Media Center

Press Advisory

OAS CONVENES IN SPECIAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY MAY 2, TO ELECT SECRETARY GENERAL

The General Assembly of the Organization of American States convenes in special session at 10:00 a.m., on Monday, May 2, at OAS Headquarters in Washington, D.C., to elect a new Secretary General for the hemispheric organization.

Nominated by their respective governments as candidates for the top OAS post are: José Miguel Insulza, Chile’s Interior Minister, and Luis Ernesto Derbez, Mexico’s Foreign Secretary.


WHAT: Special OAS General Assembly session

WHEN: 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 2, 2005

VENUE: Hall of the Americas
OAS Headquarters
17th St. & Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC.

Information on media accreditation for the Special General Assembly session can be found on the OAS website, at www.oas.org/secretarygeneral2005. Please go to this webpage to apply. Media Accreditations will be delivered to journalists in the lobby of the OAS Main Building the same day. Please be sure to have it visible at all times.

Entrance: Those with still cameras and video cameras and other equipment will enter from the C Street side of the Main Building. Other media personnel will use the main entrance, (17th Street & Constitution Avenue).

The Media Center will be set up on the first floor of the Main Building, and will be open from 8:00 a.m. on May 2. The Media Center will be equipped with a limited number of computers and phone lines, video and audio outlets, video monitors, wireless access for laptops, and printing facilities. All services will be provided on a first-come-first-served basis.

Pool Footage: The Media Center will be outfitted with closed circuit broadcast monitors transmitting live from the Hall of the Americas. There will be a number of audio (XLR) and video (BNC) outlets. Pool footage will be provided for television stations. No TV cameras will be allowed into the Hall of the Americas.

Fiber optics transmission in Washington, DC: Live signal of the Special General Assembly session will be broadcast by fiber optic line and will be available on Verizon AVOC in Washington, DC (Circuit 36TVGZ1095).

Networks on Satellite Transmission: One hour of the opening ceremony and a 30-minute video summary of the day’s activities, including the final press conference, will be posted on satellite and made available to TV networks from the hemisphere (open channel or multi-destination satellite signal).

Satellite Set up:
1) Opening Ceremony: 05/02/2005 1000-1100 x0030 ET (GMT 14:00 - 15:00)
Space: Pas9/7c/ch.2 MCPC (9 Mbit/sec)
DL FREQ: 3840 Vertical; FEC: 7/8; SR: 27.69 ; Virtual Channel 2

2) Video summary and final press conference: 05/02/2005 1600-1630 x0015 ET (GMT 20:00 - 20:30)
Space: Pas9/7c/ch.2 MCPC (9 Mbit/sec)
DL FREQ: 3840 Vertical. FEC: 7/8 SR: 27.69. Virtual Channel 2.

For more information: 24/7 help desk and Assistance: 305-341-4500 / Reference OAS General Assembly Broadcast

Webcast live and on-demand: There will be live high- and low-resolution video on the web (http://www.oas.org/secretarygeneral2005/english/webcast.asp). Videos on demand will also be posted immediately after the event at the following Web address: (http://www.oas.org/OASpage/videosondemand/home_eng/videos.asp).

Photographic coverage: High-resolution photos of the event will be available on the OAS website (www.oas.org/OASpage/eng/photos). Photographs of the event can be used, free of charge, as long as the source is acknowledged. There will be a photo-opportunity at the beginning of the event and a second one immediately after the election of the Secretary General.

Press Conference: There will be a final press conference at the end of the session, in the Hall of the Americas. All media are invited to participate. Photographers and TV crews will then be allowed in the Hall of the Americas.


Up to date information for the Special General Assembly session can be found at the website: www.oas.org/secretarygeneral2005.

Reference: AVI-048/05