World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
	Durban, South Africa 31 August – 7 September 2001

RD/D/2
30 August 2001

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS

MEDIA ARRANGEMENTS FOR WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE

Durban, South Africa
31 August - 7 September 2001

The World Conference against Racism will be held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) from 31 August to 7 September. The building will be closed to the public during this period and access will be restricted to those persons who are accredited and wearing a United Nations World Conference grounds pass.

Opening Day

During the World Conference, access will be restricted at certain times, because of space or security considerations. Coverage in the restricted areas will be arranged on a "pool" basis. For the opening day, access to the Plenary Hall will be restricted due to special security measures and space limitations. For the morning session tickets for seats in the press gallery will be issued starting at 8:30 a.m., and at 1:45 p.m. for the afternoon round table. Those will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. All visual media coverage will be done by selected media pools and crews will be escorted by United Nations staff while in the ICC building. Members of the pools should gather at the Media Liaison office room M-4 in the Media Centre (Durban Exhibition Centre) at 7 a.m. to be screened and brought by a Liaison Officer to the ICC for one of the three pool locations. Contact tel.: (031) 327-3944.

Media Centre

The Media Centre is located in the Durban Exhibition Centre. Inquiries should be directed to the Media Information counter, which will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Friday 31 August until Friday 7 September to assist journalists with both substantive and logistical questions. The telephone numbers at the Media Centre are + 27-31-327-3950/3952). The following technical services can be provided:

• Large screens carrying live proceedings of the plenary, press conferences and other events on closed circuit television;
• The audio of the plenary can be recorded in the original ("floor") language, English and French, using the mult-box set up in the room. Press conferences from the Coast of Dreams building can be recorded in English and other languages, when available, using the mult-box set up in the room;
• Paging system for general announcements to the media;
• Telephone services can be provided by Telkom on a commercial basis (credit cards required);
• Electrical outlets (110 volts) are available in the Media Centre to enable journalists to use their laptop computers with modems;
• A limited number of computers with Internet access and printers are available;
• Fax machines are available on a commercial basis;
• The Information Desk and distribution counter will have copies of documents, press releases, speeches and other material.

Press Conferences, Interviews and Briefings for Journalists

Daily press briefings by the Spokeswoman for the Conference will be held at noon in the Coast of Dreams building, which is the venue for press conferences during the Conference. The list of press conferences will be announced daily in the Media Centre and will be posted at www.un.org/wcar, the Conference Web site. Interviews can be arranged during the Conference by the United Nations staff members at the information counter in the Media Centre, or in advance by calling tel.: 327-3950/3952.

United Nations Audio-visual Materials and Services

Video and audio of speeches in the plenary as well as press conferences can be purchased for a fee through the South African Broadcast Corporation (SABC) Archives in the Media Centre. The contact person is Sias Scott, mobile: 083-344-3145. All television and/or radio studio interviews, live stand-up transmissions, editing and play-outs must be booked through Lucia Fourie, mobile: +27-82-561-3649/Annemarie Meyer, mobile: +27-82-793-1302, who may also be reached at +27-31-327-3920/+27-31-327-3922 or fax +27-31-327-3921.

Videotapes are available in PAL broadcast standard in BETACAM SP, DVC Pro or VHS format. Speeches are normally available in the original ("floor") language in which they were delivered. Special requests for the recording of the interpreter's version 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 are available for patching into the pool feeds Radio/TV point in the Media Centre. Those services are free of charge on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Interviews and Stand-up Recordings

Interviews and stand-ups (lone reporter doing a spot on camera) must be arranged through the Media Liaison Office and crews must be accompanied by a United Nations Liaison Officer.

Visual Coverage in Plenary Hall

Official photographers and official television crews 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 Hall. Owing to space limitations, they may not remain to cover other speeches. A limited number of still photographers, escorted by United Nations liaison staff, will also be allowed to take photographs from the Plenary Hall. Those operations will be coordinated from the Media Liaison Desk in the Media Centre, tel.: 327-3944.

Photographs

Photographs will be available to accredited correspondents for a nominal fee. Photographs of morning speakers will be available, if possible, during the afternoon of the same day; afternoon speakers, the following morning. Please direct inquiries and requests to Kevin Joseph, mobile: 083-777-9990; tel. +27-31-336-8227/368-1865; fax: +27-31-336-8200/368-1365.

Press Gallery in Plenary Hall

Two hundred seats are reserved for the media in the Plenary Hall. For the opening plenary meeting on 31 August, tickets to the Press Gallery in the Plenary Hall will be issued starting at 8:30 a.m. from the Media Information counter in the Media Centre.

United Nations Press Release Coverage and Copies of Statements for Press

The United Nations will provide press release coverage in English and French of all open meetings of the Conference. These may be obtained from the Information counter in the Media Centre. Further queries should be directed to the Coverage team; contact tel.: 327-3948.

Statements of heads of State, heads of government or heads of delegation will be available at the Information counter in the Media Centre if delegates provide copies. There are commercial facilities for photocopying in the DEC.

Internet

On the Internet, the press kit for the World Conference, press releases and other background materials can be found at www.un.org/wcar. During the Conference, this site will be updated constantly to provide up-to-date information about documents, schedules, special events and non-governmental organization activities. Many of the proceedings of the Conference, including the plenary, will be web cast.

Arrangements for 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 Media Centre, Room M-4, from which point a United Nations liaison officer will escort them to the location. A schedule of bilateral meetings will be issued daily.