Election of WHO Director-General Guidelines and Information for Media

Election of WHO Director-General Guidelines and Information for Media

November 09, 2006

    GENEVA, Nov. 8 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The election of
the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General will
take place in Geneva next week, from 6 to 9 November 2006.
There will be two separate meetings in two separate venues.
Below, journalists can find practical information relating
to accreditation, access to meetings, and news conference,
photo and broadcast opportunities.

    The WHO Executive Board (EB) will meet from 6 to 8
November at WHO Headquarters and will nominate a person for
the post of Director-General. Journalists will be able to
listen to proceedings during the public sessions, which
include the short opening session on the morning of 6
November, the late-afternoon session on 6 November when a
short-list of five candidates is announced, and the closing
session on 8 November when the name of the person nominated
for the post will be made public. Otherwise, the EB will
conduct proceedings related to the nomination in a session
which is open only to Members of the Board and one
representative of each Member State. Journalists will not
be allowed in the Executive Board room.

    On 9 November 2006, the World Health Assembly will meet
at the United Nations Palais des Nations Assembly Hall for a
special session. The Health Assembly will consider the
nomination of the Director-General at a private meeting and
will come to a decision on the appointment of the next
Director-General through a secret ballot. The Assembly will
also have to take a decision on the term of office and the
contract of the next Director-General.  Journalists will be
able to follow the public sessions of the Assembly from the
media gallery (on the 2nd balcony). These include the
opening of the session in the morning and the closing of
the meeting when the successful candidate will be publicly
announced and will make a speech.

    Media Accreditation procedures

    Correspondents wishing to cover the Executive Board
from 6-8 November must apply to the Communications
Department at the World Health Organization. To do this,
journalists should send a fax [phone]) or email (
[e-mail] ) requesting accreditation, along
with a letter signed by their editor indicating the reason
for accreditation, the dates for which accreditation is
required and a photocopy of media credentials.
Accreditation badges will be available to journalists at
the reception of WHO during the afternoon of Sunday 5
November from 16.00hrs to 17.30hrs and on Monday 6 November
from 08.00hrs.

    Correspondents wishing to cover the World Health
Assembly on 9 November must apply to the United Nations
Department of Public Information (DPI) at the Palais des
Nations in Geneva. This must include a letter signed by
their editor indicating the reason for accreditation, a
photocopy of media credentials and passport. Journalists
can call [phone], or [phone], or email
Catherine Fegli ([e-mail]) for more information. To
facilitate the accreditation process, journalists are
strongly encouraged to apply early. Once these documents
have been approved by DPI, journalists can collect their
accreditation at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, at the
Pr¨¦gny gate (in front of the International Committee of
the Red Cross).

    Facilities for Media -- WHO

    During 6-8 November, journalists will have access to a
conference room at WHO in Headquarters from which they will
be able to monitor, by video conference, the public
sessions. News material, news conferences and other
announcements will be made available in this room on an
on-going basis throughout the meeting.

    Facilities for Media -- UN Palais des Nations

    During the Asssembly on 9 November, WHO will organize
press conferences at Press Room III (near Gate 6). To avoid
access problems, journalists must wear their accreditation
badges visibly. Press conferences will be announced via the
loudspeaker system and will be posted on a notice board
situated in Press Room I (near Gate 6). Important
documents, news releases, the scheduling of news
conferences and briefings, and other items of interest to
correspondents will also be available in Press Room I.

    Photographs

    Information on the WHO Photo Service for media can be
obtained from Chris Black, email [e-mail], Tel. +41
22 791 1460 or mobile: [phone].

    Video for Broadcasters 

    For information on taping of events in the Assembly
Hall, taping of interviews for broadcast TV and the
feedpoint to EBU Geneva through WHO TV Studios or UNTV
Geneva, please contact Jean-Marc Glinz, email:
[e-mail] Tel: [phone] or mobile: [phone]
5515.

    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 [phone] or
send email to 
       [e-mail]. 

    General information for photo & television
correspondents

    -- WHO requests that photo journalists respect the
rules set out by         
       Security and Protocol Officers at the Executive
Board and World 
       Health Assembly. Flash units may be used, but
photographers are 
       encouraged to use telephoto lenses and avoid
grouping around 
       speakers so as not to disturb their work. 

    -- Due to space limitations, access to the floor of the
EB and WHA 
       during public sessions will be limited and a pool
situation for 
       video and photographs will likely be in effect. 

    All WHO Press Releases, Fact Sheets and Features as
well as other information on this subject can be obtained
on Internet on the WHO home page: http://www.who.int/

    For more information, please contact:

     WHO Media Centre
     Tel:    [phone]

     Christine McNab
     Acting-Director
     WHO Communications Department
     Tel:    [phone]
     Mobile: [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail] 

     Iain Simpson
     Team leader
     News and Advocacy
     Tel:    [phone]
     Mobile: [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

     Fad¨¦la Chaib
     WHO Communications officer
     Tel:    [phone]
     Mobile: [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

    For audiovisual requests:

     Jean-Marc Glinz
     Tel:    [phone]
     Mobile: [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

     Chris Black
     Tel:    [phone]
     Mobile: [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]  

SOURCE  World Health Organization