61st World Health Assembly: guidelines and information for media
GENEVA - The 61st World Health Assembly (WHA) will be held from 19 to 24 May 2008 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The Health Assembly is the annual meeting of the World Health Organization's (WHO) 193 Member States and it is the supreme decision-making body of WHO. The Health Assembly sets the policy for the Organization and approves the budget.
Issues to be discussed at the 61st meeting include pandemic influenza preparedness, sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines, poliomyelitis, the harmful use of alcohol, female genital mutilation, climate change and human health, the International Health Regulations, counterfeit medical products, smallpox virus stock, and public health, innovation and intellectual property.
Invited speakers
Two guest speakers will address the Health Assembly on Tuesday, 20 May in the afternoon.
Princess Muna Al Hussein of Jordan, WHO's Patron for Nursing and Midwifery in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region.
Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, actively involved in the fight against diseases in his country and outside.
WHO Director-General's speech
Dr Margaret Chan is scheduled to address the World Health Assembly in the afternoon of Monday, 19 May. Her speech will be available upon delivery.
The agenda, the daily Journal and other Health Assembly documents can be found here and will be available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
Media accreditation procedures
Correspondents wishing to cover the World Health Assembly must be accredited by the office of the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. To be accredited, journalists should send a fax requesting accreditation to +41 22 917 0073 or send e-mail to cfegli@unog.ch, along with a letter signed by their editor indicating the reason for accreditation and the dates for which accreditation is required, photocopies of media credentials and passport. Journalists can call +41 22 917 2313 for more information.
Once these documents have been approved by DPI, journalists can collect their accreditation documents at the Pregny entrance gate (in front of the Red Cross building).
WHO media office
During the World Health Assembly, documents for journalists will be available at the WHO media documents office Room A843 on the eighth floor of the Palais des Nations. WHO media and communications staff will be in Rooms A631 and A633.
Daily Journal of the World Health Assembly/news releases/other documents
Media material and official documents will be available in the WHO media documents office and in UN Press Room I. The daily Journal of the Health Assembly contains the day’s agenda. Note that schedules and locations are subject to change. News releases and other media material will also be available on the WHO web site at the link above.
Technical briefings
During the Assembly, 4 technical briefings will take place in Salle XII. These briefings are open to the media.
- Tuesday 20 May, 12-30-14:00: Revitalizing primary health care
- Wednesday 21 May; 13h00-14:30: Commission on Social Determinants of Health
- Thursday 22 May- 13h00-14h30: International Health Partnership
- Friday 23 May, 13h14h30: Saving millions of lives: scaling up tobacco control at country level
Media announcements
Announcements will be made in the UN Press Room of the Palais des Nations via the loudspeaker system regarding the issuing of important documents and news releases, the scheduling of news conferences and briefings, and other items of interest to correspondents.
Fadela Chaib will meet the press in Salle de Presse I to brief about the day's activities, every day at 11:30 except Monday, 19 May (the opening day of the Health Assembly). On Tuesday (20 May) and Friday (23 May), the briefing will be in Salle de Presse III at 10:30.
Advance texts: material under embargo
Some texts of speeches, statements and other material will be issued under embargo. Please respect the release date and hour indicated.
Access to meetings
Many meetings at the World Health Assembly are open to media and can be covered from specially designated press areas. Correspondents should consult the daily Journal for information on whether meetings are open or closed. To avoid access problems, journalists must wear their accreditation badges visibly.
Journalists may enter the floor of the Assembly Hall and committee rooms only before or after meetings, but must leave promptly when the meetings are about to begin.
Under no circumstances may journalists stay on the floor of the Assembly Hall when meetings are taking place
Photographs
Information on the WHO Photo Service for media can be obtained from:
Chris Black
Tel.: +41 22 791 1460
Mobile: +41 79 472 6054
Email: blackc@who.int
Photographs in high resolution will be available for download from the WHO web site at the link above.
Video for broadcasters
For information on recording events in the Assembly Hall (plenary session), interviews for broadcast TV and the feedpoint to EBU Geneva through UNTV Geneva, contact:
Jean-Marc Glinz
Palais des Nations
Office E21 at UNTV Studio (Studio TV - Under door 40 on Level 0)
Tel.: +41 22 917 5954
Mobile: +41 79 475 5515
E-mail glinzj@who.int.
Please note that:
- WHO will only provide tapes for broadcasters (in Betacam SP PAL)
- To reserve a live link from EBU Geneva to the final destination, please contact EBU Planning at +41 22 717 2900 or send e-mail to bookings@eurovision.net.
General information for photo & television correspondents
- WHO requests that photo journalists respect the rules set out by Security and Protocol Officers at the World Health Assembly. Flash may be used, but photographers are encouraged to use telephoto lenses and avoid grouping around speakers so as not to disturb their work.
- Filming and videotaping of the Health Assembly is limited to news, documentary and educational coverage of the meetings. Accredited photo and television correspondents may cover all open meetings of the Health Assembly and move around freely on the floor of the Assembly Hall and the main committee rooms before meetings are called to order, but must leave promptly when meetings are about to begin.
- Photographers and camera crews are not allowed on the podium in any of the meeting rooms, including the Assembly Hall. It is important to avoid congestion near the podium, especially during debates.
For more information please contact:
WHO Media Centre
Telephone: +41 22 791 2222
E-mail: mediainquiries@who.int
Fadéla Chaib
Communications Officer
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 3228
Mobile: +41 79 475 5556
E-mail: chaibf@who.int
Dick Thompson
News Team Leader
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 1492
Mobile: +41 79 475 55 34
E-mail: thompsond@who.int
Veronica Riemer
Communications Assistant
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 4367
Mobile: +41 79 445 2280
E-mail: riemerv@who.int
Chris Black
Multimedia Communications Officer
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 1460
Mobile: +41 79 472 6054
E-mail: blackc@who.int