• Information note

For participating States and observers of the General Assembly, inscription in the list of speakers for the plenary meetings and the thematic roundtable discussions shall be on a first-come, first-served basis and in accordance with customary protocol, whereby precedence is given to Heads of State or Governments, followed by other Heads of Delegation.

In addition to representatives of States participating in the Conference and those of the European Union, representatives of the following may, time permitting, make a statement in the general debate: (a) intergovernmental organizations and other entities that have received a standing invitation from the General Assembly to participate in the capacity of observer in the sessions and work of all international conferences convened under its auspices; (b) specialized agencies and related organizations; (c) other intergovernmental organizations ; and (d) interested United Nations organs. The representatives of the non-governmental organizations and the private sector may also be added to the list of speakers.

Participants wishing to inscribe in the list of speakers for the Plenary Meetings and the thematic round table discussions should contact the General Assembly and Economic Affairs Division (Mr. Victor Leu (e-mail: leu@un.org; tel. +1 (212) 963-1531).

To enable maximum participation within the limited time available, it is proposed that a time limit of five minutes be established for each statement in the Plenary.

All participants of the conference holding any type of passport need to obtain visas to enter Turkmenistan. The host government has created a dedicated website for the use by all participants to apply for a visa available at: https://goo.gl/vQEoEa. When submitting an application for a visa, members of an official delegation must attach a copy of the letter of their Government (or organization) addressed to the United Nations designating them as part of the delegation, as well as the letter of confirmation from the UN approving their pre-registration at the conference. Any inquiries about visas can be emailed to: ashgabat2016st.visas@gmail.com.

Upon review of a duly submitted visa application, the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan will issue a Letter of Invitation (LOI) that will be used to grant a gratis visa at the consular sections of the Embassies of Turkmenistan, or upon arrival at the airport presenting the LOI, given that:

• participants have a valid return ticket;
• participant’s passport remains valid six (6) months from the intended departure date from Turkmenistan.

Holders of a United Nations laissez-passer also need to obtain a visa to enter Turkmenistan.

The Conference will be convened as an initiative and under the chairmanship of the Secretary- General of the United Nations. It will be held at the highest level, including Heads of States or Government. Details on access and accreditation (request for a conference pass) for different categories of participants are available below.

Access to the Conference site and conference rooms will require presentation of a valid conference pass issued by the United Nations. Delegates holding a conference pass are subject to screening at the main entrance to the Conference venue. VIP groups, including Heads of State or Government, Vice-Presidents, Crown Princes/Princesses, Deputy Prime Ministers and cabinet ministers, as well as their spouses will be exempt from screening.

23 November 2016	9:30 am – 6:00 pm
24 November 2016	9:30 am – 7:00 pm
25 November 2016	9:30 am – 8:00 pm
26 November 2016	8:30 am – 5:30 pm
27 November 2016	9:00 am – 12:30 pm

The Conference will be open to all Member States of the United Nations; non-member States as well as intergovernmental organizations and other entities having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the sessions and work of the General Assembly and the work of all international conferences convened under its auspices. Participation will be expected at the highest level. A letter of invitation from the Secretary-General to Heads of State and Government was dispatched on 20 June 2016.

Accreditation of official delegations of States and intergovernmental organizations, as well as specialized agencies and related organizations, is handled by the United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service.

Pre-accreditation in New York at the Protocol and Liaison Service in New York will commence on 20 October 2016 and will continue until 16 November 2016. Please follow the instructions specified in the paragraphs below. Permanent and Observer missions and liaison offices are strongly advised to make use of the pre-accreditation option in New York for all delegates who will participate in the Conference before the pre-accreditation deadline of 16 November 2016, as this will simplify the process and prevent delays and inconvenience for delegates in Ashgabat.

Following past practice, Heads of State or Government, Vice-Presidents and Crown Princes/ Princesses and their spouses will be provided with a VIP pass without a photograph. Deputy Prime Ministers/cabinet ministers and their spouses will be issued a VIP pass with a photograph.

For issuance of Conference badges and VIP passes, authorized users of the Permanent/Observer missions and liaison offices are required to follow the mandatory procedure below:

• 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, Protocol and Liaison Service (Attn.: Ms. Wai Tak Chua), at Room S-0201 or by facsimile to +1 (212) 963-1921, providing an authorized list of the members of the delegation (with names, functional titles and affiliations) who require a Conference badge.
• A copy of the same should also be sent to the General Assembly Affairs Branch, Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (Fax: +1 (212) 963-2155);
• Register online via the eAccreditation system at https://delegate.un.int by completing an online accreditation form for each member of the official delegation participating in the Conference, including Heads of State or Government, Vice-Presidents, and Crown Princes/Princesses, Deputy Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers, as well as their spouses. In order for a Conference badge to be issued, the following procedure must be completed:
  • Step 1: Log on to the website https://delegate.un.int with the user name and password to access the eAccreditation system (for registered users only), then select the button entitled "Accreditation to the Global Sustainable Transport Conference, Ashgabat"
  • 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, including cabinet ministers and their spouses, are required. (Photographs of Cabinet Ministers/their spouses formerly deposited with the Protocol office for UNHQ meetings will not be used. They must be attached to the online applications.) All photographs must be recent and taken not more than six months prior to the Conference. A detailed photograph specification is attached for ease of reference. Failure to submit photographs at the time of online registration or attaching photographs which do not meet the photograph specifications, will result in delegates (including ministers) having to line up to be photographed at the Accreditation Centre in Ashgabat. Delegations are reminded that photographs are not required for Heads of State or Government, Vice Presidents, Crown Princes/ Princesses, or their spouses.

Permanent/observer missions are urged to advise and coordinate with their embassies and consulates general in Turkmenistan or in the region on the proper accreditation procedure in order to avoid dual accreditation and possible confusion. In addition, early submission of accreditation requests is highly recommended in order to facilitate timely issuance of Conference badges and to reduce the waiting time at the Accreditation Centre.

Delegations are kindly reminded that the United Nations Protocol Accreditation Unit will not accredit representatives of non-governmental organizations who do not form part of the official delegations of States and intergovernmental organizations.

Review of accreditation requests: Upon verification of the information on the lists of delegations, the Protocol and Liaison Service will authorize badge applications submitted online. An approval email will be sent to the eAccreditation users of the missions/offices for each approved participant for issuance of the Conference badge at the Accreditation Centre located at the Conference venue. No approval of a Conference badge will be granted prior to receipt of the official lists of delegations or letters of nomination. Please note that the review process may take up to 4-5 days.

Collection of Conference badges: Conference badges for pre-accredited delegations may be collected at the United Nations Accreditation and Badging Centre (144 Archabil avenue, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 744000) by a member of the delegation attending the Conference or representatives of the embassies and consulates general of states members in Turkmenistan or in the region, upon presentation of an official letter (stamped and signed) authorizing the delegate/representative to collect the Conference badges, together with a valid passport or government issued photo identification. The letter of authorization may be issued by the ministries, permanent missions to the United Nations, embassies or consulates general and must specify the name of the collector.

Delegates/representatives collecting the badges must be mindful that it is their responsibility to ensure safe delivery of the badges to members of their delegations. The United Nations Security will not issue duplicate Conference badges.

In order to compile a list of participants of the Conference, delegations of States and intergovernmental organizations are requested to submit a comprehensive list of their respective delegations to the Conference, with functional titles and designations of all the delegates, to the Protocol and Liaison Service in New York (Room S-0201, Fax: +1 (212) 963-1921) by close of business on 16 November 2016. Starting 21 November 2016, such lists can be faxed to the Protocol Accreditation Unit at the Accreditation and Badging Centre in Ashgabat (Fax: +993-12-39-8774). If the comprehensive list is not received before 24 November 2016, the Protocol Office will use the information collected from the letters of nomination received.

Starting 21 November 2016, all official communications, including lists of delegations and Conference-related materials, should be faxed to the Protocol Accreditation Unit at the Accreditation and Badging Centre in Ashgabat. The fax number is +993-12-39-8774. Delegations may also obtain the fax numbers by contacting the Protocol and Liaison Service in New York (Tel: +1 (212) 963-7171).

For any changes to the original delegation lists already submitted to the Protocol and Liaison Service, please send a separate official letter with the changes only, e.g. name of additional delegate or name of delegate no longer attending the Conference. There is no need to resend the entire delegation list every time a change is made to the delegation.

The Protocol and Liaison Service will not guarantee timely approval/delivery of Conference badges in case of late submission of accreditation requests and will not process incomplete requests such as missing official letter, list of delegation or names/functional titles/affiliates/photos.

---

Participation in the Conference is open to pre-registered representatives of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the ECOSOC and the private sector that have received a letter of confirmation of their registration from the United Nations. Please note that pre-registration is now closed. All confirmed pre-registered participants are required to take necessary steps to obtain a visa to enter Turkmenistan (for more information please see this information note)

---

On the occasion of the Global Transport Conference, the Secretariat is encouraging all member States, UN entities, major groups and other stakeholders to register their commitments and partnerships geared at sustainable transport.

Registered initiatives, which can be entered ahead or during the Conference, will signal a strong commitment to the sustainable transport we want, to drive the changes we need - for all people on our shared planet - and will be part of the official outcome of the Global Sustainable Transport Conference.

Register commitments & partnerships