INFORMATION CIRCULAR NO. 2 30 April 2002
WORLD FOOD SUMMIT: five years later (10-13 June 2002)
FAO HEADQUARTERS
ROME, ITALY
INFORMATION ON ARRANGEMENTS BEFORE AND DURING THE SESSION
[This Information Circular will not be reissued in toto before the World Food Summit: five years later. It will, however, be supplemented by updates. In addition to being distributed through normal channels, this Circular and any future updates will appear on the FAO Website (www.fao.org)]
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I. INTRODUCTION, DATES AND VENUE
1. The Hundred and Nineteenth Session of the FAO Council (Rome, 20-25 November 2000) supported the principle, the objective and the general orientation of the Director-General’s proposal to use the Thirty-first Session of the FAO Conference as a forum for a review of progress in the implementation of the World Food Summit Plan of Action, five years after the Summit, and to invite members of the United Nations, or of the Specialized Agencies or the International Atomic Energy Agency, who had been invited to the World Food Summit, to attend the FAO Conference for this purpose.
2. In the wake of the international political situation, the FAO Council, consulted by the Director-General, agreed to reschedule the World Food Summit: five years later. The new dates are 10-13 June 2002 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.
3. The World Food Summit: five years later is seen as an opportunity to seek a major commitment from world leaders to press forward with renewed will to reduce the number of hungry people in the world. Heads of State or Government have therefore been invited to head their country delegations to this event.
II. INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS
PARTICIPATION OF HEADS OF STATE, HEADS OF GOVERNMENT AND HEADS OF DELEGATION
4. It is important that the FAO Secretariat be informed of expected attendance for the World Food Summit: five years later in order to prepare adequately for the event. Governments, through their Permanent Representations or Embassies, are therefore asked to inform the:
Director Conference, Council and Protocol Affairs Division FAO Headquarters Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00100 Rome, Italy as soon as possible of the attendance of Heads of State, Heads of Government and other Heads of Delegation, as well as Members of Delegations, by duly completing and forwarding Appendix A. Observer Organizations (United Nations and other IGOs) should duly complete and forward Appendix B.
PROGRAMME
5. As decided by the Hundred and Twentieth Session of the FAO Council (Rome, 18-23 June 2001), the format of the World Food Summit: five years later will provide for sequential statements by Heads of State or Government in the Plenary Hall from 10 to 13 June 2002. 2
6. In addition to the delivery of statements in the Plenary Hall, Heads of country delegations will be invited to attend one of the three Round Tables that will be scheduled on Tuesday, 11 June (morning and afternoon) and Wednesday, 12 June 2002 (morning) with one overarching theme: "The World Food Summit Plan of Action: results achieved, obstacles met and means of overcoming them".
7. A Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue will also be held on the afternoon of 12 June 2002 with voluntary attendance by country delegations. Informal consultations are underway with regard to the format of this event. Further information will be provided shortly on detailed arrangements to be proposed.
8. The Provisional Programme of Work and the Tentative Timetable for the World Food Summit: five years later are attached as Appendix C and Appendix D, respectively.
RESERVATION OF SPEAKING TIME
9. Because of the limited availability of speaking time, and taking into account the large number of participants who would wish to address Plenary meetings, speaking time for Heads of Country Delegations will be limited to seven minutes, with an average of 25 speaking slots for each three-hour Plenary meeting. Speaking time for Observers will be limited to four minutes. Furthermore, based on the experience gained during the World Food Summit, evening meetings of Plenary are expected to be scheduled to ensure extensive participation and also to enable speakers to plan their presence in Rome as conveniently as possible.
10. The above arrangements do not preclude the distribution of more extensive texts by the speakers. Such texts would need to be handed over to the Secretariat in sufficient quantities in the language of intervention and other languages for distribution to delegates, as well as posting on the World Food Summit: five years later Website.
11. Governments and Observers are invited to provide the Director, Conference, Council and Protocol Affairs Division as soon as possible with an indication of the day on which the Head of State or Government or the Head of Delegation wishes to address the World Food Summit: five years later. Appendix E to this Circular should have been duly completed by Governments to reserve Speaking Time for Heads of State, Heads of Government or other Heads of Delegation, and forwarded by 30 April 2002. Governments that have not already done so are invited to submit Appendix E as a matter of urgency to:
Director Conference, Council and Protocol Affairs Division FAO Headquarters Fax: +3906-57056099
12. Depending on the availability of time, representatives of intergovernmental organizations will also address the plenary meeting of the World Food Summit: five years later. Each statement should be of a duration of no more than four minutes. Non-governmental organizations are encouraged to form caucuses and to designate ten representatives to make an oral statement of no more than four minutes duration. 3
SCHEDULING OF SPEAKING TIME
13. In accordance with the proposal of the Committee on World Food Security endorsed by the FAO Council1 and in accordance with the established practice of UN Bodies (i.e., the Millennium Summit) priority will be accorded, in establishing the List of Speakers, as follows:
• Heads of State • Vice-Presidents and Heads of Government (including Chairman of European Commission) • Crown Princes/Princesses • Ministers • Permanent Representatives • Observers (UN bodies and other categories of observers)
In the event that the level of a statement were to be subsequently changed, the speaker would be moved to the next available speaking slot in the appropriate category.
14. Delegations are advised that everything possible will be done to accommodate requests for Speaking Time on a particular day and at a particular time, compatibly with the general principles outlined above.
ATTENDANCE AT ROUND TABLES
15. In addition to the delivery of statements in the Plenary Hall, Heads of country delegations will be invited to attend one of the three Round Tables that will be scheduled on two consecutive days: Tuesday, 11 June (morning and afternoon) and Wednesday, 12 June (morning). Each of these Round Tables will have one overarching theme: "The World Food Summit Plan of Action - results achieved, obstacles met and means of overcoming them".
16. Each country delegation or FAO Member Organization can be represented by the Head of Delegation (or the Head of the Executive Body) on one of the three Round Tables of his/her choice. He/she may be accompanied by one adviser to the sole Round Table selected.
17. Each Round Table shall have two Co-Chairs, for a cumulative total of six Co-Chairs. The selection of six Co-Chairs will be decided by the World Food Summit: five years later on the basis of consultations among States.
18. The Round Tables will have a duration of some three hours.
19. As the Round Tables will not be attended by observers or the media, the six Co-Chairs will subsequently report to the Plenary on the conclusions reached in their respective Round Tables. A Press Conference may also be held at which the Co-Chairs will be able to present their conclusions.
20. To reserve attendance in the Round Tables, Appendix F should have been duly completed by Governments and forwarded by 30 April 2002.
1 CFS 27/ REP, paras 30, 36, 37; CFS 2001/5; CL 120/REP, paras 46 and 65; CL 121/REP, paras 8-17. 4
21. Country delegations who have not already done so are invited to submit Appendix F as a matter of urgency to:
Director Conference, Council and Protocol Affairs Division FAO Headquarters Fax: +3906-57056099
PREPARATORY MEETINGS
22. As was the case for the World Food Summit in 1996, FAO’s Committee on World Food Security has played a crucial role in the preparation of the World Food Summit: five years later.
23. The Twenty-seventh Session of the Committee on World Food Security (Rome, 28 May – 1 June 2001), discussed the World Food Summit: five years later as part of its agenda, and made several recommendations to the Hundred and Twentieth Session of the Council regarding the arrangements that should be made for it. The same Session of the Committee on World Food Security recommended that a Working Group, open to all countries invited to the World Food Summit: five years later be established by the Council to undertake negotiations on the Resolution at its June Session, and that the elements identified by the Bureau for the Resolution be transmitted to this Working Group.
24. At its final meeting, the Hundred and Twentieth Session of the Council (Rome, 18-23 June 2001) received a report from the Co-Chairs of the Open-Ended Working Group. The Council noted that the draft proposal for the Resolution to be adopted by the World Food Summit: five years later at the Thirty-first Session of the Conference of FAO formulated by the Group, although not final, represented considerable progress towards an agreed outcome for the World Food Summit: five years later. Expressing appreciation for the constructive work of the Open-Ended Working Group, the Council decided to reconvene it at its Hundred and Twenty-first Session (Rome, 30 October – 1 November 2001) for final consideration of the proposal.
25. As already noted, the events of late 2001 led to the postponement of the World Food Summit: five years later. In view of the need to hold the Summit at the earliest feasible date in 2002, to keep costs to a minimum, and to maintain the principle of taking advantage of already budgeted meetings, the World Food Summit: five years later will now be convened in conjunction with the Twenty-eighth Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). Originally scheduled to take place in September 2002, the Session will be brought forward to 6 to 8 June 2002. The CFS will consider two main items related to the Summit itself - the Assessment of the World Food Security Situation and the Report on Progress in Implementing the World Food Summit Plan of Action. In this way, the World Food Summit: five years later will be able to benefit from the results of the first full cycle of reporting by the CFS on the implementation of the World Food Summit Plan of Action.
26. At its Hundred and Twenty-first Session in October/November 2001, the Council had decided not to reconvene the Open-Ended Working Group but to delegate to the CFS at its meeting in June, the responsibility for reconvening the Group on its behalf. The CFS would, in turn, receive and forward to the Summit the outcome of the reconvened session of the Open-Ended Working Group. 5
27. The negotiated outcome, which is expected to be a declaration of recommitment to the World Food Summit Goals and to the actions that are required to achieve them, would represent the principal outcome of the Summit.
28. As a means of ensuring the fullest possible contribution of the FAO Regional Conferences to the CFS debate, the Regional Conferences taking place in the first half of 2002 have been asked to address regional dimensions in the run-up of the World Food Summit: five years later. Regional NGO/Civil Society Organization Consultations have also been held in conjunction with, and reporting to the Regional Conferences.
29. There will be no re-opening of debate on the Rome Declaration and the Plan of Action. The purpose of bringing Heads of State or Government together is to provide additional impetus, support and follow-up to ensure the fulfilment of the undertakings contained in those documents.
III. ARRANGEMENTS BEFORE THE SESSION
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
30. The Rome-based “Associazione Provinciale Romana Albergatori (APRA)” is responsible for hotel reservations and through its operational arm ( Promoroma Hotel Service S.r.L.) will deal with requests received from participants to the World Food Summit: five years later. A Reservation Centre has been established at the FAO Headquarters, Room A-119 and can be contacted for information (telephone numbers +39-06 570 53317 or +39-06 570 53319; fax number +39-06 570 53321; e-mail: [email protected]).
31. A comprehensive list of hotels members of APRA with an indication of the category is attached as Appendix G. Participants wishing to avail themselves of the services of APRA/Promoroma Hotel Service S.r.L. should address their requests for hotel accommodation by completing the Hotel Reservation Form attached as Appendix H and return it to:
APRA / Promoroma Hotel Service S.r.L. - Hotel Reservation Centre – Room A-119 C/o Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00100 Rome, Italy or fax it to the number indicated in paragraph 30 above.
32. It is to be noted that “APRA/Promoroma Hotel Service S.r.L.” is a private agency with which arrangements have been made to facilitate hotel reservations and contractual arrangements between participants to the World Food Summit: five years later and the hotels. The responsibility for any such arrangements made through this agency remains with individual delegations. 6
AIRLINE DISCOUNTS
33. A number of airlines have agreed to support the World Food Summit: five years later by providing discounts on airfares to participants. Appendix I contains an initial list of airlines that will be providing these discounts. Participants wishing to avail themselves of discounted airfares should contact the airlines directly.
SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS
34. The Government of Italy has declared the World Food Summit: five years later to be a “special event”. Appropriate measures will accordingly be adopted by the Italian authorities to ensure the successful conduct of the World Food Summit: five years later.
35. The Italian authorities will provide security to all Heads of State or Government throughout their stay in the city of Rome, from the time of their arrival until their departure. Specific requests for individual security requirements should be directed to the Chief, Security Services Branch (AFSS), Fax No.: +3906-57055156 as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements may be made.
36. Security at the FAO Headquarters Complex will be extremely tight in the period prior to, during and immediately after the World Food Summit: five years later. Access will be prohibited to any individual not in possession of a valid World Food Summit: five years later Building Pass. These Building Passes will be issued as part of the World Food Summit: five years later registration procedures (see paragraphs 46 to 50 below). Metal detectors will be in operation at all entrances to the FAO Headquarters Complex. Access to certain areas within the Complex will also be restricted.
37. Parking on the grounds of FAO will be strictly forbidden during the World Food Summit: five years later. Convenient parking facilities will be provided by the Comune di Roma for official convoys of country delegations and other participants.
38. There will be five entrances to the FAO Headquarters Complex during the World Food Summit: five years later:
a) Ceremonial Entrance (at front of Building A) for Heads of Delegation and up to two members of their delegations, Heads of UN Organizations and IGOs, and Special Guests.
b) Atrium Entrance for members of delegations from Governments, UN Organizations and from IGOs, and FAO staff.
c) Building D Entrance (gate on Viale Aventino) for NGOs representatives.
d) Building E Entrance (access through gate near AGIP petrol station) for accredited journalists.
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e) Building B Entrance (Ex-Commissary) for FAO staff members and contractors’ staff (access through any entry point to the FAO Complex).
PORT OF ENTRY ARRANGEMENTS
39. Attention is drawn to the strict provisions in force regarding entry into Italy, including the refusal of entry to persons not having the required visas. Participants requiring entry visas must obtain these from the Italian Consulate or Diplomatic Mission in their country before leaving for Rome. It should be noted that, since Italy’s adherence to the Schengen Agreement, the issuance of an entry visa may require up to three weeks. Those participants travelling from a country where there is no Italian Consulate or Diplomatic Mission may obtain a visa on arrival in Rome provided that they advise the FAO Protocol Branch, Rome (by Fax No.: +3906-57056099) of their arrival. In these cases, participants must provide their full name, date and place of birth, nationality and passport number, as well as their flight number and arrival date. This information must reach FAO at least three weeks before the arrival of participants to permit the Protocol Branch to request the issue of an entry visa at Rome Airport or other point of entry into Italy. Participants failing to comply with the above will not be allowed by the Italian authorities to enter Italy.
AIRPORTS
40. Delegations arriving in Rome by special flight will land at Ciampino Military Airport; those arriving by commercial flight will land at Fiumicino. Special flights unable to land at Ciampino for technical reasons will also go to Fiumicino.
Ciampino
41. Delegations arriving at Ciampino Military Airport will be met by a representative of the Italian Government, a representative of the Director-General, and the relevant military authorities.
42. The Embassies will see to the collection and transfer of the delegations’ baggage, and should procure the necessary authorizations from airport authorities according to normal procedures. There will be special parking facilities at the airports. Transportation of delegates from the airport will be by shuttle buses made available by the Italian Government to selected hotels or by vehicles made available by respective Embassies.
Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino)
43. Delegations arriving at Fiumicino Airport will be met in the same manner as for Ciampino. Immigration formalities for Heads of State or Government and their immediate entourage will be facilitated.
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44. Embassies will see to baggage recovery and transfer, and should procure the necessary authorizations from airport authorities according to normal procedures. Transportation of delegates from the airport will also be by shuttle buses made available by the Italian Government to selected hotels or by vehicles made available by the respective Embassies.
LANGUAGES OF PROCEEDINGS
45. Proceedings will be conducted in Arabic, Chinese, English, French and Spanish. If speakers wish to make statements in a language other than these, the delegation in question must provide a text in one of such languages for the Secretariat. The text will be taken as the official statement, and it will be translated into the other language by the interpreters. The delegation concerned should also make available to the Interpretation Group (Room A-273E) a person who knows both the language in which the statement is to be delivered and the FAO language into which it has been translated in order to guide the interpreter through the translated text and ensure synchronization between the speaker and the interpreter. Advance notice of these arrangements should be given to:
Director Conference, Council and Protocol Affairs Division FAO Headquarters Fax: +3906-57056099
IV. ARRANGEMENTS DURING THE SESSION
REGISTRATION
46. The registration of participants will be processed only after receipt of completed Registration Forms. The forms, duly-compiled and with a recent passport-size photograph attached, were due at FAO by 30 April 2002, together with the credentials from the Government authority, the Head of the Executive Body of the FAO Member Organization concerned or a formal written communication from the organization that designates the participant(s). The forms are available in Appendix A.
47. The forms will be the basis for the preparation of a World Food Summit: five years later Building Pass with a photograph permitting access to FAO Headquarters. All participants who have not yet submitted their registration forms are requested to do so as soon as possible.
48. The individual passes will be available for collection at the Registration Centre in the Fiera di Roma, Padiglione 32, Piazza Rufino (Via Cristoforo Colombo, 287) upon presentation of a valid identity document. The Centre will be operational from 3 to 13 June 2002, including all day Saturday, 8 and Sunday, 9 June 2002.
49. Delegates should ensure that they register at the Centre and collect their passes between 3 and 9 June 2002 in order to avoid queues on the first day of the World Food Summit: five years later.
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50. A Call Centre for information to participants will be functional as of 3 June 2002. Telephone, fax and e-mail contacts will be communicated in due course. In the meantime, questions and information request may be addressed to the following facsimile number at FAO Headquarters Fax No.: +3906-57056099.
UN/IGO ACCREDITATION
51. Representatives of UN/IGOs are requested to duly complete and forward Appendix B. Paragraphs 47 to 50 also apply for representatives of UN/IGOs.
NGO/CSO ACCREDITATION
52. A copy of the form for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society organizations to apply for accreditation is attached as Appendix J. It is also available on FAO’s NGO/CSO Website, along with an Information Note covering all aspects of NGO/CSO participation in the World Food Summit: five years later.
53. Arrangements for the attendance of NGOs/CSOs at World Food Summit: five years later are based on the precedent established for the World Food Summit in 1996. NGOs that have formal relations with FAO may be invited. Other NGOs/CSOs may be invited provided that they meet one or more of the following criteria:
(i) knowledge/experience in areas related to food security and agricultural development;
(ii) experience in policy advocacy and public information related to food and agricultural development issues;
(iii) normative/operational cooperation with FAO in areas of work related to food security and agricultural development;
(iv) participation in World Food Summit: five years later preparatory activities.
54. Official invitations to the World Food Summit: five years later will be issued upon FAO acceptance of applications for accreditation from NGOs/CSOs.
55. For reasons of space, it will not be possible to accredit all of the organizations which apply.
56. Representatives of NGOs and other civil society organizations are advised that paragraphs 47 to 50 also apply to them.
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MEDIA ACCREDITATION
57. A copy of the form for representatives of the mass media to apply for accreditation to cover the World Food Summit: five years later is attached as Appendix K and is also available on the World Food Summit: five years later Website.
58. Application for accreditation must be received and verified at FAO Headquarters in order for representatives of the mass media to be eligible to receive a Media Pass.
59. It should be noted that because of limited space, only holders of Media Passes will be admitted to the media working areas and to Press Conferences and Media Briefings during the World Food Summit: five years later. It is therefore recommended that journalists travelling with delegations should be accredited as journalists rather than as delegates. Dual accreditation will not be accepted.
60. Representatives from the media are advised that paragraphs 47 to 50 also apply to them.
ACCESS TO FAO PREMISES
61. As stated above, access to the FAO premises will be restricted to those who have been issued a World Food Summit: five years later Building Pass. Access to certain areas within the premises will be subject to issuance of additional “floating” passes. Governments are informed of the limited seating capacity of the Plenary Hall, allowing only three seats per country delegation and limited seating for observer delegations. Closed-circuit television is expected to be provided for the benefit of delegation members not seated in the Plenary Hall.
MEETING ROOMS FOR HEADS OF DELEGATION
62. A limited number of meeting rooms will be available for bilateral or multilateral meetings during the World Food Summit: five years later. Because of the large number of requests for these meeting rooms, delegations will appreciate the difficulties involved in satisfying all requests. It may be possible, however, to reserve meeting rooms for two to three hour segments of time throughout the course of any given day.
63. To reserve meeting rooms, countries are invited to complete the Reservation of Small Meeting Room form (attached as Appendix L) and to send it to:
Director Conference, Council and Protocol Affairs Division FAO Headquarters Fax: +3906-57056099
OTHER REQUESTS FOR FACILITIES
64. The security and catering services at FAO Heaquarters will be working at full capacity to accommodate the many events scheduled on FAO premises during the World Food Summit: 11 five years later. Delegations are therefore kindly advised that the use of FAO facilities for receptions, cocktails or similar events will not be possible.
TRANSPORT
65. It is expected that the Government of Italy will provide a shuttle service from Fiumicino and Ciampino Airports to certain drop-off locations in the downtown area of the city. Additional shuttle services will be available from certain locations in the downtown area and from the Fiera di Roma Registration Centre to the FAO Headquarters Complex. Details will be provided through updates once available.
66. Arrangements are underway with the Government of Italy to make available means of transport to country delegations. Details will be provided through updates as soon as possible.
MEDIA BRIEFINGS
67. Throughout the World Food Summit: five years later it will be possible for individual countries or groups of countries to hold Media Briefings. Because of anticipated demand, and in line with practice at the United Nations, thirty-minute briefing periods will be offered.
68. Applications for a briefing slot should specify the preferred day, and whether morning or afternoon. Simultaneous interpretation in official languages plus Italian may be arranged if the situation permits. The cost of interpretation will be charged to the user, as follows:
two languages - US$ 800 each; three or more languages - US$ 1 600 each.
Every effort will be made to accommodate requests and arrange for interpretation, if required.
69. Booking requests, specifying interpretation needs, should be sent to:
Director Conference, Council and Protocol Affairs Division FAO Headquarters Fax: +3906-57056099
SIDE EVENTS
70. In addition to the events scheduled under the Programme of Work, there will be a series of side events open to all delegations during the World Food Summit: five years later. The first such side event to be scheduled is:
• A half-day panel discussion followed by open dialogue on Rural women: crucial partners in the fight against hunger, convened with the support of the Government of Sweden, on 12 June 2002 (morning) in the Green Room.
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71. Other events will be announced in the near future, when plans for their conduct and their scheduling are completed.
PARALLEL EVENTS
72. A Host Committee of Italian NGOs working with the International NGOs/CSOs Planning Committee established to facilitate the participation of civil society in the World Food Summit: five years later, is planning an NGO Forum, to take place at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Rome from 8 to 13 June 2002. Information on the programme can be obtained from the organizers of this event at their website (www.forumfoodsovereignty.org) or at the following address: NGO Forum for Food Sovereignty, Viale Angelo di Pietro 21, 00165 Rome, Italy. Telephone: +3906-3977758.
73. A Parliamentarians’ Day will take place at the Palazzo Madama, the seat of the Italian Senate, on Tuesday, 11 June 2002, with the participation of parliamentarians who are members of national delegations, and hosted by the Italian Parliament with the collaboration of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
74. A Private Sector Forum organized by the Consiglio Nazionale dell’ Economia e del Lavoro (CNEL) will take place on Wednesday, 12 June 2002 at Villa Lubin (Villa Borghese).
75. Further information on parallel events will be provided on the FAO Website (www.fao.org) and in subsequent updates. It should be noted that these events are not organized by FAO and will have their own specific invitation and registration procedures.
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All queries on this Information Circular should be addressed to:
Director Conference, Council and Protocol Affairs Division FAO Headquarters Fax: +3906-57056099 Appendix A
World Food Summit: five years later 10-13 June 2002 FAO Headquarters - Rome, Italy
REGISTRATION FORM for Delegates
NOTE: This form should be submitted with the official letter of credentials no later than 30 April 2002, together with a recent passport size photo.
PERSONAL DATA