For information only - not an official document

UNIS/INF/437
10 February 2012

MEDIA ADVISORY

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Visit Austria

Media invited to press conferences and public addresses

VIENNA, 10 February (UN Information Service) - The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Austria from 15-17 February 2012 to attend the Paris Pact Ministerial Conference, an event to mark the 15 th anniversary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and for a bilateral visit to Austria.

The Secretary-General will meet the Federal President Heinz Fischer and the Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Michael Spindelegger. While in Vienna the Secretary-General will attend the Third Ministerial Conference of the Paris Pact Partners on Combating the Afghan Illicit Opiate Trade where he will address the opening session. At the United Nations in Vienna the Secretary-General will address a ceremony to commemorate the 15 th anniversary of the CTBTO in the Vienna International Centre. The event also marks the opening of the Vienna base of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs. On Thursday 16 February Mr. Ban will give an address at the Hofburg Palace entitled Empowering People in a Changing World hosted by the President of Austria.

Media representatives are invited to attend the following events:

  1. Address by the Secretary-General at the opening session of the Paris Pact Third Ministerial Conference
    Venue: Hofburg Palace, Grosser Redoutensaal
    Time: 9 a.m.
    Date: Thursday 16 February 2012
    Please arrive by 8.15 a.m.

    Accreditation: pre-registration is required including for those already accredited to the VIC. Contact: Veronika Crowe-Mayerhofer, UNIS Vienna, email: press@unvienna.org, Tel: (+43 1) 26060 3342. Please register by 4 p.m. on Tuesday 14 February 2012.

    Journalists are strongly advised to collect security passes prior to the event from the Vienna International Centre Pass Office up to 4 p.m. on Tuesday 14 February or from the Hofburg Palace from 3-6 p.m. on Wednesday 15 February. Please allow plenty of time to go through security procedures before gaining access to the Hofburg Palace. Entry will be via the Josefsplatz entrance.

    Journalists who are pre-registered but have not collected their security passes in advance are warned to expect long queues and should allow extra time. Journalists arriving on Thursday 16 February without pre-registration will not be allowed entry.
  2. Joint media encounter with the Secretary-General and the President of Austria, Heinz Fischer
    Photo opportunity: 10 a.m.
    Press conference: 10.55 a.m.
    Venue: Maria-Theresia Room, Hofburg Palace, Ballhausplatz
    Date: Thursday 16 February 2012
    Please arrive by 10.35 a.m. for the press conference

    Accreditation: pre-registration is required. Media representatives who wish to attend should register with the President's Office Press Department (Telephone: (+43-1) 53422 230; Email: pressebuero@hofburg.at)     . Please register by 5 p.m. on Tuesday 14 February 2012.
  3. Address by the Secretary-General on Empowering People in a Changing World
    Venue: Hofburg Palace, Zeremoniensaal,
    Time: 11.30 a.m.
    Date: Thursday 16 February 2012
    Please arrive by 11.15 a.m.

    Accreditation: pre-registration is required. Media representatives who wish to attend should register with the President's Office Press Department (Telephone: (+43-1) 53422 230; Email: pressebuero@hofburg.at)     . Please register by 5 p.m. on Tuesday 14 February 2012.
  4. Ceremony to mark the 15 th Anniversary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) with the Secretary-General, the Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, the Austrian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Wolfgang Waldner and the Executive Secretary of the CTBTO Tibor Tóth
    - Photo opportunity: 8.25 a.m.
    - Ceremony: 8.30 a.m.
    - Press conference: 9.05 a.m.
    Venue: Vienna International Centre, Rotunda
    Date: Friday 17 February 2012
    Please arrive by 8.00 a.m. NB: there will no access to the venue after 8.15 a.m.

    Accreditation: pre-registration is required for all journalists including those already accredited to the VIC.     Contact: Veronika Crowe-Mayerhofer, UNIS Vienna, email: press@unvienna.org , Tel: (+43 1) 26060 3342. Please register by 4 p.m. on Wednesday 15 February 2012.

    Please allow plenty of time to go through security procedures before gaining access to the Vienna International Centre.

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For further information please contact:

Anne Thomas
Information Officer, UNIS Vienna
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-5588
Mobile: (+43) 699-1459-5588
Email: anne.thomas[at]unvienna.org

For further information about the Paris Pact Ministerial Conference please contact:

Preeta Bannerjee
Public Information Officer, UNODC
Telephone: (+43 1) 26060-5764
Mobile: (+43-699) 1459-5764
Email: preeta.bannerjee[at]unodc.org

For further information about the CTBTO event please contact:

Annika Thunborg
Spokesperson and Chief, Public Information, CTBTO
Telephone: (+43-1) 26030-6375
Mobile: (+43) 699-1459-6375
Email: annika.thunborg[at]ctbto.org