World Humanitarian Summit 2016 Information Note Issue #2 March 2016

Transcription

1 World Humanitarian Summit 2016 Information Note Issue #2 March 2016 I. Introduction 1. The Secretary-General will hold the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit on May in Istanbul, Turkey. The Summit will be held at the highest level and will bring the global community together to reaffirm our solidarity with people affected by crises, and our collective commitment to humanity. In Istanbul, global and local leaders from government, business, civil society, among others, will announce concrete actions and commitments to end conflict, alleviate suffering and reduce risk. The Summit will also serve as a platform to exchange experiences and showcase innovations and best practices. 2. The present note provides an update on the organization of the World Humanitarian Summit. Please refer to Issue #1 titled Arrangements for the World Humanitarian Summit issued on 25 January 2016 on for further information. The Summit will result in a Chair s Summary, a Commitments to Action document capturing the announcements emerging from the Summit. A Report of the Secretary-General on the outcomes of the Summit will also be produced in accordance with A/Res/70/106. II. Provisional Agenda and Programme of Work 3. Please refer to the attached DRAFT programme for further information. 4. High-Level Leaders Roundtables: The Summit will feature a number of High-Level Leaders Roundtables. These sessions will run in parallel on both days. The High-Level Leaders Roundtables will be interactive and multi-stakeholder in nature and will aim to rally support and commitments in support of the core responsibilities outlined in the Agenda for Humanity. The High-Level Leaders Roundtables will include (7) seven sessions, namely: a. Political leadership to prevent and end conflicts (Core Responsibility 1) b. Upholding the norms that safeguard humanity (Core Responsibility 2) c. Leaving no one behind: a commitment to address forced displacement (Core Responsibility 3) d. Women and girls: catalyzing action to achieve gender equality (Core Responsibilities 2 and 3) e. Natural disasters and climate change: managing and preparing differently (Core Responsibility 4) f. From providing assistance to ending need (Core Responsibility 4) g. Investing in humanity: humanitarian financing (Core Responsibility 5) Page 1 of 10

2 5. Each roundtable will be two hours long and will be aligned to a Core Responsibility of the Agenda for Humanity. Each roundtable will have a set of core commitments which stakeholders may voluntarily endorse. The roundtables are the opportunity for approximately 30 to 50 leaders to announce concrete commitments against the Agenda for Humanity. Other commitments will be included in the Commitment to Action document. Core commitments and examples of commitments for each roundtable will be made available by the end of March on the WHS website. The deadline for participants to express interest in participating in a roundtable has been extended to 24 March. The contact details of the focal points for each of the High-Level Leaders Roundtables will be made available shortly on the WHS website. 6. Special Sessions: The Summit will also feature a number of Special Sessions organized at high-level around a number of thematic areas. The Special Sessions will feature 15 themes, namely: a. People-centered Humanitarian Action b. People with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action c. Islamic Social Finance d. Education in Emergencies e. Response in Global Health Crises f. Global Urban Crisis Alliance g. Empowering Youth h. Global Alliance for Humanitarian Innovation i. Humanitarian Principles j. Migration k. Religious Engagement l. Connecting Businesses m. Regional Organizations Humanitarian Action Network (ROHAN) n. Media and Communications in Crises o. Improving Risk and Vulnerability Analysis 7. Special Sessions also support the Agenda for Humanity. They address topics of specific interest, and many will focus on launching important partnerships, funds and initiatives spurred by the Summit process. The Special Sessions have different formats, but most will be one-hour long and will feature a panel of 6 to 8 speakers to announce specific initiatives. Concrete commitments will also be sought to support the special session with further details made available by the end of March. The contact details of the focal points for each of the Special Sessions will be made available shortly on the WHS website. III. Leaders Segment 8. The Leaders Segment is reserved for Heads of State and Government ONLY. It is an opportunity for Leaders to demonstrate global leadership, solidarity with affected people and rally in support of the Agenda for Humanity. Page 2 of 10

3 IV. Side-Events, Exhibition Fair, and Innovation Marketplace: 9. Side Events: To be held over the two days of the Summit in the Lütfi Kirdar Convention (LKCC). a) Side Events will be available to different stakeholders to organize briefings, seminars, workshops and panel discussions in parallel to the World Humanitarian Summit main proceedings. b) All applications for Side Events must be received online. A comprehensive review process is underway for the selection of side events to ensure diverse representation and geographical balance, with priority given to events with multi-stakeholder coorganization. Side Event applications closed on 26 February Selected applicants will be informed mid-march. For further information on side events, please contact sideevents@whsummit.org. 10. World Humanitarian Summit Exhibition Fair: To commence 22 May and over the two days of the Summit in the Istanbul Congress Centre (ICC). a) The World Humanitarian Summit Exhibition Fair is dedicated to showcasing the work, products, and programmes of governments, organizations, agencies, companies, and other institutions in support of humanitarian action. b) The Exhibition Fair will be open to registered participants from 22 to 24 May as follows: Sunday, 22 May, 2016 from 09:30am 18:00pm; Monday, 23 May 2016 from 10:30am 19:45pm; Tuesday, 24 May 2016 from 09:00am 17:00pm; (Times are subject to change). c) There will be costs associated with exhibitions from governments, Intergovernmental Organizations, companies, corporations, institutions, INGOs, private sector, and foundations. Sponsorship to wave exhibition fees will be available for a limited number of organizations on a case-by-case basis. Costs associated with exhibiting will only be communicated to successful applicants upon approval of their application by mid-march d) The application process for the Exhibition Fair closed on 26 February A comprehensive review process is currently underway for the selection of exhibitors. Selected applicants will be informed mid-march. For further information on the Exhibition Fair, please contact expo@whsummit.org. 11. Innovation Marketplace: a) The Innovation Marketplace will feature innovations and innovators which demonstrate practical applications of innovations, new or improved products, services and processes Page 3 of 10

4 which contribute to effective humanitarian action. There will be a special emphasis on small innovations with high impact from under-represented communities. b) The Innovation Marketplace will be open to registered participants from 23 May to 24 May as follows: Monday, 23 May 2016 from 10:45am 19:30pm Tuesday, 24 May 2016 from 09:00am 17:00pm (Times are subject to change) c) There will be no fee for exhibitions in the Innovation Marketplace. d) The application process for the Exhibition Fair closed on 26 February A comprehensive review process is currently underway for the selection of innovations. Selected applicants will be informed by mid-march. For further information on the Innovation Marketplace, please contact innovate@whsummit.org. V. Participants The Summit will be convened as an initiative and under the chairmanship of the Secretary- General of the United Nations. Approximately 5,000 participants representing global leaders from government, business, aid organizations, civil society, affected communities, faith-based organizations and leaders, international and national NGOs, academia, diaspora and youth, will be invited to the Summit. It will be held at the highest level, including Heads of States or Government. Participation in the Summit will be open to the following: 12. Member States, Observers and Others The Summit will be open to all Member States and Observers of the United Nations, as well as intergovernmental and other entities with a standing invitation from the General Assembly to participate as observers in the sessions and the work of all international conferences convened under its auspices. Participation will be expected at the highest level. Letters of invitation were dispatched in early-january The size of the delegations of Member States will be 11. Due to space limitations, designated seats in each session will vary. Specifically, for the plenary sessions, the delegation size will be limited to 4 officials. More information on the seating arrangements in the High-Level Leaders Roundtables and Special Sessions will be communicated in due course. 13. Organizations of the United Nations System and Partners Specialized agencies and related organizations, United Nations Funds and Programmes, members of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, the regional commissions and their associate members, international and regional financial institutions and other stakeholders, are invited to participate at the Summit. Participation will be expected at the highest level for each stakeholder. The size of the delegation will be communicated in due course. 14. Other Stakeholders The Summit will be open to representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations and other stakeholders, including affected communities, youth, religious leaders, and the Private Sector, that are not in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council. All Page 4 of 10

5 stakeholders will be selected based on a nomination process. Letters of invitation for nominated participants will be dispatched by mid-march. The size of the delegation will vary and will be communicated in due course. 15. Sponsorship of Participants The World Humanitarian Summit and the Government of Turkey will make arrangements to sponsor the participation of Member States and other stakeholders from Least Developed Countries. Sponsorship will be granted on a case-by-case basis. The WHS secretariat encourages donors to provide additional funds to support the sponsorship of additional representatives from Member States and other stakeholders. For more information on how to contribute, please contact at sponsor@whsummit.org. All other participants will be responsible for covering their own travel and accommodation costs. VI. Plenary Statements, Interpretation and Documentation 16. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is committed to making the World Humanitarian Summit carbon neutral. Accordingly, paperless services will be available, and all participants are encouraged to avoid distributing printed material. All statements by participants and other material can be made available electronically on the World Humanitarian Summit website: Interventions made in any of the (6) official languages of the United Nations, as well as in Turkish, will be interpreted into the official languages of the United Nations. 18. For participating States and observers of the General Assembly, inscription in the list of speakers shall be on a first-come, first-served basis and in accordance with customary protocol, whereby precedence is given to Heads of State or Governments, followed by other Heads of Delegation. Representatives of participating States and observers of the General Assembly wishing to inscribe in the list of speakers for the Member States and other Stakeholders Announcement Plenary should contact the General Assembly Affairs Branch (room S-3082, tel. (212) ; or poliakova@un.org, copy to muturi@un.org). 19. To enable maximum participation within the limited time available, statements in the Announcement Plenary should not exceed three [3] minutes. Statements made by Heads of State and Governments and High-Level representatives of other stakeholders will be made available on the World Humanitarian Summit website. 20. In accordance with the practice followed at previous United Nations conferences, the official documentation of the Summit will include documents issued before the Summit. Documents will be made available in all (6) six official languages of the United Nations. In accordance with the practice followed at previous United Nations conferences, the Report of the Secretary-General following the Summit will include outcomes of the Summit in accordance with General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/106. Summaries of the proceedings will be captured in a Chair s Summary that will be made available during the Summit proceedings in English only. 21. Documents counters for delegations will be located outside Conference Rooms. There will be pigeonholes labelled with the names of States on the ground floor of the Conference Centre. Page 5 of 10

6 Delegations are reminded that the document boxes are exclusively for the distribution of official documents of the Conference and may not be used for circulation of any other papers or documents. Distribution of official documents will be limited to two sets per delegation, and delegations are encouraged to bring their own mobile devices loaded with pre-session documentation. All conference documentation is available on the Conference website. Printon-demand service will be provided for those delegations needing extra hard copies. The Conference Journal, which will also be made available online, can be accessed at the Conference website. A respective link to the programme of Side Events for the Conference will appear daily in the Journal. 22. Delegations are required to bring 30 copies of their statement to the Meeting Servicing Assistant desk in the meeting room. Delegations who wish to have their statement posted on the Summit website are encouraged to their statement to the WHS secretariat beforehand, more information will follow on the designated address for statements. For participating States and observers of the General Assembly, inscription in the list of speakers shall be on a first-come, first-served basis and in accordance with customary protocol, whereby precedence is given to Heads of State or Government, followed by other Heads of Delegation. For other stakeholders, speakers will be selected from among registered participants by the World Humanitarian Summit secretariat. VII. Arrangements for bilateral meeting rooms 23. A number of spaces and booths will be available for bilateral meetings among Member States and other stakeholders. 24. Requests for bilateral meetings should be ed to emeetsm@un.org with subject line BILATS. Final confirmation of all room assignments will be given the day before the meeting. 25. To prevent double booking, only the delegation initiating the bilateral meeting should submit the request. Reservations will be accepted for meetings of 20-minute duration. It is essential that all requests specify the date and time of each meeting, and include the name and level of the other delegation participating in the bilateral meeting. Every effort will be made to keep consecutive appointments of the same delegation in the same room. Service hours will be from 08:00 to 20:00 hours from 23 to 24 May VI. Protocol Accreditation and Access Arrangements for Member States, Observers, Intergovernmental Organizations and Specialized Agencies 26. The accreditation of official delegations of States, Intergovernmental Organizations and associate members of regional commissions, as well as Specialized Agencies and related organizations, is being handled by the Protocol and Liaison Service through the existing online system, e-accreditation, available at the e-delegate portal ( For accreditation to the Summit, official delegations must go through their respective permanent or observer missions and offices in New York, which have already been registered with the e-accreditation system. Delegations are strongly advised to coordinate with their respective missions or offices in New York for timely submission of accreditation requests. Page 6 of 10

7 For detailed accreditation procedures, please visit the website of the Service ( 27. Delegations of Intergovernmental Organizations, associate members of regional commissions or specialized agencies and related organizations without an office in New York who wish to participate in the Summit must follow a specific accreditation procedure, posted on the website of the Protocol and Liaison Service ( 28. Pre-accreditation to the Summit in New York will be open to registered users of the missions or offices through the online accreditation system ( On-site accreditation and issuance of Conference badges to all accredited participants will start in Istanbul from 18 May through 12:00 p.m. (noon) on 24 May Permanent or observer missions and liaison offices are strongly advised to make use of the pre-accreditation option in New York. Delegates are reminded that passes for all preaccredited VIPs and delegates (using photographs previously submitted online) will be preprinted and made available for collection by representatives of delegations at the United Nations Accreditation Centre in Istanbul from 18 May. Failure to submit photographs at the time of online submission will result in delegates having to queue to be photographed at the Accreditation Centre in Istanbul. 30. On-site accreditation of delegates of States, intergovernmental organizations and associate members of regional commissions, as well as specialized agencies and related organizations, will be handled by the Protocol Accreditation Unit in Istanbul, at the Hilton Convention Centre located next to the Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus (Address: Cumhuriyet Caddesi Harbiye, Istanbul, 34367, Turkey). 31. Non-accredited delegates seeking on-site accreditation will be required to present proof of credentials or letters of nomination together with a passport and to complete an on-site accreditation form. Upon verification and approval by the Protocol Accreditation Unit, delegates may proceed to the badging booth to be photographed. 32. As from 16 May, all official communications, including lists of delegations and Summitrelated materials, should be faxed to the Protocol Accreditation Unit at the accreditation centres specified above. The fax number will be made available and posted on the website of the Protocol and Liaison Service ( not later than 9 May Delegations may also obtain the fax number by contacting the Service in New York ( ). 33. Following past practice, Heads of State or Government, Vice-Presidents and Crown Princes or Princesses and their spouses will be provided with a VIP pass without a photograph. Delegates at the level of Cabinet Minister and their spouses will be issued a VIP pass with a photograph. 34. Members of the security details of VIPs participating in the Summit will be registered and issued appropriate Summit passes by the United Nations Security and Safety Service. 35. Each delegation representing a Member State, as well as the Holy See, the Cook Islands, Niue, the State of Palestine, the European Union, will be allocated four seats in the plenary hall of the Conference Centre. Page 7 of 10

8 36. Participation for other stakeholders is being handled by the WHS secretariat through an online registration system. A registration link will be sent to all invitees with a unique access code to facilitate the accreditation process and the issuance of badges. VII. Security arrangements 37. Access to Istanbul Congress Centre (ICC) and Lütfi Kirdar Convention (LKCC) a) The Istanbul Congress Centre (ICC) and Lütfi Kirdar Convention and Exhibition Centre (LKCC) will be closed to the public from Friday, 20 May 2016 until close of business on Tuesday, 24 May Access to the ICC and LKCC during the Summit will be restricted to the accredited participants with specific event/room passes. b) Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations, the media, affiliates and the Host Country security will enter at the same main entrance located in front of the Istanbul Congress Centre and will go through security screening at designated tent located in front of the main entrance of the Istanbul Congress Centre. 38. National security officers accompanying VIPs should contact Captain William Ball, Security and Safety Service, UNDSS New York (tel: ). 39. Any questions regarding security should be directed to Noel Heffernan, Assistant Chief of Security and Safety Service, UNDSS New York (tel: ) or Viktoriya Tymoshenko, Security Coordination Officer, DHSSS, DSS (tel: ). 40. Access to the Istanbul Congress Centre and Lütfi Kirdar Convention and Exhibition Centre will be denied to anyone who is not in the above-mentioned categories and who is not wearing a valid grounds pass. Adherence to these instructions will help to avoid last-minute difficulties. VIII. Media arrangements and services 41. Media accreditation and services Media accreditation is strictly reserved for members of the press (print, photo, radio, television, film, news agencies and online media) who represent a bona fide media organization (full guidelines are available at Accreditation will be granted upon presentation of the following documents: a) Letter of assignment on official letterhead of a media organization signed by the publisher or editor-in-chief indicating the name and duration of assignment of the journalist. The letter should be addressed to the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit, United Nations Secretariat, Department of Public Information. It should be sent as a scanned document in pdf format to malu@un.org or fax to b) Completed online accreditation form, which can be found at: Page 8 of 10

9 c) The deadline for early media accreditation is 13 May Early applicants who are approved will be ed a confirmation, which should be presented, along with the assignment letter, at the accreditation site prior to picking up the pass. Media passes must be picked up in person, after presenting two forms of official ID, including a valid passport. d) All members of the media corps accompanying Heads of State or Government or heads of delegation, including official photo and video, must follow the instructions above. In lieu of a letter of assignment from their media, please submit a letter from the concerned Permanent Mission, listing the names of the media representatives with their functional titles and affiliation. No double accreditation is permitted (e.g., as press and delegate, or as press and NGO). 43. On-site accreditation of media and press will be processed starting from 18 May Details regarding accreditation requirements and media arrangements at the World Humanitarian Summit will be posted as it becomes available at Media Centre A media centre for the use of all accredited journalists covering the Conference will be located in the LKCC. The media centre will be equipped with appropriate electrical power outlets for personal laptop computers, telephones, fax facilities, closed-circuit television and a press documentation counter. There will be limited seating available for print media in the Plenary Hall. In addition, there will be limited space available for TV and photo crews as well as for official delegation media representatives. When required due to logistical and space considerations, coverage will be provided by a selected media pool. 46. Webcast/ Streaming Video a) The United Nations webcast service ( will provide daily, live and on-demand video coverage through the WHS website, as well as some related open meetings, roundtables, conferences, press briefings and stakeouts. The meetings will be covered live in English and the original language of the speaker. Queries should be directed to the United Nations Webcast Unit at Andreas Damianou/ Damianou@un.org. b) The plenary meetings, round tables, press conferences and other activities will be broadcast live into the media centre. Audio-visual and sound feeds of the plenary meetings, round tables and press conferences will be provided to broadcasters live, with free plug-in recording facilities. 47. Media Stakeout There will be four (4) designated locations throughout ICC for media stakeouts, will be made available for national press announcements. These areas will be equipped with a lectern and a riser that can be used for recorded media interviews using handheld cameras with built in microphones. There will be no recording facilities provided. Page 9 of 10

10 48. There will be a large press briefing room in the media centre. More information will be shared in due course. In addition a number of stakeout areas will be made available for national press announcements. 49. The Department of Public Information will provide comprehensive print, TV, radio, webcast and Internet coverage of the high-level plenary meetings, round tables, briefings and press conferences at the Conference Centre. Meetings summary press releases will cover mainly plenary meetings/events. IX. Visas to Turkey 50. The Government of Turkey will facilitate visa procedures for participants to the Summit. The participants who require visas to enter Turkey can obtain them from the nearest Turkish mission abroad. Valid invitation letters provided by the United Nations should be submitted at the time of application. The applications should be made online prior to submitting the original documents to the Turkish missions. Visas will be issued free of charge to participants. Participants who require visas to enter Turkey, yet not able to contact a Turkish mission abroad due to a force majeure, will be able to obtain their visas at the border gates with the supporting documents mentioned above and free of charge. This option should be used as an exceptional case to avoid unnecessary queues at the airport. The participants who prefer to obtain electronic visas should visit the official website E-visas cannot be issued free of charge. The validity period of the passports or travel documents of foreigners wishing to enter Turkey must be at least sixty (60) days longer than their visa, visa exemption period or residence permit. X. Hotel Arrangements 51. Reservations should be made at the designated hotels in Istanbul at a preferential rate no later than 16 May The list of and detailed information on designated hotels will be announced on the website ( in due course. *** Page 10 of 10