MEDIA ADVISORY

For people, dialogue and stability: OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Miroslav Lajčák to host OSCE Ministerial Council in Slovakia’s capital on 5-6 December

BRATISLAVA / VIENNA, 3 December 2019 – Nearly 40 foreign ministers from the OSCE’s 57 participating States will meet in Bratislava on 5 and 6 December 2019 for the 26th OSCE Ministerial Council. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Slovakia's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajčák will host the meeting under the slogan of Slovakia’s 2019 OSCE Chairmanship: For people, dialogue and stability.

Ministers, senior diplomats and policy-makers from the participating States and OSCE Partners for Co-operation will discuss the most pressing security challenges facing security in Europe and beyond, and chart the way forward for the OSCE’s working agenda. 

“This OSCE Ministerial Council convenes nearly 45 years after the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, and 30 years after peaceful demonstrations for freedom, democracy and human rights led to the birth of my own country,” said OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Lajčák, ahead of the meeting. “If ever there was a time to focus on what unites rather than divides us, and to recommit to the principles of the Organization we formed to create a safer future for us all, this is it.”

The Slovak Chairmanship aims to use the Ministerial Council to recount ongoing co-operation, and spur even more efforts, in its three priority areas: preventing and resolving conflict, and mitigating its impact on people, most notably related to the crisis in and around Ukraine; providing for a safer future – from the prevention of extremism and terrorism, to harnessing the role of digitalization in security; and promoting effective multilateralism. 

Full and comprehensive details for media representatives covering the Ministerial Council can be found in the Media Handbook. The main media opportunities and some practical information are elaborated below.

Media opportunities

All media representatives accredited to the Ministerial Council are invited to attend the opening and closing sessions of the OSCE Parallel Civil Society Conference 2019 organized by the Civil Solidarity Platform on Wednesday, 4 December. During the Civil Society Conference, participants will prepare their recommendations to the Ministerial Council and later present them to a representative of the Slovak Chair.

The Civil Society Conference’s opening session will take place from 09:00 to 09:30 and the closing session from 16:30 to 17:45 at the Hotel Saffron, Radlinského 27, 811 07 Bratislava. No additional press registration is required for this event.

Thursday, 5 December 2019

The OSCE Ministerial Council will be held at the INCHEBA Expo Bratislava.

08:40
Doorstep by OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Lajčák                                   
Media centre, Annex, first floor; Open to all accredited media

08:30 – 09:30                                              
Arrival of Heads of Delegation
Access only by Pool (Media representatives are requested to gather at 08:15)
Head of Delegation Entrance, Main Area, ground floor

10:00                                                           
Opening Session of the OSCE Ministerial Council
Access only by Pool (Media representatives are requested to gather at 09:45)
Plenary Hall, Main Area, ground floor 

From 10:00                                                    
Livestream of the opening and plenary sessions of the OSCE Ministerial Council 
Media centre, Annex, first floor

13:15                                                       
Family Photo
Access only by Photo pool (Media representatives are requested to gather at 13:00)
Main Area, first floor

18:30                                                          
End-of-day doorstep by OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Lajčák
Media centre, Annex, first floor; Open to all accredited media

Friday, 6 December 2019

From 10:00                                                    
Livestream of plenary and closing sessions of the OSCE Ministerial Council 
Media centre, Annex, first floor

Time TBC
Closing session of the OSCE Ministerial Council
Access only by Pool (Media representatives are requested to gather at 12:15)
Plenary Hall, Main Area, ground floor

Around 13:30 
Press Conference with the current and incoming OSCE Chairpersons-in-Office and the OSCE Secretary General
Main Press Conference Room, Annex, first floor; Open to all accredited media

Notes

All times specified above are indicative and subject to change. Please follow the internal TV system (CCTV) for updates.

Pool participation is primarily for photographers and camera operators. Media representatives are requested to register in-person at the Media Information Desk for a pool ahead of time. As space is limited, registration will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Although interpretation will be available to the audience during press conferences, recordings will only be possible in the floor language. The internal TV system (CCTV) available in the Media centre will only broadcast the floor language of the meetings being held in the Plenary Hall.

Beyond the Ministerial Council – Thematic Side Events

Several events in the Media centre focusing on OSCE-related projects and topics will be open to accredited media representatives. These side events will provide a forum for dialogue between civil society, youth, academia, the media and State delegations. Please consult pages 20-22 of the Media Handbook for more information. Specific information will also be made available in the Media centre and displayed on the CCTV screens.

Practical information

Media accreditation

Please note that accreditation to the OSCE Ministerial Council is now closed and that on-the-spot accreditation is not possible.

Conference badges can be collected in person upon presentation of a valid photo ID at the media accreditation desk at the meeting venue on: 

Wednesday, 4 December 12:00 – 18:00
Thursday, 5 December 07:00 – 18:00
Friday, 6 December 07:00 – 12:00

Access to the Ministerial Council is only possible with a valid conference badge. Badges must be worn visibly at all times and are non-transferable. 

Media representatives may use public transport in Bratislava free-of-charge from 4 to 6 December upon presentation of a conference badge. For maps, routes and timetables, please consult: www.imhd.sk/ba/public-transport

For questions related to accreditation please address one of the accreditation officers at the media accreditation desk or contact [email protected]

Media centre

A fully equipped media centre will be located on the first floor of the Annex of the Ministerial Council venue. The entire Conference venue will be restricted and secured, with access possible only by visibly wearing a valid conference badge at all times. The opening hours of the media information desk and media centre are:

Wednesday, 4 December 12:00 – 20:00
Thursday, 5 December 07:00 – 22:00 
Friday, 6 December 07:00 – 20:00 (depending on closing of the Ministerial Council) 
For urgent enquiries outside opening hours, please contact: +43 676 3756 163 or +421 918 660 634

For further details about the facilities available at the Media centre, please consult the Media Handbook.

Official photos

Official photos will be available for download at: 
www.flickr.com/photos/mzvsr 
www.flickr.com/photos/osceorg 

Coverage of bilateral meetings 

Media coverage of bilateral meetings is only possible upon request of a delegation. Delegations are responsible for contacting media representatives and the media information desk in the media centre or through their liaison officer at least 20 minutes before the start of the bilateral meeting to allow for media representatives to be escorted.

Interview and other requests

For briefings and individual interviews, as well as any information on the distribution of press releases, declarations, speeches and other documents, media representatives can e-mail [email protected] or call +43 676 3756 163.

Live webstreaming

The Ministerial Council’s Plenary session and closing press conference will be streamed at www.osce.org/live.

Note that the live webstream will only broadcast the floor language.

Social media

You can follow the Ministerial Council on Twitter, using the hashtags: #OSCEMC19 and #OSCESlovakia2019 and the Twitter channels: @OSCE @SlovakiaMFA @Slovakia_OSCE @MiroslavLajcak

On Facebook follow: @osce.org @mzv.sk @LajcakMiroslav

On Instagram follow: @osce.org @miroslav.lajcak

Updates will also be available on the OSCE website at: www.osce.org/event/mc_2019

Contacts

Communication and Media Relations Section
OSCE Secretariat
Phone: +43 676 3756 163
[email protected]

Róbert Zoľák 
Media Advisor
Slovak Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
Phone: +421 918 660 634
[email protected]

Contacts: