Registration for Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs)

The General Assembly recognizes the importance of the contributions and participation of intergovernmental organizations at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.

Registration for Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs)

IGOs interested in participating as observers in the World Conference were required to be accredited to the United Nations. Please note the following procedures for accreditation and registration.

 1. Participation of intergovernmental organizations with an office in New York

Accreditation of official delegations of intergovernmental organizations was handled by the United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service via an online system “eAccreditation”.  For accreditation to the Conference, official delegations were advised to go through their respective observer missions and offices in New York, who have already been registered with the eAccreditation system. Delegations are strongly advised to coordinate with their offices in New York for timely submission of accreditation requests. 

Accreditation requirements

Conference badges were issued on the basis of the following mandatory accreditation requirements: 

  • Submit an official communication, with official stamp and signed by the head of chancery or an authorizing official, to the Chief of Protocol, Mr. Peter Van Laere, United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service (Attn.: Wai Tak Chua), at Room S-0201 or by fax to +1 (212) 963-1921), providing an authorized list of the members of the delegation (with names, functional titles, affiliations and nationalities) who require a Conference badge. 

A copy of the same should  have also been sent to the General Assembly Branch, Division of General Assembly and Economic and Social Council ECOSOC Affairs Division, Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (Fax: +1 (212) 963-2155); 

  • Register online via “eAccreditation” at http://eaccreditation.un.int. This website was  open through 5 March 2015 for online registration for members of delegations. In order for a Conference badge to be issued, the following procedure were completed:

Step 1:  Log on to the website http://eaccreditation.un.int with the user name and password (for registered users only), then select “Create new request for WCDDR”
Step 2:  Complete all mandatory fields [Please do not use acronyms and abbreviations.]
Step 3:  Upload a photograph of the participant. [This is strongly recommended and please note photo specifications below.]
Step 4:  Review all information carefully and submit

Passport-size colour photographs of all listed members of delegations were required. All photographs were recent and taken not more than six months prior to the Conference. Failure to submit photographs at the time of online registration  resulted in delegates having to line up to be photographed at the Registration Centre in Sendai.  

Review of accreditation requests
Upon verification of the information on the lists of delegations, the Protocol and Liaison Service authorized badge applications submitted online.  It was noted that no approval of a Conference badge was granted prior to receipt of the official lists of delegations or letters of credentials/nomination.  

Pre-accreditation in New York (Now through 5 March 2015) 
Pre-accreditation in New York were accepted for processing at the Protocol and Liaison Service in New York.  Observer missions and liaison offices were strongly advised to make use of the pre-accreditation option in New York for all delegates who participated in the Conference before the deadline of 5 March 2015, as this simplified the process and prevented delays and inconvenience for delegates in Sendai. 

Starting 9 March 2015, all official communications, including lists of delegations and Conference-related materials, were faxed to the United Nations Protocol Accreditation Unit at the Registration Centre in Sendai. The fax number was made available and posted on the Protocol website at www.un.int/protocol not later than 27 February 2015.  Delegations could also obtain the fax number by contacting the Protocol and Liaison Service in New York (Tel: +1 (212) 963-7171). 

On-site accreditation in Sendai (9 March 2015 through 18 March 2015)
On-site accreditation of intergovernmental organizations were processed by the Protocol Accreditation Unit at the the Reception Center (Sendai International Center Station, 2-1 Aobayama, Aoba-ku, Sendai City) starting 9 March 2015 through 18 March 2015.  Non-accredited delegates seeking on-site accreditation were required to present proof of credential/letter of nomination, together with a passport or valid government-issued photo identification and to complete an on-site accreditation form.  Upon verification and approval by the Protocol Accreditation Unit, delegates could proceed to the badging booth for a photo. 

2. Participation of intergovernmental organizations without an office in New York

Intergovernmental organizations without an office in New York or not registered with the eAccredtation system, could skip the online registration but were required to follow the mandatory accreditation requirement above to submit an official communication providing an authorized list of the members of the delegation (with names, functional titles, affiliations and nationalities) to the Protocol and Liaison Service. It was important to include in the letter of nomination the name and email address of the focal point making the request in order to receive the email approvals.  

Accessibility
Representatives attending the Conference with disabilities and requiring special requirements while attending sessions within the Sendai International Centre were kindly requested to inform the Conference secretariat, via wcdrr2015@un.org, by 13 February. Requests for special requirements including wheelchair access, guide dog access, documents in accessible format, sign language interpretation and real-time captioning were accommodated where possible.

High Level Multi-stakeholder Dialogues

Each High Level Multi-stakeholder Partnership Dialogue  provided an opportunity for interactive discussions on key priorities, commitments and actions in support of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction, as it related to each topic. The emphasis was on dialogue with partners in the room with some scene setting from key note speakers and panellists.

 There were no list of speakers, however customary protocol was observed. Speakers could request the floor from their seats. Interventions were encouraged not to exceed three minutes.