CONFERENCE BULLETIN NO. 1

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. The fifty-ninth session (Phase II) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) will be held at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok, from 1 to 4 September 2003. The Session comprises of meetings of the Plenary session, Committees of the Whole I, II and the Working Group on Draft Resolutions. An exhibition on the theme topic of the 59th session, the work of UNESCAP and its regional projects will be staged in the delegates’ lounges, level 1 and 2, UNCC. In conjunction with the Session, UNESCAP will hold the first session of the Committee on Emerging Social Issues from 4 to 6 September 2003. This Committee is one of the three thematic committees restructured in accordance with the Commission resolution 58/1. The sixth session of the Special Body on Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries, which is mandated to be held prior to the Commission session, will meet for two hours (from 0800-1000 hours) immediately preceding the inauguration of the 59th session (Phase II) on Monday, 1 September 2003.

Registration and Identification Badges

2. Participants are required to register and obtain meeting badges in advance of the opening session. In this connection, registration will be open from 0900 to 1600 hours on Sunday, 31 August 2003, and from 0730 to 0945 hours on Monday 1 September 2003 at the Registration Counter, ground floor, UNCC. The Registration Counter can be reached through telephone numbers 0-2288-1282, 0-2288-1298 or 0-2288-2111; for in-house connection, these are extension nos. 1282, 1298 and 2111. Participants arriving late are requested to contact the Conference Management Unit located on the ground floor, behind the Registration Counter, UNCC.

3. To facilitate the process of registration, a member of a delegation can register on behalf of all members of that delegation. It is, however, essential that full information be provided in the registration cards. Only the names of participants duly registered will be included in the list of participants.

4. For identification and security purposes, all participants including press/mass media correspondents are requested to wear meeting badges at all times while in the conference area, whetehr attending meetings or social functions.

5. For security purposes, participants are expected to follow the relevant security procedures. Participants are requested not to leave any luggage or parcels in the meeting rooms. Items left unattended will be removed and carried to the Security Control Room for safe keeping. Should any participants encounter any security or safety problem, they should immediately notify the nearest security officer on duty or call telephone 1102, which is the Security Control Centre.

6. Meeting badges are issued in the following colours:

List of Participants

7. A provisional list of participants based on information received by the secretariat will be available on the morning of Monday, 1 September 2003. It is, therefore, essential that registration be completed as soon as possible, preferably not later than 1600 hours on 31 August 2003. Names of participants in the provisional list without formal registration will be deleted in the revised list of participants. A final list of participants will be issued on Thursday, 4 September 2003.

8. For matters relating to registration, meeting badges and list of participants, please contact the Conference Management Unit, ground floor, UNCC, telephone numbers 0-2288-1174, 0-2288-2313, and 0-2288-1350.

Inaugural Session

9. The inaugural session will be presided over by H.E. Mr. Korn Dabbaransi, Deputy Prime Minister of the Royal Thai Government at 1000 hours on Monday, 1 September 2003, in the ESCAP Hall, level 2, UNCC. Delegates are kindly requested to be seated by 0945 hours at the latest.

Meeting Hours

10. Subject to the approval of the Commission, the daily meeting hours are scheduled as follows:

Morning session: 0900 to 1200 hours
Afternoon session: 1400 to 1700 hours

Venue for Events

12. Delegations wishing to use UNCC space for matters having direct relevance of the 59th session are requested to contact, in advance, Mr. Chingchai Likitnukul, Chief, Conference Management Unit, Tel: 0-2288-1174 or 0-2288-2313.

Discussion Items

13. Agenda items and other relevant issues are as follows:

Working Hours

14. The normal working hours of UNESCAP are from 0700 to 1600 hours with a lunch break of 45 minutes, Monday through Friday. However, the working hours of the Conference Servicing Secretariat will be from 0700 hours till the completion of the official business of the day.

Conference Secretariat and Services

15. The office of the Executive Secretary is located on the 15th floor of the Secretariat Building, Room No. 1501 (extension 1910). The office of the Deputy Executive Secretary currently the Officer-in-Charge of the Administrative Services Division is also located on the same floor of the Secretariat Building, Room No. 1504 (extension 1911). The Principal Officer and Secretary of the Commission may be contacted at extension 1912. For easy contact of delegates during the Commission session, their offices will be established in the Executive Office Suite located behind the ESCAP Hall.

16. The Administrative Services Division is responsible for the administrative and logistic arrangements of all conference services. The daily conference services are the responsibility of the Chief, Conference Management Unit, ground floor, UNCC, Room No. G090 (extensions 1174 and 2313).

17. The offices of the Language Units (Chinese, French and Russian) which are responsible for providing interpretation and translation services, are located on the 2nd floor, Secretariat Building.

18. The office of the United Nations Information Services and press working area are located in the Press Suite, ground floor, UNCC (extension 2426).

Banking Facilities

19. Foreign currency exchange services are available at the Siam Commercial Bank, United Nations Building Branch, 1st floor, Service Building, from 0830-1530 hours during weekdays. The bank is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Postal Services

20. A full range of postal services is available at the Post Office on the ground floor, UNCC, which is open from 0800-1600 hours during weekdays. Facilities include letter-posting and stamps, facsimile transmission, Internet and international telephone services. Phone cards to be used with public overseas/local phones installed at UNCC can also be purchased at the Post Office.

Communications Facilities

21. Coin- and card-operated public telephones for domestic and international calls are available on level 1 and on the ground floor of the UNCC.

Medical Services

22. First-aid services are available at the First Aid Room, located on the ground floor, next to the Post Office, UNCC, from 0830-1730 hours. Additionally, first aid and medical services are also available at the UN Medical Service, 4th floor, Service Building, from 0730 to 1730 hours during the 59th Session (Phase II). Medical consultations can be held with the ESCAP doctor (extension 1353) or nurse (extension 1352) at the UN Medical Services. An ambulance will be stand-by outside the main entrance of UNCC from 1 to 4 September 2003 for emergency cases.

Catering Services

23. Food and beverage are served at the Delegates’ Dining Room, level 1, UNCC from 1130 to 1400 hours. In addition, a snack bar serving sandwiches, pastries, coffee/tea and soft drinks, located at the Delegates’ Lounge, level 1, UNCC, is open from 0800 to 1730 hours. No outside catering services will be allowed in UNCC.

24. For arrangements of reception and catering services in the UNCC, please contact the Conference Management Unit (extension 2008).

Travel Arrangements

25. A travel counter will be in operation on the ground floor, UNCC, from 0830 to 1730 hours, Monday through Thursday.

Interpretation and Sound System

26. Simultaneous interpretation facilities in Chinese, English, French and Russian languages will be provided at the sessions of Plenary, meetings of the Committees of the Whole I, II and the Working Group on Draft Resolutions. If required, interpretation facilities will be provided for other group meetings/discussions.

Statements of Delegations

27. In order to assist the interpreters and for the preparation of the draft reports and press releases, the secretariat wishes to receive before delivery, the text of all prepared statements by delegations. It would, therefore, be very much appreciated if 14 copies of such statements could be made available to the conference assistants on duty in the conference rooms. Arrangements will also be made for such statements to be collected from the delegations if the names of speakers are known in advance.

28. The secretariat is not in a position to type or reproduce statements made by delegations for circulation. If circulation is required, sufficient copies should be provided by the delegations and handed over to the Documents Distribution Centre.

Documents Distribution

29. The Documents Distribution Centre is located on level 2, UNCC. ESCAP documents
and other papers, including mails and invitation cards, intended for delegates will be placed in the pigeonholes allotted for each delegation.

30. Delegates are requested to bring with them complete sets of meeting documents distributed to their governments/organizations prior to the Commission session, as only a very limited number of copies of such documents will be available at ESCAP. Delegates are invited to visit the home page of ESCAP, http://www.unescap.org, on which the documents are posted under the heading of the 59th session.

31. The Documents Distribution Centre is authorized to distribute only ESCAP official documents. If delegations wish to distribute other papers or literature, they are requested to consult the Secretary of the Commission, before delivering any documents to the Centre for distribution. A minimum of 200 copies is required to ensure distribution to each delegation.

Social Events

32. A separate conference bulletin furnishing information on social events on the basis of
requests received by the secretariat will be issued. Delegations wishing to host receptions, luncheons and dinners are requested to notify Mr. S. Thampi, Principal Officer and Secretary of the Commission as soon as possible with a view to facilitating an orderly programme of social events.