Operating Manual for the media

1. Official schedule 

2. Working languages and documents 

3. Participants 

4. Site of the meetings of the General Assembly session 

5. Pre-Assembly information for the media 

6. Media credentials and access to the conference site 

7. International Media Center (Press Center) 

8. Press Conference Room events 

9. General Assembly parallel events 

10. Inaugural ceremony 

11. Host broadcaster 

12. Satellite broadcasts 

13. Internet:  Web page, Webcast, photos, and document distribution

14. Pictorial coverage (photographic and video) of plenary sessions 

15. Photo opportunities for bilateral meetings 

16. Security requirements 

17. Access to special events 

18. Loss of identification cards 

19. Access for vehicles 

20. Air transportation 

21. Local transportation during the General Assembly session 

22. Panama entry and departure requirements 

23. Communications 

24. Medical assistance

25. General information

26. Hotel Reservations 

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I. Official schedule 

The thirty-seventh regular session of the General Assembly will be held from June 3 to 5, 2007, in Panama City, Republic of Panama. 

The official schedule of activities is available on the OAS Web page: www.oas.org (click on “General Assembly”) or, directly, at www.oas.org/37ag/english. 

The preliminary media briefing has been scheduled for Saturday, June 2, at 12:00 noon, with the participation of the OAS Secretary General, the OAS Assistant Secretary General, and senior officials of the Government of the Republic of Panama. 

II. Working languages and documents 

The proceedings of the General Assembly will be conducted in the four official languages of the Organization:  English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.  Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in those languages.  Sound feeds for the inaugural session and the plenary sessions will also be provided in those languages.  Official documents will be available on the OAS General Assembly Web site and, in hard copy, at the Press Center. 

III. Participants 

The following member states will participate in the thirty-seventh regular session of the General Assembly: 

IV. Site of the meetings of the General Assembly session 

Meetings and sessions will be held in the Centro de Convenciones Atlántico Pacífico (Atlantic Pacific Convention Center) (ATLAPA), located at the corner of Vía Israel and Calle 77, San Francisco, in Panama City, Republic of Panama, which is also the location of the International Media Center (Press Center) for the General Assembly session. 

The inaugural ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 3, 2007, at 7:00 p.m., in the Teatro Nacional de Panama (National Theater of Panama), located at the corner of Calle Tercera Catedral and Avenida B, also in Panama City. 

V. Pre-Assembly information for the media 

Information on press activities and events during the thirty-seventh regular session of the OAS General Assembly may be found at the following addresses: www.oas.org or www.oas.org/37ag/english. 

OAS Department of Press and Communications, Washington, D.C.
Director: Patricia Esquenazi
Activities Coordinator for the Assembly: Luiz Coimbra, (202) 458-3508, ([email protected])
Press Chief: Janelle Conaway ([email protected])
Media contacts and accreditation: Lucrecia Baracat, (202) 458-6824 ([email protected]) 

Office of the Director of Diplomatic Information and Communications of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama:
Director: Alina Guerrero
Contacts: Ramona de Fernández, [email protected],  tel: 511-4183, cell: 6613-3810 

Moreover, the offices of the OAS Department of Press and Communications and of the Director of Diplomatic Information and Communications of the Republic of Panama, located in the International Media Center at the ATLAPA Convention Center, will be open from June 1 to 5, from 8:00 am. to 8:00 p.m.  Personnel from the OAS and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama, together with volunteers, will provide information on press services as well as on general matters. 

VI. Media credentials and access to the conference site 

A. Accreditation process 

Media representatives interested in attending the General Assembly session must apply online by completing the appropriate credentials form, which is available on the official conference site: www.oas.org/37ag/english.  The credentials form must be submitted online. 

It must be accompanied by a recent color photo of the journalist in Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format.  Maximum file size: 62,500 bytes or approximately 61 Kb.  Resolution:  320 pixels high and 240 pixels wide (150 dots per inch or DPI).  It must also be accompanied by a digital (150 DPI) note from the media outlet director requesting the credentials.  Specific instructions and the credentials form may be found at the following URL:  https://www.oea.org/37ag/formularioprensa. 

The deadline for submitting the credentials form is 7:00 p.m. on May 18, 2007, Republic of Panama time (23:00 GMT).  The office of the Activities Coordinator for the Assembly will inform applicants online about the receipt of their applications, and the approval of their credentials. 

Media representatives are asked to provide all of the information indicated on the form if they wish to be accredited.  

B. Credentials 

Press credentials will be distributed in the Press Registration Room (next to the parking area) at the ATLAPA Convention Center on June 1, from 12:00 noon until 8:00 p.m., and on June 2, 3, 4, and 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

For security reasons and to control access to the site of the General Assembly meetings, members of the media must carry, in addition to the General Assembly press credentials issued by the OAS, their media outlet identification cards.  Media representatives must visibly display the two IDs (media outlet identification and OAS credentials) to gain access to the meetings and events they have been invited to and those they have been authorized to attend.  No exceptions will be made. Additional cards or invitations will be required for some events and will be distributed at the appropriate time.  

VII. International Media Center (Press Center) 

A press center will be set up in the El Valle y las Totumas Room of the ATLAPA Convention Center.  It will be fully equipped with Internet, computers, printer, photocopier, laptop connections, closed-circuit broadcast facilities, space for TV and radio channels, access for satellite transmission, and facilities for access to international lines. 

The Press Center will be open from 8:00 a.m. on June 1 until midnight on June 5. 

The host country will set aside a working area for the press, with a limited number of computers with Internet access.  The Government of Panama will provide additional Internet connections and wireless access in that area for those with their own computers.  Journalists covering the General Assembly session are urged to bring their laptops.  Computer and network administration technicians will be available to assist with network or wireless Internet connections.  

The Press Center will house 150 work spaces for print journalists, available free of charge on a strictly first come-first served basis. There will be large screens to enable journalists to follow General Assembly sessions, press conferences, the arrival of dignitaries, etc., as well as a display with information.  Work spaces in the Press Center may not be reserved in advance. 

A documents counter in the Press Center will provide journalists with hard copies of the GA/OAS documents as well as with copies of statements made by heads of delegation, as these are made available by delegations.  The daily list of activities, press releases, and other news materials will also be available from the documents counter.  All these materials will also be available electronically on the GA/OAS Web page:  www.oas.org/37ag/english. 

Certain areas will be set aside for television interviews, but equipment will not be provided.  

The Press Center will make available to representatives of the media such services as: electrical outlets (110 volts, 60 cycles), telephone outlets, wireless connections, LAN network outlets, some computers with Internet access, faxing equipment, printing and copying equipment, document distribution, and host broadcaster services, including closed-circuit radio and video coverage of the plenary sessions and sound and video feeds.  Basic video-editing services and satellite transmission will also be provided upon request, at the user’s expense.  (See item XI for more information on the host broadcaster.) 

Note:  Plug adapters and modem connectors will not be available for sale in the Press Center. Journalists must bring their own.  Journalists should also consider bringing mini-plug and telephone adapters. 

VIII. Press Conference Room events 

The Press Conference Room will be located in the Press Center.  

Ministers of foreign affairs and heads of delegation may request the room to hold their press conferences and to make statements.  Reservations must be made in the ATLAPA Convention Center through the Department of Press and Communications of the OAS General Secretariat.  

Two official meetings have been scheduled to be held in the Press Conference Room: 

The preliminary media briefing, scheduled for Saturday, June 2, at 12:00 noon, with the participation of the OAS Secretary General, the OAS Assistant Secretary General, and senior officials of the Government of the Republic of Panama; and 

The final press conference, on Tuesday, June 5, at 7:00 p.m., with the participation of the President of the General Assembly and the OAS Secretary General.  Simultaneous interpretation will be provided for the latter.

IX. General Assembly parallel events 

A. IV OAS Private Sector Forum

Marriott Hotel, Panama City, Panama, May 31 – June 3, 2007 

The OAS, in conjunction with the Government of Panama and business leaders, is organizing a forum titled “Energy for development in the Americas: The Role of public-private partnerships.”  Participants will include the President of Panama, Martín Torrijos; the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza; and the President of the Inter-American Ethanol Commission, Roberto Rodrigues.  The recommendations of the forum will be transmitted to the OAS member states on Sunday, June 3. 

B. Meeting of Ministers of Health of the Western Hemisphere

Panama City, Panama: June 2, 2007 

The ministers of health of the Americas will be in Panama in early June, in response to an invitation from the Minister of Health of Panama, Dr. Camilo Alleyne Marshall.  The purpose of the meeting will be to define a “Health Agenda for the Americas.” 

C. Meeting of Ministers of Education of the Western Hemisphere

Panama City, Panama: May 31 - June 2, 2007 

The ministers of education of the Americas will meet in Panama to discuss the topic “Education and human rights,” in a meeting organized by the Ministry of Education of Panama (MEDUCA) and the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights.  The OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, will open the meeting. 

D. International Seminar: “The 2005-2006 Electoral Cycle in the Americas: An Overview by the OAS General Secretariat”

Panama City, Panama: June 2, 2007 

The purpose of this seminar is to generate debate on OAS experiences in elections held during the 2005-2006 timeframe and on lessons learned about electoral systems and processes in the region as a result of Electoral Observation Missions.  Secretary General José Miguel Insulza will introduce the topic.  Time has been set aside for questions and answers from the public.  The seminar is being organized by the Department for the Promotion of Democracy of the OAS General Secretariat’s Secretariat for Political Affairs. 

E. Dialogue of heads of delegation with permanent observers

Panama City, Panama, ATLAPA Convention Center: June 3, 2007, 10:15 – 11:45 a.m. 

The ministers of foreign affairs, heads of delegation of the OAS member states, and the Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, will meet with the heads of delegation of the permanent observer countries to discuss the theme of the General Assembly and other matters of common interest, including economic cooperation. For more information, please contact Irene Klinger ([email protected]; tel.: 1 (202) 458-6072). 

F. Dialogue of heads of delegation with civil society representatives

            Panama City, Panama, ATLAPA Convention Center: June 3, 2007, 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. 

The purpose of the dialogue among the ministers of foreign affairs or the heads of delegation of the OAS member states, the OAS Secretary General, and civil society representatives is to exchange experiences and generate recommendations for consideration by the heads of delegation in their ongoing deliberations at the General Assembly session.  For more information on the requirements for participation in the dialogue, please visit the Summits Secretariat Web page: www.civil-society.oas.org. For additional information, please contact Jessica Grebeldinger, specialist in the Summits Secretariat, via e-mail at: [email protected]. 

G. Finals and award ceremony of the Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas

      Panama City, Panama: May 31, 2007 – June 1, 2007 

The Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), an OAS-affiliated organization committed to the development of youth entrepreneurship, is organizing the finals of the Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas (TIC Americas).  On May 31, the YABT will hold a conference titled “Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A North-South/East-West Dialogue.” Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: social entrepreneurship, business process, new markets, traditional technologies, E-business, and creative design. 

X. Inaugural ceremony 

For the inaugural ceremony of the thirty-seventh regular session of the OAS General Assembly (June 3), access to the National Theater of Panama will be restricted to invited guests only due to special security measures and space limitation. The ceremony will be available on a closed circuit in the Press Center at the ATLAPA Convention Center, with sound feeds in the four working languages of the General Assembly. 

XI. Host broadcaster 

The Panamanian company SERTV (channel 11) will serve as host broadcaster for the General Assembly.  It will provide the media with exclusive video and audio coverage of the meetings.  The services will be available in the Press Center as of 10:00 a.m. on June 1, 2007. 

The services provided by the host broadcaster during the General Assembly session will be offered to the national and international media. The host broadcaster will provide live and delayed access to the audio and video signal from the various events at the General Assembly session.  It will offer radio and television coverage of high technical quality, with a clear image, without captions or commentary. 

The host broadcaster will provide news about the General Assembly session via a closed-circuit system, which will be broadcast throughout the day, both live and pre-recorded, at the ATLAPA Convention Center. 

The host broadcaster will provide continuous audio and video coverage of the General Assembly in the Press Center, including:  the preliminary media briefing; the meetings of foreign ministers with civil society, permanent observers, and the private sector; the inaugural session from the National Theater; the plenary sessions; the meetings of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG); the closing session; and the final press conference. 

Among the delayed broadcasts are the arrival of the heads of delegation, the signing of conventions, press conferences of foreign ministers, and other events of public interest 

Mult boxes will be provided in the Press Center.  Mult boxes provide various audio feeds, in the four official languages, and a video feed.  Audio drops will be in XLR format and video will be BNC.  For other broadcasts, there will be two audio channels, depending on availability.  All video material will be provided in NTSC format (Betacam-SP) and distributed in the Press Center Broadcast Room through BNC connectors. The broadcasts will also be available in taped format (Betacam-SP), at the requester’s expense. 

For more information on taping, editing, and video copies, please contact Armando Vásquez, Audiovisual Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by telephone at 511-4186 or by e-mail at [email protected]. 

XII. Satellite broadcasts 

Facilities for editing video and satellite broadcasts, managed by the host broadcaster, will be located next to the Convention Center. 

Satellite schedule: Upload links via satellite with an open, multi-destination signal: 

SATELLITE INFORMATION 
SATELLITE IS-9 (PAS 9)
12C SLOT C
FREQUENCY 3924.5
POLARITY HORIZONTAL
SYMBOL RATE 6.62
FEC 2/3 

Saturday, June 2
Initial Press Conference (live) and daily briefing (B-Roll)
Test and Calibration: 15:15 (Panama) /  16:15 (EDT)/ 20:15 (GMT)
Start: 15:30 (Panama) / 16:30 (EDT) / 20:30 (GMT)
End: 15:45 (Panama) / 16:45 (EDT) / 20:45 (GMT)
Transmission time: 15 minutes                                 

Sunday, June 3
Daily briefing (B-Roll)
Test and Calibration: 13:45 (Panama) / 14:45 (EDT) / 18:45 (GMT)
Satellite: IS-9 (PAS 9)
Start: 14:00 (Panama) / 15:00 (EDT) / 19:00 (GMT)
End: 14:15 (Panama) / 15:15 (EDT) / 19:15 (GMT)
Transmission time: 15 minutes   

Sunday, June 3
Inaugural ceremony of the General Assembly (live)
Test and Calibration: 18:30 (Panama) / 19:30 (EDT) / 23:30 (GMT)
Start: 18:45 (Panama) / 19:45 (EDT) / 23:45 (GMT)
End: 20:15 (Panama) / 21:15 (EDT) / 01:30 (GMT-4 de junio)
Transmission Time: 90 minutes
Aprox. +30 min. 

Monday, June 4

Daily briefing (B-Roll).

Test and Calibration: 13:45 (Panama) / 14:45 (EDT) / 18:45 (GMT)

Start: 14:00 (Panama) / 15:00 (EDT) / 19:00 (GMT)

End: 14:15 (Panama) / 15:15 (EDT) / 19:15 (GMT)

Transmission Time: 15 minutes  

Tuesday, June 5

Daily Briefing (B-Roll)

Test and Calibration: 13:45 (Panama) / 14:45 (EDT) / 18:45 (GMT)

Start: 14:00 (Panama) / 15:00 (EDT) / 19:00 (GMT)

End: 14:15 (Panama) / 15:15 (EDT) / 19:15 (GMT)

Transmission Time: 15 minutes

Tuesday, June 5 (exact time to be confirmed) 

Closing ceremony and final press conference (live)

Test and Calibration: 19:15 (Panama) / 20:15 (EDT)/ 00:15 (GMT- June 6)

Start: 19:30 (Panama) 20:30 (EDT) / 00:30 (GMT- June 6)

Final: 20:30 (Panama) / 21:30 (EDT) / 01:30 (GMT- June 6)

Transmission Time: 60 minutes   

Other services to be provided are on-demand access to satellite teleport and play out in Panama. 
For more information on satellite transmission services, please contact Carlos Javier
Rodríguez, ANTENAS Y SISTEMAS, S.A., by telephone at (507) 222-1422 or by e-mail at
[email protected]; or [email protected].

Footprint: PAS 9: http://www.panamsat.com/global_network/pas9c_c.asp 

XIII.    Internet:  Web page, Webcast, photos, and document distribution

The OAS Department of Press and Communications has a dedicated Website for the General Assembly with live and on-demand audio and video Webcast and broad coverage of all the proceedings of the Assembly session.  The General Assembly Website will be located at the following address:  www.oea.org (click on “General Assembly”) or www.oas.org/37ag/english.

High-resolution photos of the events will be posted on this Website immediately after they are recorded, for distribution to the media free of charge for publication, with the corresponding credits. 

Official documents, draft resolutions, reports, speeches, press releases, and other documents will also be posted on the Internet page in real time. 

Webcast services: 

The company Primestream Corporation will provide live and on-demand Webcasting of the OAS General Assembly meetings and sessions, in the four official languages, in high- and low-resolution streams.  The live Webcast broadcast will include the inaugural ceremony, the plenary sessions, and press conferences.  

Webcast transmission will be available via the General Assembly Website.  To incorporate this link into your Website, please e-mail: [email protected] or contact Claudio Lisman at 305-467-4212, e-mail: [email protected].  Radio stations and television stations desiring to rebroadcast this Webcast feed are authorized to do so.  
 

XIV. Pictorial coverage (photographic and video) of plenary sessions 

Every morning, at the start of the plenary sessions, a limited number of still photographers and videographers will be allowed to enter the plenary room in the company of OAS Department of Press and Communications liaison staff.  Representatives of the OAS Department of Press and Communications, along with representatives of the Office of the Director of Diplomatic Information and Communications of the Government of the Republic of Panama, will be responsible for coordinating these photo opportunities, which will last 10 minutes.  

XV. Photo opportunities for bilateral meetings 

Photo opportunities will be available for those bilateral meetings between delegations of the member countries and/or observer countries that are open to the press for coverage.  Media representatives covering these meetings will be asked to assemble in the Press Center, from which point liaison staff from the OAS Department of Press and Communications and the Office of the Director of Diplomatic Information and Communications of the Government of the Republic of Panama will accompany them to the meeting sites.  A schedule of bilateral meetings will be issued daily. 

XVI. Security requirements 

The Government of the Republic of Panama will be responsible for overall venue security.  The media representatives will be responsible for the security of their own documents and equipment. 

For security reasons and to control access to the site of the General Assembly meetings, members of the media are required to wear their own media outlet identification cards, in addition to their credentials (press credentials issued by the OAS General Secretariat).  These two IDs (media outlet identification and OAS credentials) must be visibly displayed at all times.  The press will therefore be able to gain access to the meetings and events to which they have been invited. No exceptions will be made. 

To ensure the security of all attendees, anyone entering the ATLAPA Conference Center facilities will be required to go through a security screening, including metal detectors, briefcase/handbag inspection, etc., at all meeting and event access control points.  

XVII. Access to special events 

Invitations will be required for participation in any special events that might be scheduled. For protocolary and security reasons, invitations must be shown for access to said events. 

XVIII. Loss of identification cards 

In the event that an identification card is lost, the General Assembly’s security office and the staff of the General Secretariat’s Department of Press and Communications must be notified immediately in writing.  A careful search will be conducted before new credentials are issued. 

XIX. Access for vehicles 

Vehicles authorized to enter the restricted security area will be provided with a special tag. However, occupants of the vehicle may not enter the area without their identification cards. 

XX. Air transportation 

It is recommended that media representatives reserve their round-trip flights as early as possible, directly with the airlines or their travel agencies. 

XXI. Local transportation during the General Assembly session 

In so far as possible, the host country will provide media representatives accredited to the General Assembly with transportation, according to an established schedule, between the Hotel Riande Continental (the hotel suggested for the international press) and the ATLAPA Conference Center, site of the General Assembly session.  The Hotel Riande Continental is offering a special rate, which is indicated in the Information Bulletin (see OAS Website). 

XXII. Panama entry and departure requirements 

It is suggested that media representatives from countries whose citizens require entry visas for the Republic of Panama submit their applications beforehand to the nearest Embassy or Consulate of the Republic of Panama.  Participants must obtain their visas before traveling to the General Assembly.

In the event there is no Panamanian consulate or embassy in your country, please contact Ms. Carmen Him, Consular Department of the foreign ministry, by telephone at (00507) 511-4168 or by e-mail: [email protected], to make the necessary arrangements. 

XXIII. Communications 

Facilities for international communications will exist in both the ATLAPA Convention Center and the hotel suggested by the host country (Riande Continental) for use by the media. 

International telephone calls may be made, either collect or at the caller’s expense, from the public telephone booths available in the ATLAPA Conference Center facilities during the General Assembly session. 

Any media representative wishing to install a special dedicated line shall be responsible for all expenses incurred in its installation and use.  

XXIV. Medical assistance

The medical assistance plan for the OAS General Assembly provides for installation of medical stations in the hotel suggested for the international press corps (Riande Continental) and at the ATLAPA Convention Center, which will be equipped, as necessary, for emergency care around the clock throughout the event.

Should a medical emergency arise, doctors and nurses will tend to and stabilize the patient at the medical station.  Afterward, if necessary, the patient will be transported immediately to the nearest hospital in one of the ambulances stationed at the hotels and meeting areas.

Arrangements have been made for medical services at the Hospital Paitilla and the Hospital San Fernando, which have the technical resources and staff to tend to all sorts of patients.  The cost will be borne by the media outlet or representative using the services.

XXV. General information

Location:  The Republic of Panama is at the center of the Western Hemisphere.  Its name means “abundance of fishes” in an indigenous language.  It has a territory of 75,517 km² and a population estimated at 3,000,000.  It is bordered to the North by the Caribbean Sea, to the South by the Pacific Ocean, to the East by the Republic of Colombia, and to the West by the Republic of Costa Rica.

Weather:  On average, the temperature in Panama is between 25^o and 35^o C (77 to 90^o F).  There are two seasons:  rainy and dry.  The rainy season runs from May to December, but the daytime is mostly warm and sunny.  Because of air conditioning, media representatives should bring jackets to the meeting rooms. 

Official language: The official language of the Republic of Panama is Spanish.  Businesses and services commonly have staff who speak English. 

Official currency: The official currency of the Republic of Panama is the balboa.  However, the banknote in common use is the United States dollar.  Coins in denominations of one, five, 10, and 25 cents are circulated at par. 

Taxes:  All purchases in Panama are subject to a 5% “transfer of movable goods tax’’ (ITBM-VAT), except medications, food, and school supplies.

Tipping:  Tips are not included in the bill at all restaurants.  It is customary to leave 10% to 15% of the total bill. 

Business hours:             9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (continuous)

Local time:                    GMT - 5 (same time as in Washington, D.C.) 

Electrical current:          110 volts / 60 Hz  and 220V 

Telephone area code:     00507 

XXVI.    Hotel Reservations 

Hotel reservations will be assigned strictly in the order in which requests are received. Hotel bills must be settled directly by each participant prior to departure.

A valid credit card number must be provided to confirm a reservation.  Each individual is responsible for paying the hotel directly for accommodation costs, business center services, and any other additional costs.

The host country is unable to incur any expenses or make any payments on behalf of any member of the media.  When making billing arrangements, each person must confirm his or her account and notify the hotel of the means of payment.  Personal checks may not be used for settling hotel bills unless prior arrangements to that effect have been made with the hotel management.