E
VIP/DC/INF/1
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
DATE: MAY 7, 2013
Diplomatic Conference to Conclude a Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities
Marrakesh, June 17 to 28, 2013
GENERAL INFORMATION
Prepared by the International Bureau
CONFERENCE DATES
The Diplomatic Conference to Conclude a Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities will take place from Monday, June 17 to Friday, June 28, 2013. The Conference is convened by WIPO and will be hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco.
CONFERENCE VENUE
The Diplomatic Conference will take place in Marrakesh, Morocco, at the Mansour Eddahbi Palais des Congres, Boulevard Mohamed VI, Marrakesh 40000, tel: +212 5 24 33 91 00. For further information on the conference venue please visit the following webpage: http://www.mansoureddahbi.com/palaisdescongres/.
Smoking will be forbidden in the conference venue.
REGISTRATION
Conference photo badges will be issued to accredited participants at the Registration Desk (Level 0, Reception and Registration Hall, Palais des Congres) on presentation of the participant’s on-line registration, e-mail (or confirmation number), a copy of the credentials or nomination letter, and a photo I.D. Should the credentials (or letter of appointment for IGO and NGO representatives) not have been transmitted to WIPO in advance, please present the original of the document/letter to the WIPO Secretariat at the Diplomatic Conference venue on the first day of the conference.
The Registration Desk will be open on Monday June 17, 2013 from 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. for pre-registration and badge pick up. To avoid delays on the morning of the formal opening of the conference, delegates are encouraged to proceed with registration formalities on Monday, June 17, 2013.
A special desk will be provided for registration of high level dignitaries. Please enquire at the registration desk.
ACCESS TO THE CONFERENCE VENUE
When entering the conference venue, participants will be required to go through security screening by security personnel, similar to that experienced in airports (i.e. x-ray tunnels and walk-through metal detectors). Please arrive early enough to allow time for this procedure.
MEETING HOURS AND DAYS
Conference meetings will be held each day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., unless otherwise indicated. The substantive work of the Diplomatic Conference will begin on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 and will continue through June 28, 2013 (including weekend days). Please note that Monday, June 17 will be a day dedicated to pre-registration for participants.
INTERPRETATION
Simultaneous interpretation will be provided for the official sessions of the Diplomatic Conference in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish, and from Portuguese into the other six languages.
DELEGATES’ INTERVENTIONS AT THE DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE
The work of the Secretariat and interpreters would be greatly facilitated if speakers could kindly send a copy of their statement(s) to the Secretariat prior to the Conference to the following e-mail address: copyright.mail@wipo.int. If not transmitted electronically, copies of statements (even handwritten) should be handed to the Conference Officers as early as possible during the Conference.
WEBCASTING AND CAPTIONING
Live webcasting will be available for sessions held in Meeting Room 1 on the WIPO Internet website. Captioning will also be provided.
DOCUMENT COUNTER
The Conference Document Counter will be situated on level 0 of the Mansour Eddahbi Palais des Congres, outside of the plenary session meeting room (Salle des Ministres).
INFORMATION DESK
The Conference Information Desk will be situated on Level 0 of the Reception and Registration hall of the Mansour Eddahbi Palais des Congres, next to the plenary session meeting room. The Information Desk will be open as of Monday, June 17, at 8 a.m.
INTERNET CAFE
Delegates and participants may use the Internet Cafe provided by the Conference on the Level -1 (Ouzoud Area) of the Mansour Eddahbi Palais des Congres during meeting hours. A free Wi-Fi service will also be available at the Palais des Congres.
TRAVEL DESK
A travel desk will be operating at the Palais des Congres.
RECEPTION
An opening welcome reception will be hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco on Tuesday June 18, 2013 at the Palmeraie. The exact time and location will be confirmed closer to the event date.
Other social events will be confirmed in upcoming weeks.
CATERING
A for-purchase catering service with light food and soft drinks will be available to delegates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the conference. Several restaurants and cafeterias are also available close to the conference venue. Drinking water will also be available to all participants at the conference center.
TRANSPORT
For registered participants of the Diplomatic Conference, a shuttle service will be organized for Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakesh airports to and from hotels on certain dates. For arrivals the shuttles will be in operation for transport to hotels on June 15 and 16, and for departures from the hotels shuttles will be in service to the above-mentioned airports on June 29 and 30. In Marrakesh, the main point of arrival and departure is Menara airport (+212 24 447865), a 6km ride southwest of the Medina and Gueliz.
The exact hours will be communicated closer to the opening of the Diplomatic Conference.
Delegates arriving at these airports on June 15 or 16 should approach the Diplomatic Conference Welcome Desks at the exit of the international arrivals area of each airport for further assistance. Special assistance will also be provided to visually impaired persons at the airports by multilingual staff.
A shuttle service will also operate from the hotels listed on the Diplomatic conference website www.wipo.int/dc2013/en to the Palais des Congres. The service will be operational during the official working hours of the Diplomatic Conference. Other hotels will not be covered by the shuttle service.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR MOROCCO
Delegates, representatives of observer organizations and other participants are responsible for obtaining their own visas. As a general rule, the delegates, representatives of observer organizations and other participants are required to obtain their Morocco entry visas at the Embassies or Consulates of Morocco in their respective countries. They should be in possession of valid entry visas before commencing their travel. Please contact the Embassy or Consulate of Morocco in your country of residence to learn about the visa requirements in your specific case. For your reference, a list of agreements on mutual visa exemption between the Kingdom of Morocco and foreign countries is available under the following link: http://www.wipo.int/dc2013/en/visa.html
ACCOMMODATION
Special room rates have been negotiated for registered Diplomatic Conference participants in hotels located near the Palais des Congres. For detailed information on available rates and registration please visit the following link: http://www.wipo.int/dc2013/en/accommodation.htmlSPECIAL INFORMATION FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED DELEGATES and DELEGATES TRAVELLING WITH GUIDE DOGS
Detailed information on the Moroccan regulations is available at http://www.wipo.int/dc2013/en/guidedogs/
Special assistance and facilities will be provided at the airports and at the Palais des Congres for visually impaired delegates.
As regards accommodation, kindly note that the NOVOTEL SUITE and Le MERIDIEN Hotels can accept delegates with guide dogs. Further information is available at: http://www.wipo.int/dc2013/en/accommodation.html
The Palais des Congres meets accessibility requirements.
MEDIA
The Conference is open to media. Journalists wishing to cover the international conference to conclude a treaty to facilitate access to published works by visually impaired persons and persons with print disabilities are invited to apply for media accreditation: http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2013/article 0003.html
A media space will be available at level 0 of the Palais des Congres.
TAXI SERVICES
Taxi Services are available at hotels, and hotel staff can assist in ordering a taxi for you. At street level in Marrakesh, you can also flag down a taxi to the Conference venue or other destinations. Taxis are also available at the Conference venue.
Please note that taxi services are at participants' own expense. Also note that "petits taxis" are less expensive than "grands taxis". A ride from the airport costs 70 Dhs with a petit taxi and 100 with a grand taxi. A drive from the Palais des Congres to the city center costs around 20 to 25 Dhs.
TELEPHONE AND COMMUNICATIONS
During meeting hours, local calls can be made at the Conference Information Desk. Outside meeting hours, calls and faxes can be made at the Reception and Registration hall of the Mansour Eddahbi Palais des Congres or in other hotels for a fee. For participants using mobile telephones, Morocco has three major service providers: INWI (HSDPA and 3G coverage), Maroc Telecom (GSM Network) and Meditel (HSDPA and 3G coverage). For Internet access, Delegates and participants may use the Internet Cafe provided by the Conference on the Level -1 (Salle Fes) of the Mansour Eddahbi Palais des Congres during meeting hours.
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Morocco emergency telephone numbers:
Police: 19 (urban area) / 177 (rural areas)
Ambulance: 15
Fire Department: 15
CLIMATE AND DRESS CODE
June is one of the hottest seasons in Marrakech, with average temperatures of 31°C/88°F up to 40 °C/97°F during daytime and 16°C/61°F during nighttime (based on meteorological averages). The average duration of sun exposure is up to 9 hours a day. In order to avoid sunstroke, it is highly recommended to stay hydrated and wear sunscreen with a high SPF. Morocco is malaria-free.
The dress code for the Diplomatic Conference will be formal attire on the first and last day and for official receptions. Business casual dressing will apply on other days (no tie required).
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Appropriate Safety and Security measures will be provided inside the Conference premises. A medical unit is also available at the Palais des Congres. An ambulance and a SAMU will be available next to the Palais des Congres. A medical helicopter will be on stand-by in case a medical evacuation is necessary. Medical facilities are also available within the city of Marrakech.
The outside perimeter will be secured by the official security forces (police . gendarmerie) of the Kingdom of Morocco. Access control to the Palais des Congres will be similar to airport security (metal detectors and X-ray machines), with badge control for the attendees.
LOCAL TIME and ELECTRICITY
The local time for Marrakech is GMT + 0 hours. Electricity in Morocco uses 220V, 50Hz.
CURRENCY
Morocco’s local currency is the Moroccan dirham (Dh or MAD), which is divided into 100 centimes. The exchange rate is approximately $1=Dh 8.60 and .1=Dh 11.12 (subject to change). There are currency exchange counters in the arrival area of the international airports and in the hotels.
CONTACTS.
For general issues and overall coordination of the Diplomatic Conference:
Ms. Carole Croella, Senior Counsellor, Copyright Law Division
e-mail: carole.croella@wipo.int
Mr. Carlos Castro, Consultant, Copyright Law Division
e-mail: carlos.castro@wipo.int
For registration:
Ms. Janice Driscoll, Head, Conference Section
e-mail : janice.driscoll@wipo.int
For questions relating to credentials and full powers:
Ms. Castro Hublin, Head Legal and Constitutional Affairs Section, Office of the Legal Counsel
e-mail: christine.hublin@wipo.int
original
Conferences, Meetings and Seminars
Meeting Title : Diplomatic Conference to conclude a Treaty to facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities
Date and venue June 17 to June 28, 2013 (Marrakesh, Morocco)
http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/details.jsp?meeting_id=28722