ACCREDITATION AT UN PREMISES
Upon arrival to the UN premises, participants without a UNOG identity badge should proceed to the accreditation office at the “Pregny Gate” security entrance (8-14 Avenue de la Paix) with all the required documentation (e-ticket received after registratration and original passport or ID document). An Accreditation Officer will issue a photo-badge granting access to the conference room in Palais des Nations. Please see a map of UN premises, including of Pregny Gate and room XIX, at the seminar’s registration homepage.
TRANSPORTATION TO PALAIS DES NATIONS
Transport tickets can be purchased at the ticket machines next to the tram / bus stops and can also be bought at the Geneva Transport Office (TPG office on the ground floor of the Gare Cornavin (main train station). The Palais des Nations can be reached by buses and trams. Bus lines 8, 28, F, V and Z stop at "Appia"; bus lines 5 and 11 stop at "Nations"; and tramway 15 stop at terminus "Nations". Maps of the Geneva public transport network are available at the TPG website: http://tpg.ch/
VISA PROCEDURES – IMPORTANT NOTE:
Participants are responsible for making their own arrangements related to travel and accommodation as well as entry visa to Switzerland.
Please apply for your accreditation well in advance if a Swiss visa is required, and consult the respective Swiss Consulate regarding Swiss visa application deadlines and documentation required. If a visa attestation letter is required a letter acknowledging participation to the seminar will be provided upon approval of the online registration request.
The Secretariat of the Seminar does not provide further assistance in this regard and is not in a position to provide letters to the authorities of Switzerland or the European Union for purposes of obtaining a visa.
LANGUAGES
Interpretation will be available in all six UN languages throughout the seminar.
FORMAT OF THE SEMINAR
Participants are encouraged to intervene in an interactive way, through questions, comments and sharing of experiences, good practices and challenges as well as suggested recommendations on the way forward, with a view to stimulating constructive debate. States, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and other observers are also encouraged to include in their respective delegations relevant cultural heritage professionals or other actors involved in protection of cultural heritage.
The seminar will be structured in three main sessions. For each session, 2 to 3 expert panelists will make a short presentation in their field of expertise and suggest concrete implementation strategies, addressing the issues proposed for consideration in the agenda. The remainder of the session will be dedicated to interaction between all participants (limited to 2 minutes per intervention), concluded by 15 minutes for comments and replies by the panelists.
At the end of the morning and of the day, a session will be devoted to compiling possible conclusions and recommendations to be included in the summary report of the seminar, which should be presented at the Human Rights Council’s 37th session. Participants will also be invited to share their ideas on possible follow-up steps that could be taken to implement the Special Rapporteur’s relevant reports, as well as to follow up from the seminar.