Chairmanship

DUBLIN, 4 December 2012 – The 19th Meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council will be held in Dublin on 6 and 7 December 2012. The venue will be the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Simmonscourt Complex, located at Simmonscourt Road, Dublin 4.

The media-handbook is available at http://www.osce.org/cio/97781 (note: some timings in the handbook have been revised, see below for current timings).

Media centre

There will be a fully equipped media centre at the RDS. The entire venue will be a secure area, with access only possible with an accreditation badge.

The media centre will be open as follows:
Wednesday, 5 December – 10:00 – 18:00
Thursday, 6 December – 6:00 – 22:00
Friday, 7 December – 8:00 – 20:00

For security reasons access will be restricted during the VIP arrivals on the morning of Thursday 6 December between 7:30-9:15am. Media wishing to cover the arrivals and the family photo are required to  be at the Media Centre before 7:30am.

WiFi is available throughout the Media Centre.  The WiFi password is osce2012.

Media accreditation

The Media Accreditation Centre is located at the Sandymount Buildings, RDS, Simmonscourt Road, Dublin 4 (opposite the entrance to the venue), it will be open as follows:

Wednesday, 5 December – 08:00 – 20:00
Thursday, 6 December – 06:00 – 18:00
Friday, 7 December – 08:00 – 13:00

Media may be requested to present proof of identity (passport or identity card).

Contacts  for the Media Accreditation Centre:
Tel: +353 1 237 6199
Email: oscedublin2012@gmail.com

Contact person for accreditation issues - Karl Boyle
Tel: +353 87 639 6333
Email: oscedublin2012@gmail.com

Media Information Desk

Information desks will be available in the Media Centre to provide additional information and assistance including general venue information, transport, WiFi assistance, host broadcaster and pooling. The contact number for the Information Desk is +353 1 234 9949, Email: oscedublin2012@gmail.com

Programme

The  programme of the Ministerial Council is below:

Thursday, 6 December 2012:

08.00 Arrivals of delegations (cameras only)
09.20 Family photo (cameras only)
09.30 Opening session in the plenary room (cameras only)
- Formal opening and adoption of the agenda
- Address by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office#
- Address by the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
- Report by the OSCE Secretary General

10.40 OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore meets with civil society representatives (large press conference room at the media centre, open to all media)

First plenary session in the plenary room (cameras only)
- Statements by heads of delegations

13.00 Working luncheon for Foreign Ministers / Heads of Delegation (closed to media)

15.00-18.00 Second plenary session in the plenary room (cameras only)
- Statements by Heads of Delegations

19.00 Reception for Foreign Ministers/Heads of Delegation (Portrait Gallery, Dublin Castle, closed to media)

19.30 Official dinner for Foreign Ministers /Heads of Delegation (St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle, closed to media)

19.30 Reception for delegates and media representatives (Guinness Storehouse, open to all media)

21.45 Reception for Foreign Ministers /Heads of Delegation (The Gravity Bar, Guinness Storehouse, closed to media)

Friday, 7 December 2012

09.30 Third plenary session at the plenary room (cameras only for statements)
- Statements by Heads of Delegation
- Adoption of Ministerial Council decisions and documents
- Any other business

Closing session at the plenary room (cameras only)
- Formal closure (statements by the current and incoming Chairpersons-in-Office)

13.30 Final press conference of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and the OSCE Secretary General (large press conference room at the press centre, open to all media)

Journalists will be able to send questions for the final press conference via Twitter. The questions should include the hashtag #OSCE and be sent on 7 December 2012. As the time will be limited, not all questions sent via Twitter will be answered.

Media Pooling Arrangements

All proceedings will be covered by the host broadcaster and the official photographers and facilities will be in place so that all accredited journalists may avail of these free of charge (see contact details below).

In regard to coverage by other media organisations logistical and security considerations may require the implementation of media pool arrangements. It may not be possible to accommodate all requests. If pooling is required  further details will be provided prior to or during the meeting.

TV, radio, webcasting, social media, official photography

A number of photos will be made available for download free of charge over the course of the Ministerial from www.osce.org and the official photographer website: http://www.fennell-photography.ie/news.php?newsItem=8

Requests for photo of official greetings, ministers from the official photographer should be submitted to the Information Desk at the Media Centre or emailed to oscedublin2012@gmail.com

All open proceedings of the Ministerial Council will be broadcast on CCTV in the Media Centre.

All open proceedings of the Ministerial Council will be webcast at http://www.osce.org/event/mc_2012/live

The Host Broadcaster OBSERVE will provide audio- and video feed on the spot to fully equipped TV and radio booths from the arrivals area, the family photo, plenary room and the final press conference room.

For queries or to reserve TV/radio editing rooms, please contact:

Nikki St Ledger, phone: +353 877 42 8436, Email: nikki@observe.ie

The arrivals and handshakes on Thursday morning, family photo and all plenary proceedings of the Ministerial Council in the plenary room and the final press conference on Friday, 7 December will be linked up to the satellite with the assistance of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). All details will be communicated at a later stage.

Twitter feed will be available on @dfatirl and @OSCE. Hashtag #OSCE #DUBLIN

Documents including statements and press releases will be made available at the information desk or online on the OSCE website: www.osce.org/event/mc_2012

Contacts:
Interview Requests – Bobby Smyth
Tel: +353 87 980 2050
Email: oscedublin2012@gmail.com

OSCE Press and Public Information Section
Tel: +353 1 234 9927
Email: press@osce.org; ppis@mc2012.ie