket is valid on the entire network for a duration of one hour. No special ticket is required in order to transfer from one bus to another within that time period.

Travel Agency

The FERT Travel Agency (office T.1108 on the 11th floor of the ITU Tower Building, telephone extensions 5168, 5169 and 5170) is at the disposal of delegates for booking excursions, making hotel reservations, confirming flights, etc.

Working hours

The Information Session will take place on Sunday 15 March from 1100 to 1300 and 1430 to 1800 hours. The registration desk will be open from 0900 to 1300 and 1400 to 1800 hours.

The working hours of the Forum will be Monday to Wednesday from 0900 to 1200 and 1400 to 1700 hours.

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Contact persons for further information

The following persons have been designated focal points for the Forum: