Administrative information about the special session for accredited delegates

This note provides important information about organizational arrangements for the UN Special Session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS including how to obtain passess for all civil society organizations with accreditation to the special session (including those organizations with consultative status with ECOSOC that indicated their intention to attend the special session).

The Pass Office

There is a special office dedicated to the special session on HIV. These temporary facilities are located at the North Garden Entrance, at the corner of 1st Avenue and East 47th Street.

UN Security is opening these facilities at the following times:

Thursday 21 June: 9 am - 1pm, 2pm - 5pm
Friday 22 June: 9am - 1pm, 2pm - 5pm
Sunday 24 June: 10am - 2pm
Monday 25 June: 8am - 1pm, 2pm - 5pm
Tuesday 26 June: 9am - 1pm, 2pm - 5pm
Wednesday 27 June: 9am - 1pm, 2pm - 5pm

Please note, because of security concerns, the UN building is closed on Saturday 23 June. The Pass Office will therefore not open on this day. If UN Security alters this decision, the opening times of the Pass Office will be posted on this website and on the Break-the-Silence discussion forum will be advised immediately.

We are working with UN Security to see if the opening hours of the Pass Office can be extended. We will post any changes immediately on this website and on Break-the-Silence.

We strongly recommend that you obtain your pass as early as possible. There are likely to be queues on Monday morning.

What information do I need to bring?

In order to be issued your pass, you need to bring two documents with you:

What kind of pass will I be issued with?

This will be a specific special session on HIV/AIDS pass to allow you access to the UN building for the duration of the special session. It will be effective from Monday 25 June to Wednesday 27 June.

This will not give you access to the UN General Assembly itself or to the formal round-table meetings, which will take place in the ECOSOC chamber. It will allow pass holders to have access to civil society and UN side events inside the UN building (except those that are by invitation only), and access to the overflow room (Conference Room 3), where the special session proceedings and round tables will be shown on closed-circuit television.

UNAIDS will contact those civil society actors who have been invited by the General Assembly to participate in the four round tables about their specific passes to those sessions.

Will I be able to get into the General Assembly room?

The entire second floor of the General Assembly and conference buildings is a restricted area, and the special session passes will not provide access for accredited civil society organizations.

However, civil society has been allocated 50 seats in the General Assembly room (4th floor, public gallery) to observe the plenary sessions of the UN General Assembly. Additional passes for two-hour slots will be issued for these. Passes for the Monday sessions will be allocated by civil society themsleves during the civil society orientation meeting on Sunday 24 June. More information about this will be posted on Break-the-Silence by ICASO and CONGO.

Access to the gallery will be from the Visitors' Entrance of the General Assembly building. Other accredited civil society delegates may follow the plenary proceedings via closed-circuit television in the overflow room (Conference Room 3).

Will I be able to get into the formal special session round tables?

No. Only those civil society actors invited by the General Assembly to participate in the round tables will be given access. Special passes for these participants will be issued directly by UNAIDS. Accredited civil society delegates who wish to follow the proceedings of the round tables may be do so via closed-circuit television in the overflow room (Conference Room 3).

Will I be able to get into to side events inside the UN building?

Special session side events within the UN are open to all accredited delegates. These take place in Conference Rooms B and 4, as well as the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium (unless otherwise indicated). Please note that for security reasons, UN Security may further limit access to the UN building.

Is there a working space for NGOs?

Yes. Conference Room A has been allocated to civil society for their office space. More information will be provided by ICASO and CONGO.

Can I distribute materials at the special session?

Yes. However, please note that printed materials can only be distributed on tables that will be situated outside Conference Rooms 4 and B. Exhibits or objects for display will not be allowed on UN premises.

Accredited civil society delegations

The maximum number of delegates is four. Please note, that it is no longer possible to alter the names of the four delegates.

What if I am not accredited?

If you have not applied for accreditation, or if you are an NGO holding consultative status with ECOSOC and did not inform UNAIDS that you will attend the special session, you will not be able to attend the conference and cannot be issued a pass. It will also not be possible to change the names of your delegation at the Pass Office.

If you have any questions, please contact the UNAIDS civil society team, by sending an email to bplumley@unicef.org or by calling 1 212 326 7021.