WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(98)/INF/2
16February 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-0546)
Ministerial Conference /50thAnniversary
Geneva, 18-20 May 1998
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE/50THANNIVERSARY
Information Meeting onthePractical Arrangements fortheConference
Aninformation meeting forthedelegates responsible forthelogistical arrangements oftheir
delegation fortheMinisterial Conference will beheld intheCentre William Rappard on
Monday, 23February 1998 inRoom D,at10a.m.
Representatives oftheSwiss federal authorities andtheCanton ofGeneva, aswell asthe
Secretariat Task Force, willparticipate atthismeeting.
Tofacilitate thediscussion youwillfind attached aninformal note bytheMission ofJapan
which raises anumber ofquestions ofgeneral interest.WT/MIN(98)/INF/2
Page2
CERTAIN POINTS TOBECHECKED FOR THE NEXT
WTO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE AND THE
50TH ANNIVERSARY OFGATT
1. Geneva International Airport: arrivals/departures
(a) Ifseveral heads ofstates flytoGeneva withtheir ownspecial aircraft, isitpossible touseGeneva
International Airport? Ifso,how many canarrive onthesame day? Who coordinates these specific
flight schedules (including landing authorizations)? Should each Permanent Mission directly contact
theprotocol office ofGeneva Airport tocoordinate thelanding anddeparture ofthese flights?
(b) Ifseveral special planes, including reserve planes, arrive attheGeneva International Airport,
where dothey park? What istheparking capacity forspecial planes atGeneva Airport?
(c) Where canahead ofstate becollected byhiscarattheairport? Isitpossible tobring thecars
uptotheplane? Where canwebegin theescort ofcarsforVIPs? Isitpossible toextend thespecial
parking space fordiplomats forgovernment delegations 'useduring theperiod oftheMinisterial
Conference and50th Anniversary?
(d) Isitpossible tousetheVIPsalon oftheairport? Ifso,whoisauthorized touseit(i.e.ministers,
highly-ranked government officers, etc.)? How willCIQ(Customs Immigration Quarantine) measures
befacilitated forthevisiting heads ofstates andministers? Who coordinates thisfacilitation? Ifa
number ofhead ofstates arrive attheVIPsalon atthesame time, isthere anypossibility ofexceeding
theroom 'scapacity?
(e) How willthesecurity measures beimplemented atandaround theairport? Will theaccess
ofordinary passengers berestricted incertain zones?
2. Conference Centre
(a) Where willthecarcontrol desk besetupandwhere willthedelegation form andescorts park?
(b) Will offices beallotted todelegations intheConference Centre, ifsoisaplan ofthese offices
available? Will office furniture (desks, chairs, phones, faxes, PCs, copy machines, etc.) besupplied?
(c) Will small meeting rooms forthebilateral orplurilateral meetings beestablished? Ifso,how
canthey bereserved? How many andwhat arethesizeofthepress conference rooms which willbe
available? What about theinterpretation equipment?
(d) How many simultaneous interpretation booths willthere be? Ifadelegation wishes tohave
simultaneous interpretation inthelanguage other than oneoftheWTO official languages, what are
theprocedures tobeaccomplished?
(e) How willthesecurity zone beestablished?
3. Security measures
(a) How willtheaccess passes bedelivered? What arethedifferences between passes forVIPs,
delegates, thepress andNGOs? Willthere berestriction measures inside theconference centre depending
onthedifferent access passes?WT/MIN(98)/INF/2
Page3
(b) Will bodyguards ofVIPs have special identification cards?
(c) Does theSwiss police provide anybodyguards forVIPs including inside hotels? Ifahead of
state needs anarmoured carwhat arethenecessary measures tobetaken? Will there beanytraffic
controlmotorcadesfordelegationsandwillthesecauseanyproblems?Ifapolicemotorcadeaccompanies
thedelegation, how dothey function intheneighbouring French territories? Will there beanytraffic
controls orrestrictions inGeneva atall,atleast between theairport andtheconference centre?
4. Communications
(a) Will mobile phones orradio communications beabletobeused without anylegal ortechnical
limits?
5. Miscellaneous
(a) Will "logistic kits" which provide local information (voltage, plugs, etc.) bemade available
anddistributed (i.e.there wasaSingapore Ministerial Conference logistic kit)?
(b) Will there beanypreliminary orientation meetings foradvanced groups from capitals andany
possibility tovisit thedifferent buildings related totheConference/Anniversary?