INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS AT MEETINGS AT FAO HEADQUARTERS
Conference, Council and Government Relations Branch, CPAC
II. MEETING SESSIONS AND SERVICES
III. FACILITIES AND ADDITIONAL SERVICES
IV. MEDIA AND LIBRARY SERVICES
I. INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION
About FAO Headquarters:
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/information/fao-hq/en/
Transportation: http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/information/travel/en/
Visa:
Participants requiring visas must obtain these from the Italian Consulate or competent Diplomatic Mission in their country before leaving for Rome. Visa applications must be submitted well in advance of departure as it can take up to three weeks for a visa to be issued.
Registration and access to FAO Headquarters:
Access to FAO Headquarters is restricted to delegates accredited to the FAO Conference in possession of a valid Conference Building Pass.
A link to the on-line registration system is available on the FAO Members Gateway. Conference Building Passes will be ready for collection as of Monday 26 June 2017 at 10.00 from the External Registration Centre (located at the entrance on Viale Aventino close to the Metro station), which requires access through screening revolving doors. Permanent Representations are strongly advised to precollect Conference badges ahead of the start of the Conference.
From Monday 3 to Saturday 8 July, pre-registered participants are requested to collect the Conference Building Pass at the External Registration Centre. In order to avoid long queues, in particular on Monday 3 July which foresees the start of the Plenary meeting at 09.00 sharp, Registration will be open from 07.30 and access to FAO premises should take place prior to 08.30. Please note, pre-registered participants will be given priority consideration.
Delegates (including Ministers) who are in possession of a Conference Building Pass, and are entering by car, are requested to access the FAO site through Ramp 1 and the Main Entrance of Building A no later than 08.30 on Monday 3 July. Due to limited parking space inside FAO premises, no additional parking permits other than the three already issued to delegations will be provided. Parking will be on a “first-come, first served” basis.
Loss of building passes should be reported without delay to the FAO Security Office.
Security
The FAO Security Office operates from 08.30 to 17.30 hours from Room B062 (extension 54720/53114 - email: [email protected]); after 17.30 hours the Security Guards in Building A (extension 53145, 06-570-53145 from outside FAO Headquarters) should be contacted. The Security Office:
- receives official telephone calls requiring action after normal working hours;
- assists in locating and notifying the Organization’s senior officials in an emergency;
- liaises with national security representatives regarding security arrangements for dignitaries;
- liaises with local authorities whenever outside emergency assistance is required, e.g. ambulance, medical, police;
- handles lost and found properties.
Strict security measures are observed at FAO Headquarters. Metal detectors are in operation at the Building A entrance and participants are requested to wear their building passes at all times.
Participants are advised not to leave briefcases or any valuable items unattended in conference rooms.
Should participants smell smoke or should there be the slightest sign of a fire or any other danger, they should call extension 33 immediately.
Emergency Telephone Numbers in Rome:
The following numbers may be useful in case of emergency outside FAO Headquarters:
- Medical Emergencies 118
- General Emergencies 112
- Fire 115
- City Physician On Call (Guardia Medica) 06-570-600
II. MEETING SESSIONS AND SERVICES
Duration of Meetings
Morning meetings are normally scheduled from 09.30 to 12.30 hours, and afternoon meetings from 14.30 to 17.30 hours, or later if required. The Daily Journal provides updated information on the schedule of the meetings.
It is essential that meetings start on time and that the schedule be respected. Delegates are urged to arrive in good time.
The ring tone of mobile phones should be silenced during meetings.
Languages used in Meetings:
The languages of the Organization are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish and simultaneous interpretation is provided in these languages during Sessions of Conference and Council.
List of Speakers during Conference:
Requests for speaking time during the General Debate in Plenary, under the item on the “Review of the State of Food and Agriculture”, are made through the password-protected area of the FAO Members Gateway. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis.
Delegates are advised that statements should strictly be no longer than 5 minutes for Heads of Delegation and 4 minutes for observers. To facilitate time keeping, a light system installed on the lectern indicates when the time limit has been reached.
To ensure accurate interpretation, delegations are kindly requested to submit the electronic version of their statement (preferably in WORD format) to: [email protected] at least one hour before delivery. The name of the country and speaker should be indicated at the top of the first page in one of the following languages: English, French or Spanish. Those unable to use e-mail for this purpose are kindly requested to hand in a printed copy of written statements to Room A-274, (tel. 06-570-54503) as soon as possible.
Plenary Meetings during Conference Sessions:
At its first Plenary meeting, the Conference elects its Chairperson and three Vice-Chairpersons, appoints the seven members of the General Committee and the nine members of the Credentials Committee. These appointments are followed by the McDougall Memorial Lecture. This meeting includes the Director-General’s Statement to the Conference on the work of the Organization, followed by the Statement of the Independent Chairperson of the Council. The Plenary meeting then adjourns to enable the General Committee to hold its first meeting.
At its second Plenary meeting in the afternoon the Conference, acting on the first report of the General Committee, adopts the Agenda, establishes the Commissions and deals with the admission of observers and other procedural matters. It also adopts the first report of the Credentials Committee. As applicable, a vote on the admission of new Member(s) take place and is followed by the ceremony of admission.
The General Debate by Heads of Delegation under the item “Review of the State of Food and Agriculture”, takes place from the Monday to the Wednesday Plenary meetings. Friday morning is set aside for the vote on the Programme of Work and Budget, the election of the Independent Chairperson and Members of the Council.
The remaining Plenary meetings are used to conclude other items on the Agenda and to adopt the report of the Conference.
Meetings of Commission I and Commission II during Conference Sessions:
As the Plenary proceeds with its work, Commission I and Commission II are also in session. Each of these Commissions has its own Chairperson, two Vice-Chairpersons, Drafting Committee and Secretariat.
The Commissions commence on Monday afternoon, and adopt their reports in Commission on Thursday. Their Reports are then forwarded to Plenary for final adoption on the last day of the Conference.
Korean Conference Service Centre (Documents Desk):
Documents are printed in a very limited number to minimize the environmental impact of FAO's processes and contribute to climate neutrality. Participants may make use of the “Print-on-demand” service, if required, at the Documents Desk (1st Floor, Building A). Documents also bear a QR code and can be downloaded at www.fao.org/about/meetings/conference/c2017/documents/en/.
Journal of the Conference and Order of the Day of the Council
During Sessions of Conference and Council a daily programme of meetings, events and announcements is presented in the form of the Journal during Conference Sessions, and Order of the Day during the Council. Copies are available on the FAO Website or at the Print-on-demand service at the Documents Desk.
Verbatim Records of Meetings:
Verbatim Records are produced for all sessions of plenary deliberations during sessions of Conference and Council.
Copies of interventions delivered in Arabic are transcribed in either English or French, those delivered in Chinese and Russian are transcribed in English.
Verbatim Records are made available at the Documents Desk (located in front of the Green and Red Rooms) in English, French and Spanish within 24 hours of completion of a meeting and are posted on the FAO Members Gateway.
Corrections may be submitted by delegates by sending an email to
[email protected].
Corrections appear on the web version of the texts, and are subsequently incorporated into the final, printed Verbatim Records within one month of the conclusion of the sessions.
Meeting Rooms for Delegates
Upon request, Conference and Council delegates may reserve meeting rooms for discussions with other meeting participants on an hourly basis.
Delegates are requested to consult the "Announcements" document regarding procedures to follow to reserve such rooms. Meeting Rooms need to be booked well in advance. Should interpretation be required the cost is charged to the user.
Side Events during Conference
A number of side events will take place during the Conference. The updated list of side events is available at:
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/conference/c2017/side-events/en/
III. FACILITIES AND ADDITIONAL SERVICES
Cloakroom
During Sessions of the Conference and Council a cloakroom is available for use by Participants in the main entrance of Building A (opposite side of the Turkish Lounge).
Slovak Delegates' Lounge
The Slovak Delegates’ Lounge is a dedicated area at the disposal of Permanent Representatives and Delegates attending main meetings. The room, located on the Ground Floor of Building B (B013), extensions 57091/57107 (Tel. 06-570-57091 or 06-570-57107), is a multi-functional workspace equipped with phones, ten PC facilities and three CCTV monitors to allow the proceedings of meetings in the Red Room, Green Room and Plenary Hall. It comprises a reception area, Internet workstations, a lounge area and a small meeting room. A staff member will be present to assist Permanent Representatives.
Estonian Contact Center
The Estonian Contact Centre (ECC), is located on the Ground Floor of Building B at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Iran Room (B016). The ECC has two videophones equipped with Skype technology to enable free video calls to be made anywhere in the world.
Lounges
Participants may use the following Lounges:
- Third Floor, Building A: Japan Lounge (area to the right of the Plenary Hall); Caribbean lounge (area to the left of the Plenary Hall); Belgian Lounge (area in front of the Plenary Hall).
- First Floor, Building A: Nordic Lounge (area between the Red and Green Rooms).
Catering Facilities
The FAO Headquarters offers the following dining and snack bar facilities:
- Ground Floor
- Building A – Polish Bar: from 7:30 hours until end of the daily session
- Building D – Bar D: from 7:30 to 17:30 hours
- 8th Floor - Terrace
- Building B – Cafeteria: from 12.00 to 14.30 hours
- Building C – Restaurant: from 12:00 to 14:30 hours (reservation recommended 24 hours in advance: tel. 06-570-56823)
- Building C – Open Buffet: from 12:00 to 14:30 hours (tel. 06-570-56823)
- Building C – Blue Bar: from 8:30 to 17:00 hours
- Building B – Bar B: from 8:30 to 17:00 hours
Payment accepted only in Euros. ATM (Bancomat) and credit cards are accepted at the Cafeteria, Restaurant, Open Buffet, Polish Bar, Blue Bar and Bar D.
Vending machines and water dispensers are available in various locations throughout the building.
There are also a variety of restaurants and cafés located close to FAO on Viale Aventino.
Telephone
The telephone number of FAO Headquarters is (+39)06-570 + extension. If the extension is not known, dial (+39)06-570-51 for the FAO switchboard operator.
Telephones are available in all meeting rooms and lounges and may be used for internal calls by dialling directly the required extension.
WiFi Coverage
WiFi coverage is available in all Meeting Rooms, the Atrium and in the catering facilities.
Select: Username: "guest_internet" Password: wifi2internet
FAO is not in a position to provide technical support if problems arise when connecting to, or using, the wireless internet service.
Medical Services
The FAO Health Services provides emergency medical assistance in FAO to participants at meetings. For medical emergencies, dial 30 from in-house telephones or 06-570-53400 from outside FAO Headquarters.
For any medical services, participants may call the reception extension 53577 from in-house telephones (06-570-53577 from outside FAO Headquarters). They may also go directly to the FAO Health Services (1st Floor, Building B) during the working hours of the Conference.
For urgent medical assistance outside working hours, participants should call 118 or Guardia Medica/Doctors-on-Call on 06-570-600.
Travel Facilities (Flight Reservations/Confirmations and Hotel Bookings)
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) is the official travel agency of FAO and handles flight reservations/reconfirmations and hotel bookings. Their offices, located on the Ground Floor of Building D (Room D074), are open from Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 17.00 hours. During the Conference, the office will be open also on Saturday 8 July, from 9.00 to 17.00 hours.
For further information, participants may contact CWT on extension 55970 (or 06-570-55970 from outside FAO) or by e-mail at [email protected] or [email protected]. For emergency requirements outside business hours, CWT offers a 24 Hour Emergency Service dedicated to providing traveler assistance (Tel: from all countries +39 06-82075812).
The travel agent can change or modify tickets and flight reservations made through their office. Tickets booked by any other travel agent must be changed or modified through the travel agent which made the booking, or directly with the airline/service provider concerned. During standard working hours, however, CWT will assist travelers to contact the airlines to amend tickets issued by other agencies. The Secretariat is not in a position to make travel arrangements for Conference participants.
Car rental can also be arranged by Carlson Wagonlit Travel.
FAO Brand Centre
The FAO Brand Centre is located in front of the Banca Intesa San Paolo (Ground Floor, Building B) and is open Monday to Friday from 09.30 to 16.30 hours. FAO Brand items can be purchased here.
Newsstand
The Newsstand, located on the ground floor of Building B in front of the Banca Intesa San Paolo, sells international newspapers and magazines, as well as postcards, maps, and a large selection of periodicals. The Newsstand is open from 07.00 to 17.30 hours. For more information, dial extension 53273 (Tel. 06-570-53273).
Bookshop
The Food for Thought Bookshop, located on the Ground Floor of Building B next to the Newsstand, offers a selection of English, French and Spanish language books, gift stationery, gift wrapping paper and greeting cards. The Bookshop is open from 08.30 to 17.00 hours. For more information, dial extension 53127 (Tel. 06-570-53127).
IV. MEDIA AND LIBRARY SERVICES
Media Working Arrangements, Briefings and Inquiries
For media accreditation, journalists should contact the Media Relations Branch (OCCM) by email ([email protected]) or phone (+39 06-570-53625). Working space for a limited number of media representatives covering meetings at FAO Headquarters is available in the UEMOA meeting room, ground floor of Building A (A018). The room is equipped with wireless Internet access, a limited number of computers and teleconference facilities for use by visiting journalists upon advance request. The FAO Video Unit has a library of broadcast quality video material available for use by journalists, and a radio studio is available for use by visiting journalists by prior arrangement. All inquiries concerning media arrangements should be addressed to:
Chief, Media Relations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome
Italy
Tel: (+39)06-570-53105
Fax: (+39)06-570-53729
The David Lubin Memorial Library
The David Lubin Memorial Library is located on the Ground Floor of Building A. Officially opened in 1952, the library is named after David Lubin: in recognition of the foresight, leadership, and outstanding contribution of David Lubin to international co-operation in the field of agriculture. (Report of the Conference of FAO: Special Session, Washington, 3-11 November 1950)
The library collection contains over one million and half volumes. It includes all FAO publications and technical/field documents from 1945 to date, together with an extensive collection of non-FAO books, reports, journals and databases on all subjects covered by FAO. The collection is searchable through the library's online public catalogue. For information on current subscriptions on e-journals and bibliographic databases, please visit the library's website.
The library offers reference and information services to FAO staff as well as external visitors. Delegates to FAO Conference, Council and Technical Committees are welcome to use the library services and may also request a tour. The library is open from Monday to Friday from 8.30 to 17.00 hours.
Contact the library in person or via email at: [email protected].
Keep up with what’s new:
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