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Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit

Guidelines on Media Access at United Nations Headquarters     

Preamble

The following agreement between the Department of Public Information (DPI), Department of Safety and Security (DSS), the Office of the Spokesman of the Secretary-General (OSSG), the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) and the Office of the General Assembly President governs media access at United Nations Headquarters. During times of heightened security, additional restrictions may apply.

The purpose of this agreement is to grant as much access as possible to members of the press while safeguarding and protecting the United Nations Headquarters complex (UNHQ) and ensuring the safety, security and comfort of all of its occupants: staff, delegates and press alike.

While ensuring safety and security is the starting point of all policies at UNHQ, it is equally true that journalists play an essential role in the United Nations work and therefore their ability to cover United Nations activities must be facilitated to the greatest extent possible.

Where unexpected circumstances arise, the approach will be to avoid confrontation, maintain civility and find the fastest, safest and most secure acceptable solution.

Correspondents who are granted access to UNHQ must abide by the policies in place, as per a 1997 agreement between the UNCA Executive Committee and the then-Assistant Secretary General for Public Information, which stated in part:

“An open working relationship is based on a professional dialogue and accountable exchange. Those, if any, who may violate the ground rules of wider access will be unfair to their colleagues and to their profession as well as to the UN; therefore, violations will risk a withdrawal of their accreditation.”

The parties to this agreement will meet once a year, or as needed, to review policies, which can be revised as needed and should be applied based on a spirit of mutual cooperation and respect for the two simultaneous requirements of security and access.

Access to Various Categories of Correspondents:                                                  

1.   Resident Correspondents

  1. Resident Correspondents may access all entrances except the Delegates Entrance.
  2. Resident Correspondents may access through the 45th Street Gate (Post 105) and the Delegates Entrance only if accompanying a senior diplomat or senior UN official without equipment and only at the discretion of the Duty Officer at the Delegates Entrance.
  3. All correspondents accessing the premises with equipment must pass through security screening.
  4. All camera crews accessing the premises with equipment must use the Visitors Entrance between 08:00 and 19:00 hours daily. They may enter through the 42nd Street Entrance at all other times.
  5. Resident Correspondents may sign in up to five (5) guests.

2.    Non-Resident Correspondents (NRCs)

  1. NRCs may only access through the Visitors’ Entrance at 46th Street and 1st Avenue between 08:00 and 19:00 hours. They may access through the 42nd Street Entrance when the Visitors’ Entrance is closed.  
  2. NRCs may access authorized areas of the building unescorted after they and their equipment have passed through security screening, unless DSS has declared a heightened period of security. These correspondents may use the fast lane for UN personnel on the far right side of the security tent at the Visitors Entrance.
  3. A dated security clearance sticker will be placed on all equipment.
  4. NRCs are not permitted to sign in guests.
  5. Non-resident correspondents will be required to read these guidelines and sign an agreement that they will adhere to them.

3.    Temporary Correspondents

  1. A Temporary Correspondent pass is distinguished by a diagonal striped green pass.
  2. Temporary Correspondents may access only through the Visitors Entrance between 08:00 and 19:00 hours.
  3. Temporary Correspondents are not permitted to sign in guests.

Media Access to Restricted Areas in UNHQ
      
1.       Additional Access Privileges

  1. All correspondents have access to the First Basement areas in front of the Conference Rooms without escort.
  2. Resident print correspondents may interview UN officials on any floor of the Secretariat building except the 38th floor if they have a scheduled appointment. However, resident broadcast correspondents must notify MALU prior to the interview. Temporarily accredited print and broadcast correspondents require MALU escort above the 4th floor.
  3. Resident broadcast correspondents conducting TV “stand-ups” outside, within the UN grounds should notify MALU, who will notify Security prior to the event; in case this is not feasible, the correspondents must notify the Security Coordination Office directly (3-6666).
  4. Correspondents may access the First Basement Level, including the Viennese Café, from the second floor by using the GA escalators from the 2nd floor proceeding via the 1st floor and down the stairs. The media may not congregate or conduct interviews at the Delegates’ Entrance unless in the stakeout area.

2.       Security Council

  1. All accredited correspondents may access the Security Council stakeout area without an escort from MALU or the Department of Public Information.
  2. On those occasions when MALU anticipates a large number of correspondents, secondary passes may be issued. MALU will be responsible for the distribution of the allocated passes for all correspondents on a first-come, first-served basis. Security will ensure that the number of allocated passes does not exceed the capacity.
  3. Correspondents may move around in the stakeout area and conduct interviews. However, when a speaker is using the microphone, or when the arrival of a speaker is imminent, correspondents must remain behind the blue fencing and not stand or walk through the area between the fence and the wall with the flags and the Guernica tapestry. When a speaker is using the stakeout microphone, correspondents may not accompany diplomats who transit through the area between the wall and the blue fencing.
  4. TV camera crews must remain on the upper level of the stakeout area at all times when the Security Council is in session, unless escorted by MALU. The lower level is reserved for UNTV and print/broadcast media.  However, media will have unescorted access to the extended area of the Security Council stakeout, on the North side of the North steps.  [This is to be implemented provisionally on a trial basis and its sustainability reviewed by the Standing Committee.]
  5. Accredited media may access the South Lounge area behind the blue fences along the south corridor immediately adjacent to the Security Council Lounge. They may conduct interviews in these areas. On-the-record interviews should be conducted in front of the stakeout microphone. Correspondents may move between the south and west blue fences when the Council is in session and remain behind both fences. Any interviews will be conducted in the areas that make up the stakeout areas, not on the stairs. Under no circumstances should the North and South staircases and the corridor leading to the Security Council be blocked.
  6. Correspondents who accompany diplomats along the corridor from the Delegates North Lounge towards the Security Council must pass behind the stakeout wall or the blue barriers when they reach the stakeout area when someone is speaking at the stakeout microphone at that moment. The same applies when walking in the opposite direction from the Security Council to the North Lounge.

3.       Delegates Lounge, Corridor and GA Stakeout

  1. All Resident Correspondents without camera equipment are allowed unescorted access in the corridor between the Security Council and the Delegates North Lounge up to the top of the escalators in the General Assembly Building, the exception being when the East Foyer (GA stake-out) is live, when Resident Correspondents may only have unescorted access as far as the stakeout area. If they prefer to be in the Delegates’ stakeout at the bottom of the escalators, they must be escorted by MALU.
  2. Correspondents may have access to the Delegates’ Lounge but only hand-held voice recorders may be used for interviews. They may enter with hand-held tape recorders only. If the delegate wishes to do a TV interview, that can take place in the corridor or in the seats located at the North West corner (in the vicinity of the reception desk) with MALU approval and escort. No camera equipment is permitted in the Delegates North Lounge.
  3. The hallway leading to the office of the President of the General Assembly’s (room C-204) is a restricted area. All correspondents requesting access to this area must obtain permission from the Office of the GA President. Media may have access to the hallway leading to C-209.  However, when a stakeout is established, all media will be restricted to the stakeout.

4.       Indonesian Lounge

  1. Correspondents have access to the Indonesian Lounge only by invitation of a delegate.  Broadcast crews will need an escort from MALU.

5.     General Assembly Hall

  1. Correspondents may have access to the General Assembly Hall for stand-ups or interviews only if the GA is not in session and with prior approval and escort from MALU.
  2. Correspondents and Resident Correspondents with cameras are permitted to stake out the General Assembly Hall entrance at the East Foyer only with MALU escort.
  3. Photographers may have access to the designated photo booths and bridge area of the GA Hall only with escort by MALU.

6.       ECOSOC

  1. With the approval of UN Security and MALU a stakeout area for journalists and TV crews will be made available at the delegation seating area, in front of the windows, at the entrance to the ECOSOC corridor when high-ranking officials are holding meetings of significant news value as determined by the Spokesman’s Office or MALU.  

7.       Open Meetings

  1. Correspondents are permitted access to open meetings in designated areas within the conference room.  If these areas are in addition to the fixed press areas, they will be designated by MALU in consultation with the Chairperson of the meeting.

8.       General Access for TV Crews

  1. Resident TV correspondents and their crew are permitted to film and interview diplomats and officials, with their consent, in areas of general media access, such as the Secretariat lobby areas, the Visitors’ Lobby and Visitors’ Plaza, 1B and 3B corridors, and the 2nd floor of the Secretariat (between S-226 and S-250).  All other areas will require a MALU escort. TV crews will not be permitted in the Delegates Dining Room on the 4th floor. Filming in these areas is only permitted after prior consultation with MALU who will provide an escort at all times.

9.        Photo Ops

  1. Photo ops are limited to one minute maximum. If there is a large presence of visual media present, they will be taken in two batches: first, the photographers, to be followed by the TV camera crew, or vice versa. MALU personnel will always be present at the photo ops. No questions are permitted during these photo ops.

10.    Stakeout Locations

a.       Fixed: MALU presence is required.
(i)       Delegates Entrance
(ii)      Security Council
(iii)     Secretariat Entrance (Old 102)

b.       Discretionary: MALU presence is required.
(i)       ECOSOC (West Wall Window)
(ii)      Ad-hoc as needed with approval of HQ Security.
(iii)     East Foyer (opposite 2nd floor entrance to GA Hall).