Note to correspondents on coverage of the fifty-fifth session of the Human Rights Council

 FIFTY-FIFTH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 
Geneva, Switzerland, 26 February-5 April 2024 

The fifty-fifth session of the Human Rights Council will begin on Monday 26 February 2024 at the United Nations’ Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Journalists who have received media accreditation for the Council are kindly requested to take note of the following information, which will assist them in their work. 
 

1. Media Accreditation

Media representatives holding valid badges to enter the Palais des Nations are not required to register for this event.   

Media representatives without valid badges issued by the United Nations Office at Geneva will need to register at UNOG media accreditation online system.  Please see “Information for journalists” webpage for additional details on accreditation requirements. Media representatives whose accreditation has been approved will receive confirmation via email.   

Media whose accreditation has been approved can collect their printed press badges at the Peace Gate located by the flag entrance in front of the Place des Nations or the Pregny Gate located in front of the Red Cross headquarters – please see map. 

When collecting press badges, media representatives will be asked to present a valid passport or national identification with a photo from a State recognized by the United Nations General Assembly.  Badges can be collected at the Peace Gate between 07.30 and 17.00 or at the Pregny Gate between 07.30 and 17.30. All media personnel are advised to arrive early to allow enough time for security screening. Last-minute arrivals may encounter delays.  

 1.Media travelling with official State delegations 

Media travelling with official State delegations will need to register on the above-mentioned link for the online system. In lieu of a letter from their media outlet, they should upload a note verbale from the respective permanent mission to the UN Office at Geneva listing them as part of the travelling delegation along with the media outlet they represent.    

For media travelling with official delegations who are listed in the note verbale, a member from the respective permanent mission can collect your press badge for you from the Pregny Gate (main entrance in front of the Red Cross; see map).   

Media travelling with delegations will also be asked to present a valid passport or national identification with a photo that matches the name on their badges when entering the Palais des Nations.    

NB: Each delegation with a participating dignitary will be allowed to designate one official photographer and one official cameraperson who will receive a “Delegation-Media” badge. These individuals will need to register on the general registration for the event found at below link and should choose “Member or Observer State” under Representation Type – https://indico.un.org/event/1004372 

For questions on media accreditation, kindly contact: accreditation-media@un.org  

 
3. Access to the United Nations premises in Geneva 
 A United Nations media badge will be needed to access UNOG premises. Only one type of badge will be issued to each media representative (no-NGO/Media or Delegation/Media co-badging). 

 All media personnel will be subject to security screening upon entering the Palais des Nations during the High-Level Segment, as from 06.00hrs, coming by car, through Chemin de Fer gate, or as from 07.30hrs, coming on foot, through the Peace Gate.   

 4. Access to the meeting room (Room XX) 
 
Accredited media will have access to all public meetings within the limits of the room capacity. The doors will be opened 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. The plenary sessions will take place in Room XX (E building, third floor). Media will be sitting in the press gallery on the left side of the room in spaces designated “MEDIA”. 
 

Media representatives will enter Room XX from the main door and will be required to comply with the screening procedures applicable to all the participants in the session. Cameras and other audio-visual material will be subject to electronic screening. 

  In the event there are no available seats in Room XX, media will be able to view the proceedings from Room XIX, which will serve as a spillover room for all participants, where the webcast of the Council’s meeting will be transmitted on large screens in the six official UN languages (English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Russian).  

 PLEASE NOTE: These arrangements will be applicable also to the media representatives permanently accredited to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 

 5. Access to other facilities 
 
All accredited journalists will have access to the United Nations bar and cafeteria. 

 6. Press conferences and interviews 
 
The list and location of press conferences by Heads of State, Government or Delegation, or United Nations senior officials will be posted on the UN Geneva press centre web page.

For general information about the HRC session, to arrange interviews and for other media-related requests, contact: 
 

Mr. Pascal Sim 

Media Officer for the Human Rights Council 
email: simp@un.org  

 Mr. Matt Brown 

Public Information Officer for the Human Rights Council 
email: matthew.brown@un.org  

 Mr. David Diaz Martin 

Public Information Officer for the Human Rights Council 
email: david.diazmartin@un.org  

 7. Radio 
 
Radio studios for interviews and transmissions may be booked on +41 22 917 1077 or +41 22 917 2566. 
 
Audio distribution boxes are available in the press gallery of Room XX. 

8. Television 
 
Only UNTV and one other television crew at a time may film on tripods in the centre of Room XX. Priority will be given to a television team from the same country as the speaker addressing the Council. Other crews may work from fixed positions at the back of the room and on the perimeter. 
 
Audio plugs are available at the back of the room. The use of tripods may be restricted. 
 
Crews are authorized to circulate in the room and film on the shoulder. This includes limited periods in the centre of the room and in the corridors. Filming on tripods in the corridors is not allowed. Filming of interviews and stakeouts is not allowed in the conference rooms. 
 
Accredited camera operators and photographers who plan to cover the sessions may contact Ms. Catherine Fegli (catherine.fegli@un.org) or e-mail: untvgeneva@un.org  

  Due to the limitations imposed by the liquidity crisis, UN Television (UNTV) can only guarantee live and archived coverage of statements for the opening and first day of the High-Level Segment of the Council, panel discussion excluded.  

  A UNTV live broadcast feed is available for the opening of the High-Level Segment of the Human Rights Council either via the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) or directly from UNTV feed points located in Room S-80 (UN Radio Studio) and in Room E-4 (UNTV office)  

  Media organizations may download broadcast quality and/or webcast quality video for the High-Level Segment of the Human Rights Council from the UNTV cloud.

Media organizations may download broadcast quality and/or webcast quality video for the High-Level Segment of the Human Rights Council from the UNTV cloud. Video will be organized by time of day and will be backed up in consecutive 15-minute files stored in a dedicated folder found on a UNTV-managed google dri. 

Due to the limitations imposed by the liquidity crisis, requests for video clips of individual speakers cannot be serviced on a same-day basis.

Video highlights (opening), news edits with storylines and audio will also be available via the multimedia newsroom:  http://unognewsroom.org.  

  Specific coverage requests should be made in writing, in advance. Coverage requests and bookings for television studio and transmission facilities should be sent to: 
 
UN Television 
Room E.4, Palais des Nations 
CH 1211-Geneva 10 
Switzerland 
Fax: +41 22 917 0031 
Email: untvgeneva@un.org 
 

9. Webcast 
 
Plenary sessions will be accessible by webcast. You can follow the Council proceedings live, or access archives at: https://webtv.un.org/en  

10. Photos 
 
Accredited photographers will work in areas on the floor designated by Information Service staff. No flash equipment may be used.  

(Please note that due to the limitations imposed by the liquidity crisis, the UN Information Service will not be in position to provide photo coverage of dignitaries during the High-Level Segment, as has been customary practice).  

11. Official website 

 Information on all aspects of the Council can be found at the following website: https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/regular-sessions/session55/regular-session  

 The website contains the session programme, news, practical information and statements related to the meeting. 

Lists of speakers and speeches (subject to availability) will be posted on the HRC Extranet. 

12.  Press coverage

Meeting summaries in English and French of the Human Rights Council will only be provided for the opening meeting on 26 February and for the meetings from 3 to 5 April when decisions and conclusions are made; those summaries will be posted here:https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/meeting-summaries-list 

 13. Social media

 Information about the Council will also be posted on the HRC official social media accounts, as follows: 

 HRC X/Twitter – http://twitter.com/UN_HRC 
HRC Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/humanrightscouncil/ 

HRC Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/UNHRC 

HRC YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/UNHumanRightsCouncil 

 and on the UNOG X/Twitter accounts in English – https://twitter.com/ungeneva and French https://twitter.com/ONUGeneve #HRC55 is the hashtag for this 55^th session. 

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Note/24/001E