Practical Information for Delegates

Participating in the Event

Delegates that will be invited to the 2013 Global Platform include:

Member States of the United Nations. Invitations will be sent through the Permanent Missions in Geneva and New York. Persons wishing to become part of their national delegation should contact their National Focal Point for the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action and/or the Ministry of External Relations or Foreign Affairs.
See National focal point on PreventionWeb country pages:
https://www.preventionweb.net/english/countries/
Parliamentarians: Members of Parliament are encouraged to register as part of their national delegations.
Local Governments: Local government leaders and representatives who have signed up to the Making Cities Resilient campaign can register, others will need to be registered through their national delegation.
Regional Intergovernmental Organisations
United Nations Specialized Agencies, Programmes and International Financial Institutions: Invitations will be sent to the Head of each UN Partner Agency and Programme, or IFI. These organizations will be invited to nominate relevant technical experts within their Agency. These nominees will then be considered part of the agency’s delegation to the Global Platform.
NGOs and civil society organizations: Selected NGOs, NGO Networks and Civil Society Organizations will receive invitations to attend the fourth session. Invitations will be addressed to the Head of the Organization, who will be in charge of designating an official delegation.
Private sector: Private sector partners are welcome and should contact the UNISDR Private Sector focal point. See:
https://www.unisdr.org/partners/private-sector
Scientific and Academic community: Scientific and Academic organisations should contact the Global Platform coordination office for accreditation. Email:
globalplatform@un.org

Requests for participation by other expert organizations will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Given the nature and purpose of the Global Platform, participation is limited. Only organizations that have demonstrated a strong and continued engagement in disaster risk reduction and implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action, including involvement in UNISDR regional and thematic platforms, and which have wide representation and outreach at international level will be considered.

What should be the size of my delegation?

Countries should check with their National Platform Focal Point and/or Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) Focal Point about the size and composition of the delegation. We strongly encourage the presence of local government and community representatives.

Given the importance and urgency of advancing the implementation of the Hyogo Framework, governments and organizations are encouraged to send high level representatives so as to ensure an interesting exchange and debate during the session as well as a strong and effective follow-up action.

Presenting your DRR project at the Global Platform

Booth in the market place
Ignite stage
Side events

Stay tuned for description and application information on the Global Platform website.

Registration

Online registration for the 2013 Global Platform will open in September 2012.
All participants will be requested to register as part of one of the Global Platform delegations. Delegations include: National Delegations, UN and International Organizations, Regional Intergovernmental Organizations, NGOs, Academia & Research, Private Sector, News & Media, Networks and others.
Electronic pre-registration is a prerequisite for entering the Platform.

On site Registration at the Conference

The registration desk at the conference centre will open at noon on Sunday May 19, 2013 and open on other days from 8.00 a.m. On-site registration requires the presentation of a national passport or national ID card for all participants. A photo badge will be issued on registration and must be worn at all times to gain access to the meeting rooms.

The Global Platform will start at 9.00 a.m. Please ensure that you allow at least 30 min to register before the meeting starts. Early registration and badge pickup on Sunday May 19 and Monday May 20 is strongly encouraged.

Fees

No conference fees will be charged. Participants will need to cover their own lodging and travel expenses.

Venue

The Conference is held at the International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG): Address: 17 rue de Varembe, CH - 1211 Geneve 20, Switzerland. Opening hours: 07:00 to 19:00 daily

Visit http://www.cicg.ch/en/access-map/

Access to the CICG Conference Centre:

From the airport:

The International Conference Centre Geneva is 5 kilometres away from the international airport. Access is facilitated by good public transport services, and free bus tickets are available from a machine in the airport baggage claim area.

Geneva Public Transport website: www.tpg.ch

Public transport from the international airport (bus stop at arrivals level): Bus 5 : Bus stop "Vermont"
Bus 28 : Bus stop "Nations"

Taxis:

Taxis are available at the arrivals level of the airport. They are metered, so costs will vary, but the journey from the airport into the city centre will usually cost around CHF 30. A taxi stand is located on avenue de la Paix, next to the Place des Nations and 200m from the conference centre. Taxis are usually available round the clock.

The following direct telephone number will ensure arrival within minutes: +41 22 331 41 33

Parking:

The Nations Parking lot is accessible from several entry points around the Place des Nations and is 100 metres from the CICG Conference centre.

Hotels and other accommodation in Geneva

Participants are requested to arrange their own hotel bookings for their stay in Geneva, and should contact their Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva or Geneva office for assistance, as required. Early booking and accommodation is advised, as other large events are scheduled to take place in Geneva around the same date.

Special deals:

See special deals on hotels.

Hotels can be found on the following websites:

http://www.bnb.ch
http://www.mandint.org/
http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch
http://www.hotel-les-nations.com
http://www.geneve-central.com/liens.asp?id_rubrique=31
http://www.tbh-ge.ch/en/index.html
http://www.booking.com
http://www.ebookers.ch
http://www.lake-geneva-region.ch/en/Accommodation/Hotels (around Geneva's lake)
http://www.tourisme-rolle.ch/net/Net_Otr.asp?NoOFS=8102&Sty=&NumStr=30 (10-50 kms from Geneva)
http://www.lausanne-tourisme.ch/view.asp?DomID=62865&Language=E (60 kms from Geneva)
http://www.hotel-chavannes.ch/ http://www.citadines.com/ (Ferney-Voltaire Apartments, France)

Additional accommodation may be available in neighbouring France, with good public transport options that will require between 20 and 60 minutes of travel.

Updates, News and Information

News items will be regularly published on the Global Platform homepage.
www.preventionweb.net/globalplatform

You can also follow UNISDR on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/unisdr) or join UNISDR on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/disaster.reduction).

Previous Sessions of the Global Platform

Photos and Videos of previous Global Platform events

Photos from 2011 Global Platform can be downloaded from:
https://www.preventionweb.net/globalplatform/2011/photo-gallery/

Photos can be downloaded and used free of charge on condition that the photo credit is given to UNISDR.

Official logos of UNISDR and the Global Platform

Use of the UNISDR or Global Platform logos requires written authorization from the UNISDR secretariat. Contact: globalplatform@un.org

Press and Media accreditation

The UN Press Corps will be automatically accredited on presentation of their UN badge. Other journalist must provide proof of credentials to receive a badge to attend the meeting.

In order to avoid delays entering the conference, journalists are strongly advised to register in advance.

Visas

Please click on the following link to see if you need a visa to enter Switzerland:
http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm/en/home/dokumentation/rechtsgrundlagen/weisungen_und_k reisschreiben/visa/liste1_staatsangehoerigkeit.html

Please click on the following link for the list of Swiss embassies and consulates abroad. Please consult this list in order to know which Embassy or Consulate General is responsible for handling your visa application in your country of residence. There might be some countries where there is no Swiss representation. In this case, the visa request might have to be lodged in another country where the competent representation is located.

http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps.html

How to obtain a Visa?

By clicking on the link indicated hereafter, you will find all information you might need regarding your visa questions / application for Switzerland, such as:

List of the residence permits issued by Schengen Member States allowing you to enter Switzerland without a visa (as long as traveling with a valid travel document).
Visa application form.
List of travel documents entitling the holder to cross the external borders and which may be endorsed with a visa.

Introduction of the Visa Information System (VIS)

The VIS is used to store the biometric data (10 fingerprints and the facial image) of the applicant applying for a Schengen visa. http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm/en/home/themen/einreise/einfuehrung_vis.html

For more information please see:

http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm/en/home/themen/einreise/merkblatt_einreise.html

If you need a visa to enter Switzerland, it is very important you contact the Swiss embassy or consulate responsible for handling your visa application in your country of residence. The application procedure can take several weeks and up to two months reason for which it is essential you lodge your visa application as soon as possible (maximum 3 months prior to departure). As Switzerland is now part of the Schengen area some persons can travel to other Schengen states but this depends on the type of visa issued. We therefore strongly advise all travelers to check their type of visa before traveling to or transiting through other Schengen states.
You must be a registered conference participant before applying for a visa. No application will be handled prior to registration.
The Swiss embassy or consulate responsible for handling your visa application in your country of residence can, upon request, provide you with a list of necessary documents needed for your visa application.

Non governmental officials:

Upon request and when necessary, the UNISDR Secretariat can provide a written confirmation of registration which the registered participants (non governmental officials) can submit to the respective Swiss representations.

Government Officials:

Official government participants nominated by their respective governments must provide an official verbal note from their Ministry. A written confirmation of registration is in this particular case not necessary. Government delegates may wish to contact their Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva for assistance. Please send all visa support letter requests including a confirmation from your government or National Platform Focal Point about your inclusion into your National Delegation to globalplatform@un.org

Security

Within UN premises or in premises used for UN conferences such as the CICG (International Conference Centre Geneva), security is the responsibility of UNISDR.

Outside these premises, all external security-related issues are the responsibility of the host country, Switzerland.

All arriving heads of state should alert their permanent missions which will take responsibility for their movements including picking them up at the airport, liaising with airport authorities regarding VIP protocol, arranging for their transportation, accommodation and all other related support while they remain in Geneva.

The Swiss Permanent Mission in Geneva must be kept informed of the arrival in Switzerland of all heads of state including dates of arrival which will be passed on to the Swiss by UNISDR on the basis of confirmed registration and attendance.

Internet and electricity

Free wireless Internet access will be available at the CICG conference centre during all opening hours of the Global Platform conference. One hour of free Internet access is also available at the Geneva airport.

Electricity in Switzerland is 230 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. Please note that a plug converter will be necessary. See the diagram of the Swiss outlet below.

Contacts

Queries on Global Platform preparations may be made to:
Ms. Connie Brown - Tel: +41 229178908
Ms. Elena Dokhlik - Tel: +41 229178861
Fax: +41 22 733 9531
globalplatform@un.org