Media access arrangements and services – 78th UN General Assembly, September 2023.
- Media representatives with a valid United Nations grounds pass will be allowed to cover the general debate and other high-level meetings without additional accreditation.
- Media representatives who wish to apply for accreditation independently must submit the online form and upload a request on the letterhead of their media organization. The deadline for media representatives to request accreditation on their own behalf is 1 September 2023. Instructions can be found at https://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/accreditation.shtml.
- Media representatives can pick up their grounds pass at the Pass and Identification Unit, at 320 East 45th Street, until Sunday, 17 September 2023. From Monday, 18 September to Tuesday, 26 September 2023, media representatives can collect their grounds pass at the Visitors Centre, UNITAR Building, 801 First Avenue. The days and hours of operation will be as follows: Monday to Wednesday, 18 to 20 September 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 21 and 22 September 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 23 and 24 September Closed Monday and Tuesday, 25 and 26 September 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- All media representatives must clearly display their United Nations grounds passes at all times.
- The designated entrance for accredited media is located at 47th Street and First Avenue, where media representatives and their equipment will be subject to security screening. All media representatives will be required to present a valid United Nations grounds pass to the United Nations security officers at the gate.
- Members of the media are advised to arrive early to allow sufficient time for screening. Last-minute arrivals will encounter delays, in particular when First Avenue is closed for motorcades.
- Accredited media must be escorted by Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit staff at all times in the restricted areas. Escort is available from the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit office (room S-0250) and the ad hoc liaison desks.
- Media representatives who wish to access the media booths of the General Assembly Hall will be required to use the external ramp located on the east side of the General Assembly Building.
- A limited number of tickets will be available for the press gallery of the General Assembly Hall and other meetings that require secondary event tickets. Media liaison desk staff will distribute tickets on a first-come, first-served basis 30 minutes before the meetings.
- A temporary media centre will be located on the North Lawn. Media representatives are required to bring their own cables to connect to the live video and audio feeds for recording purposes.
- Live video feeds and downloadable files and photographs will be available from the Department of Global Communications (see the section entitled “United Nations audiovisual materials” in https://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/pdf/GA78_NMD_media_resources.pdf).
- Members of the media can request documents, statements and press releases from the Media Documents Centre by emailing mdc@un.org or visiting room S-0219.
- A list of in-person and online meetings, briefings and other events open to the media will be posted daily at www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/alert.shtml.
- Information regarding media accreditation and arrangements during the highlevel period will be continually updated at https://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/unga.shtml.
- For more information, contact the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit (email: malu@un.org; telephone: 212 963 6934).
United Nations audiovisual materials
- Photographs in digital format (JPG) will be available for download free of charge on the United Nations photo website (https://dam.media.un.org). Photo enquiries and requests should be addressed to the United Nations Photo Library (email: photolibrary@un.org).
- Digital files of speeches delivered during the general debate can be downloaded from the United Nations Audiovisual Library website (www.unmultimedia.org/avlibrary) in MPEG-4 (H.264) format free of charge.
- Audio files of speeches in digital format (MP3) will also be available for download free of charge from the United Nations Audiovisual Library website. Audio enquiries and requests should also be addressed to the United Nations Audiovisual Library.
- Live television feeds will be available through commercial carriers (see www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/pdf/UNTV_Transmission_Guide.pdf). For more information, contact Ingrid Kasper (telephone: 646 258 3740; email: kasper@un.org) or Cesar Martin Redi (telephone: 917 367 9231; mobile: 914 393 1072; email: redi@un.org) at United Nations Television.
- Only pool television production services will be available from United Nations Television. Broadcasters interested in gaining access to live coverage of the highlevel meetings and the general debate should contact Ingrid Kasper or Cesar Martin Redi.
- The United Nations webcast service will provide daily live and on-demand streaming coverage of the high-level meetings and the general debate through the following platforms:
- United Nations Web TV website (webtv.un.org) – in all six official languages, plus the original language of the speaker
- United Nations channel on YouTube (youtube.com/unitednations) – in English
- Twitter (twitter.com/UNWebTV) – in English
- Video recordings of each speaker at the general debate will be posted in all six official languages and in the original language of the speaker on the United Nations Web TV website for on-demand access. Additional webcast coverage will include press conferences, media stake-outs and other meetings and events.
Internet and social media
- The United Nations website (www.un.org) will provide, through a dedicated portal web page (http://gadebate.un.org), links to live and on-demand coverage of the high-level meetings of the General Assembly. Any queries about the web page should be directed to Peter Dawkins, Chief of the Web Services Section (telephone: 917 769 1318; email: dawkins@un.org).
- The Meetings Coverage Section, through its portal websites (English: www.un.org/press/en; and French: www.un.org/press/fr), will provide coverage of the General Assembly plenary and high-level meetings in both English and French. Copies of press releases will also be available on demand, from the Media Documents Centre.
- The United Nations News website (news.un.org/en) serves as the main portal for United Nations news and will be continuously updated in the six official languages, as well as Hindi, Kiswahili and Portuguese. It will provide a wide array of links to source materials, including press releases, selected reports and statements of the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly. A feed will provide up-to-date news about the work of the General Assembly in all official languages. Readers can also subscribe to a free email news alert service that will deliver stories on the latest United Nations developments straight to their mailboxes or desktops. Daily updates will continue to be provided through the United Nations News social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube).
- Two free smartphone applications are available to enable delegations and the media to follow the proceedings on their mobile phones. The United Nations News Reader app (for Android and iOS devices in the six official languages, as well as Hindi, Kiswahili and Portuguese) provides constantly updated multimedia stories from the United Nations News platforms. Users of the app can also watch meetings live and link to the daily press briefing of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, as well as receive news alerts. United Nations Audio Channels (for iOS and Android devices in the six official languages, as well as Kiswahili and Portuguese) provide selected audio from the General Assembly Hall and the Security Council Chamber, in addition to United Nations News audio programmes in eight languages – the six official languages and Kiswahili and Portuguese. For any urgent matters related to United Nations News, please contact Victor Evans-Harvey (evans-harvey@un.org).
- Regular social media updates will be posted to the flagship accounts managed by the Department of Global Communications, which are listed at www.un.org/social.
Briefings and press conferences
- Daily briefings for the media will be given by the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General at noon in room S-0237. Press conferences by senior United Nations officials, delegations and the permanent missions will be held in the same room, unless otherwise indicated. These arrangements may be altered depending on public health issues. The list of press conferences will be announced daily by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. It will also be available on the website of the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit (www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/alert.shtml) and on Twitter (@UNMediaLiaison).
- Briefings and press conferences are open only to members of the media.
