URU, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 20: Invitation til parlamentarisk WTO-konference den 6.

Udenrigsudvalget 2018-19 (1. samling)
URU Alm.del Bilag 20
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2018 ANNUAL SESSION OF THE

PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE ON THE WTO

(Updated version - 01.10.2018)

Geneva, 6-7 December 2018

URU, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 20: Invitation til parlamentarisk WTO-konference den 6. - 7. december 2018 i Geneve URU, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 20: Invitation til parlamentarisk WTO-konference den 6. - 7. december 2018 i Geneve

2018 ANNUAL SESSION OF THE

PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE ON THE WTO

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Contents

Paragraphs

Date and venue ................................................................................................................................. 1-3

Participation and registration ........................................................................................................... 4-10

List of Delegates................................................................................................................................. 11

Working modalities ........................................................................................................................ 12-15

Languages .......................................................................................................................................... 16

Documents .................................................................................................................................... 17-18

Cloakroom .......................................................................................................................................... 19

Official reception................................................................................................................................. 20

Visas ................................................................................................................................................... 21

Hotel accommodation ................................................................................................................... 22-23

Local transport and taxis ............................................................................................................... 24-25

Requests for further information ......................................................................................................... 26

Illustration:

The WTO building in Geneva: map of the area

Date and venue

The 2018 Annual Session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO will be held on

Thursday, 6 December, and Friday, 7 December, at the WTO Headquarters in Geneva (see map on

page 4). The meeting room is located in the CR-building which is the modern edifice next to the

WTO's main entrance.

An inaugural ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. on 6 December and will be followed by plenary

working sessions. The morning session will start at 10 a.m. and finish at 1 p.m., whereas afternoon

sessions will start at 3 p.m. and finish at 6 p.m.

In order to avoid a long wait at the security check, delegates are kindly requested to present

themselves at WTO well in advance, if possible at noon on 6 December and at 8.30 a.m. on

7 December.

Participation and registration

Participation in the Annual Session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO will be guided

by the general principles set out in Article 2 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference.

As a rule, the number of MPs in each national delegation should not exceed five. Observer

delegations should be in principle limited to two persons.

In order to ensure the success of the session, it is of paramount importance that each

parliament nominate MPs who are directly involved in parliamentary activities dealing with international

trade and especially WTO negotiations.

URU, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 20: Invitation til parlamentarisk WTO-konference den 6. - 7. december 2018 i Geneve

Practical Information

All delegates are kindly requested to complete and submit the enclosed registration form which

is also available on the IPU website at https://www.ipu.org/download/5005. Delegates are also kindly

requested to notify the presence of persons with reduced mobility in their delegation so that adequate

arrangements may be made to enable their movement within WTO premises.

The form should be returned to the Secretariat of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

15 November 2018 at the latest.

Any modifications concerning the composition of the delegation

should likewise be communicated to the IPU Secretariat.

The Registration Desk will be located at the entrance of the WTO compound and will be open

from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 6 December and from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 7 December.

10. For identification and security reasons, all delegates are requested to wear their identification

badges at all times during the session and at social functions.

List of Delegates

11. A provisional List of Delegates will be distributed at the beginning of the session. This list will be

issued on the basis of confirmations received by the IPU Secretariat by the registration deadline of

15 November (possible changes will be accepted up to 6 p.m. on Monday, 3 December). Delegations

are kindly requested to report any changes in the provisional list to the Registration Desk. A revised

list will be published on the IPU website after the session.

Working modalities

12. Procedural arrangements for the session will be in conformity with the Rules of Procedure of the

Parliamentary Conference on the WTO, adopted at its Brussels session in November 2004.

13. A detailed work programme of the session will be circulated in advance of the Conference and

published on the IPU website.

14. All panel discussions, hearings and debates on substantive themes will take place in plenary.

The debate on each substantive theme will be launched by rapporteurs who will have some eight

minutes each to present their discussion papers. Delegates can participate in the debate either by

making brief statements or by asking questions. The debate will be interactive; no formal statements

will be delivered and no list of speakers will be drawn up in advance. The order of interventions and

questions will be decided by the Chair.

15. The draft outcome document of the session will be prepared by the Steering Committee and

communicated to the participants in advance of the session, in accordance with Art. 7.1 of the Rules.

Specific arrangements concerning the submission of amendments to the draft (Article 7.2 of the Rules)

will be announced on the spot.

Languages

16. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Arabic, English, French and Spanish. Official

written documentation of the session will be available in English and French only.

Documents

17. The only official documents of the session will be its programme, agenda, the list of delegates,

discussion papers prepared by the rapporteurs, the draft outcome document elaborated by the

Steering Committee and information notes prepared by the Secretariat. WTO may provide

background documents for distribution to delegates upon registration.

URU, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 20: Invitation til parlamentarisk WTO-konference den 6. - 7. december 2018 i Geneve

Practical Information

18. Should participants and observers wish to distribute their own documents or other material

pertaining to the agenda of the session, they may use a table provided for that purpose in the

immediate vicinity of the meeting room.

Cloakroom

19. During the meeting, a cloakroom will be made available to the delegates for their personal

belongings. However, the WTO Secretariat would like to note that there is no surveillance and,

consequently, it declines all responsibility in case of damage or loss.

Official reception

20. Details concerning the official reception, to be held in the evening of 6 December on WTO

premises, will be provided on registration.

Visas

21. Attention is drawn to the strict provisions in force regarding entry into Switzerland, which is part

of the Schengen zone. Delegates requiring an entry visa to Schengen States must obtain it from the

Swiss consulate or diplomatic mission responsible for the necessary arrangements in the delegates'

country of residence.

Hotel accommodation

22. Delegates are responsible for their own hotel expenses. In view of the fact that several major

international meetings are taking place in Geneva in the month of December 2018, it is imperative that

hotel reservations be made as soon as possible. Booking of rooms can be done on-line through the

website of the

Geneva Tourism Office

(https://www.geneve.com/en/).

23. Delegations from countries having a Permanent Mission in Geneva can make their hotel

reservations through their respective Mission. The Missions are used to receiving national delegations

to UN meetings and to handling hotel reservations for them and many have signed preferential tariff

agreements with hotels close to the WTO.

Local transport and taxis

24. The WTO is right across the street from the final stop ("Jardin Botanique") of bus no.1, which

leaves from the city centre (train station "Cornavin" and Place Bel-Air). From the airport, hop on bus

no. 28 to the final stop ("Jardin Botanique"). Tickets must be purchased and validated before entering

buses or trams. Individual tickets are available from vending machines at main bus stops, and cards

for multiple trips can be purchased at a reduced rate from newsagents in town bearing the "TPG"

(Geneva transport service) sign.

25. In Geneva, taxis are only available on call and cannot be hailed in the streets. There are taxi

ranks in almost all main squares in Geneva. Taxis can be called by telephone by dialling the following

local numbers: 022 3202020, 022 3202202 and 022 3314133.

URU, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 20: Invitation til parlamentarisk WTO-konference den 6. - 7. december 2018 i Geneve

Practical Information

Requests for further information

26. Requests for further information concerning the 2018 Annual Session of the Parliamentary

Conference on the WTO should be addressed to:

Inter-Parliamentary Union

Chemin du Pommier 5

Case postale 330

CH-1218 Le Grand-Saconnex / Geneva

Switzerland

Phone: +4122 919 41 50

Fax: +4122 919 41 60

E-mail:

[email protected]

European Parliament

Secretariat of the Committee

on International Trade

SQM 05Y076

Rue Wiertz

B-1047 Belgium

Fax: +32 2 283 1251

E-mail:

[email protected]

and

MAP OF THE AREA

World Trade Organization

Centre William Rappard

Rue de Lausanne, 154

CH-1211 Geneva 21

Switzerland