Practical Information for Participants to RA-19/WRC-19/CPM23-1

Dates and Venue

The Radiocommunication Assembly 2019 (RA-19) will be held from 21 to 25 October 2019 at the Sharm el-Sheikh
International Congress Center (SHICC) located in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, immediately preceding the World
Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) to be held from 28 October to 22 November 2019 at the same
venue. The WRC-19 will be succeeded by the first session of the Conference Preparatory Meeting for the 2023 World
Radiocommunication Conference (CPM23-1) on 25 to 26 November 2019 at the SHICC.

For further information on the event venue, please visit the Host Country website.

Schedule, Timetable and General Structure

WRC-19 daily schedules and room allocation are established for the work of the conference. This information will be
displayed and regularly updated on the electronic notice boards throughout the SHICC. Up-to-date information on all
meeting sessions will be available on the following webpage.

• RA-19/WRC-19/CPM23-1 daily schedule and meeting sessions

Weekly schedules of the main sessions with interpretation (e.g. Plenary, Committee and Working Group sessions)
are planned by the WRC-19 Steering Committee and reviewed periodically throughout the conference, taking into
account the progress made. The weekly schedule is available on the following webpage:

• WRC-19 weekly schedule

Security and access

Access to the official Conference premises within the SHICC will be strictly limited to persons wearing Conference
category badges with photograph. Participants are advised that all delegates, observers, media representatives, ITU
and Host Country Secretariat staff, and all technical and support staff of the SHICC, will only be admitted to the
Conference premises upon presentation of these badges.

Conference participants are also requested to have in their possession at all times an official travel document
(e.g. national passport) that may need to be presented in addition to the conference badge at the conference
compound entry to the host country Egyptian Authorities.
All participants will enter the conference compound at Gate No.1 and will be security screened at the access point in
front of the Registration area inside the Capital Building’s Hub area, similar to security controls found at airports (Note:
only containers with liquids, aerosols or gels of a maximum capacity of 100 ml are allowed to enter the premises). It is
recommended that participants coming to the SHICC limit their hand luggage to one small briefcase or backpack.
VVIP/VIP Minister level participants will be provided with VIP transport by the Host Country, as well as with a dedicated
security controlled access point at the rear of the Lobby next to the Capital Plenary Room.
Participants are reminded to safeguard their personal belongings at all times while in the SHICC and hotel areas.

All lost and found inquiries can be addressed to the ITU Conference Security Team at the Information Desk located
inside the SHICC.
Transportation and Parking at Sharm el-Sheikh (Shuttle buses and others)

• Transportation between the official conference hotels and SHICC for all conference participants will be provided.
Official WRC-19 Shuttle buses will drop off near the main pedestrian gate No.1 and pick up outside of gate No.8.
• It is recommended in Sharm el-Sheikh to only use approved taxis and/or approved transport cars from official
hotels. These taxis will NOT be allowed into the SHICC, but they will be allowed to drop off passengers at the
main pedestrian gate No.1 and pick-up at the taxi stands located near gate No. 8.
• Only accredited vehicles with conference stickers, namely VIP transport limousines managed by the Host
Country, will be allowed to enter the SHICC.

All non-VIP vehicles, including rented vehicles by Member State delegations, would be able to drop-off passengers
close to gate No. 1. However, those vehicles would have to park outside of gate no. 8 in a designated parking area. It
is important to note that any delegation planning to rent vehicle(s) for local transportation should inform the ITU so
that this information could be transmitted to the relevant Ministry and the local security responsible via NTRA..

Meeting room management and reservations

Meeting rooms within SHICC are managed by the ITU Secretariat. Conference participants wishing to reserve a meeting
room are kindly requested to contact the Room Reservations Service at [email protected]. During the Conference,
the Room Reservation Service will be located in Summit Building (Trio area) of the venue.
Please note that requests will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis and are restricted to 2 non-consecutive
slots of 1.5 hours per day per delegation. When processing requests, the following order of precedence will apply:

1. RA-19/WRC-19 Plenary, Committees, Working Groups, their sub-groups and steering groups;
2. Member States and Regional Organizations;
3. Other entities admitted to the Conference.
Kindly note that meeting rooms cannot be used as working space or office suites, and that reservations may be
cancelled according to the needs of the Conference. Administrations wishing to rent an office space during the
Conference should contact the designated persons as specified in the Exhibition section of this information note.

IT Facilities

• Cybercafé and IT Service Desk: The IT Service Desk is located near the Cybercafé. A limited number of
PCs/laptops are available at the Cybercafé. As the event is meant to be paperless, only one LAN printer will be
made available at the Cybercafé (accessible through the laptops set up at the Cybercafé).

• Laptop connectivity - access to the Internet at RA-19/WRC-19/CPM23-1 will be available using WiFi:

o Wireless: IEEE 802.11a/n/ac on 5 GHz and 802.11g/n on 2.4 GHz

− Good performance is only guaranteed for 5 GHz, delegates are strongly advised to come with devices
that support both 5 and 2.4 GH throughout the whole conference area
− SSID: WRC19 (Provides superior performance)
− SSID: WRC19-legacy (for devices supporting only 2.4 GHz)
− Username and password are printed on your event participant badge, each username supports up to
4 devices. Please do not share with others. After a successful logon with a device, re-logon from the
same device will not be necessary within 7 days.
o Please note that the installation and use of non-ITU wireless access points without prior authorization from
the ITU/IS Department is strictly forbidden.
o Please contact the IT support staff (with yellow armband marked “IT Support”) for specific connectivity
requirements or IT or Audiovisual assistance.
Participation and Registration

Further information on Participation and Registration

For RA-19, WRC-19 and CPM23-1, the Radiocommunication Bureau has deployed a new event registration platform.
The same registration platform will also be used for all ITU-R events scheduled as from 1 September 2019.
In the new registration system, participants are required to first complete an online registration request form, submit
to the Designated Focal Point (DFP) who would approve or reject it. A notification of registration approval/rejection
will be sent from the DFP for ITU-R event registration.
IMPORTANT: Advance registration is highly recommended and carried out online exclusively. ITU will not process
registration requests without prior approval by the DFP of the corresponding Administration/Sector Member/Entity.
A registration request can only be granted once approved by the DFP. Participants whose registration request is still
pending DFP approval will not be granted access to the event venue. As a result, participants are encouraged to obtain
their registration confirmation prior to the event.

As far as possible, participants to WRC-19 are invited to pick up their badges on Sunday, 27 October to avoid queues
on WRC-19 opening day.

Registration desk opening hours during RA-19/WRC-19/CPM23-1

Documentation

In accordance with no. 8 of Annex 2 to Decision 5 (Rev. Dubai, 2018), RA-19, WRC-19 and CPM23-1 will be completely
paperless. An ITU account with TIES privileges is required to access RA-19, WRC-19 and CPM23-1 documents and
other electronic resources. All conference documents will be available electronically on the RA-19 website, WRC-
19 website, and CPM23-1 website respectively, including the Provisional Final Acts of the Conference.

Exchange of Information between Participants

As the RA-19, WRC-19 and CPM23-1 are paperless events, participants are invited to use electronic means of
communication to exchange information. There will be no pigeonholes provided or available to delegates.

List of Registered RA-19/WRC-19 Participants/CPM23-1 Participants (TIES access required).

Webcast and Captioning

Live webcast in the 6 languages of the Union will be provided during the following sessions.
• RA-19 webcast: plenary and committee sessions,
• WRC-19 webcast: plenary, committee and working group sessions
• CPM23-2 webcast: plenary sessions

Archives of the audio feeds will also be made available after the sessions.

Live captioning (in English only) will be available for the RA-19 plenary and committee sessions, for the WRC-19
plenary and Committees 4, 5 and 6 sessions and for the CPM23-1 plenary sessions. Transcripts will also be made
available after the sessions.
Access to the webcast and captioning are available on the RA-19 website, WRC-19 website and CPM23-1 website,
respectively.
Travel Arrangements, Visas and Accommodation Bookings

Participants are requested to make their own travel arrangements and accommodation bookings to Sharm el-Sheikh,
Egypt. For further information on travel arrangements, visas and hotel bookings please visit the Host Country website.
For further information and enquiries related to accommodation, please contact [email protected]

Entry Visa for travel into Egypt:

o All relevant enquires should be addressed to [email protected]. Visas cannot be obtained through the ITU
Secretariat.
o The official email confirmation of registration issued by ITU must be presented with a visa application.
Participants are strongly invited to submit their visa applications to the Egyptian authorities at least 12 weeks,
but not less than 6 weeks, prior to travelling to Egypt.
Delegates leaving Sharm el Sheikh on international flights are encouraged to arrive at the Sharm el Sheikh airport a
minimum of 2 hours in advance of their flights for off-peak time departures and up to 3 hours in advance for departures
during peak hours. An even earlier arrival should be considered by passengers traveling during the peak days and
times for returning from either the RA-19 or the WRC-19. Additionally, passengers should be aware of the need to
show a printed copy of their itinerary in order to get past the first airport checkpoint, which is prior to the baggage
screening done BEFORE check-in.

ITU Bookshop

An on-site Bookshop with ITU Publications and a collection of the newest ITU Souvenirs, including a selection with
WRC-19 logo, will be available during this event. Precise location will be announced at a later stage.
ITU Publications available will include the Radio Regulations 4-volume desk set, Collection of Basic Texts, Final Acts of
previous events, SMS4DC (5.1), Yearbook of Statistics, and many others.

Please send any specific pre-orders to [email protected] for pick-up at the ITU Bookshop at RA-19/WRC-19. Otherwise,
orders placed at the on-site Bookshop for any title not readily available will benefit from free shipping from Geneva to
your preferred address.

For more information on any ITU Publication, please see www.itu.int/publications or contact [email protected].

Currency and Banking

The official currency of Egypt is the Egyptian Pound (EGP). Visa, American Express, Access/MasterCard can be used.
Banks are open from Sunday to Thursday, from 8.30 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. The exchange rates in Egypt can be found at the
below link: http://www.cbe.org.eg/en/EconomicResearch/Statistics/Pages/ExchangeRatesListing.aspx.

Media and Communication facilities and services

See WRC-19 Newsroom

Delegates can access photos and videos posted for WRC-19 as well as logos of RA-19 and WRC-19, which could be
useful for publications and other materials. Relevant documents, such as the WRC-19 Agenda and Resolutions are also
available along with Press releases related to the conference. Media can also access these resources and find links
directly to the online Media Registration and Accreditation procedures and processes.
IMPORTANT: Media Registration and Accreditation is recommended to be completed online in advance to avoid long
queues onsite.
The WRC-19 Media Registration and Accreditation desk will be open at the venue from 21 October until 22 November.
The Media desk will be located in the Delegates’ Registration area. Accredited Media will need to present a photo ID
to receive the event badge.
UN-accredited media do not require further accreditation. They are only required to email [email protected] expressing
their intention to participate. They will be automatically pre-registered and will only need to show their UN Press
badge to collect the event badge at the venue.
Foreign media requiring a visa to enter Egypt should submit their request for registration and accreditation as soon
as possible at https://wrc19egypt.eg/index.php/visa-2/. Visa applications for Media will be closed 18-28 October.
The Media Centre in the Convention Centre will welcome accredited Press. A working area will be available on a first-
come-first-served basis and an interview space can also be arranged.
Press conferences will be held at the Convention Centre. Remote participation facilities and interpretation will be
provided when possible. Not all rooms are equipped with these facilities.
The ITU TV Studio will be used for interviews and WRC-19-related programming. Services can be provided to Media
on specific request, if and when available. Videos and Photos will be posted online in the WRC-19 Newsroom.
The ITU Press Office is available to assist Media with services they may require.

Accessibility

To enable persons with disabilities to fully participate at the Conference, ITU is committed to provide reasonable
accommodation.

The Conference venue is generally accessible to persons with disabilities. Accessibility features and services available
at the Conference will be announced on the official Conference website and will include captioning of the main
meetings, signage and dedicated lanes for persons with disabilities, amongst others. Any additional requests for the
provision of accessibility services can be made during the registration process or by directly contacting
[email protected]. Additional requests made on site will be subject to the availability of resources.

Social Events

Member States and other conference participants interested in hosting social events during the WRC-19 conference
are reminded that the ITU Protocol Service maintains and monitors a calendar of such events. This calendar is designed
to inform Member States and other conference participants planning to hold social events of possible scheduling
conflicts. For this reason, organizers of social events must first liaise and coordinate with the ITU Protocol Service
before proceeding with final arrangements for the date and time of a proposed social event.
If there is a scheduling conflict, the ITU Protocol Service will assist, as far as possible in proposing alternative times and
dates. The ITU Protocol Service only intervenes to identify overlaps and suggests possible time slots based on its
updated lists of events.
Please also note that invitations are no longer distributed by ITU. A copy of invitations by Member States and other
conference participants should be sent to [email protected] for prior approval. Invitations to social events
should not carry the ITU logo or make any conspicuous reference or signs that may suggest or even infer ITU's
endorsement of the event.
Social events will be posted on the WRC-19 website no later than one week prior to the opening of the Conference.
Access to the online calendar is TIES-protected. The daily calendar will be shown on screens in the conference venue,
and social events may be announced on the day by the Secretary of the meeting taking place beforehand.

For queries regarding social events during the conference, please contact [email protected].
Medical Service

Medical assistance during the Meetings is assured by the Host Country for all participants. There will be two [2] first-
aid rooms set-up in the Capital Building and in the Summit Building of the International Congress Center. In each room
there will be two [2] Medical Doctors as well as two [2] Paramedic Nurses deployed, as well as other support staff
assigned to each location. There will also be two [2] on-site Ambulances for medical transport to the main hospital in
Sharm el Sheikh, as required (located within 10 min response time from the SHICC Venue). All medical services at the
International Congress Centre and Hospital are free of charge to participants.

Exhibition Area

An EXHIBITION-AREA has been made available for interested ITU Member States and ITU-R Sector members
registered to participate in the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) to be held in Sharm el-Sheik,
Egypt, from 28 October - 22 November 2019.

The EXHIBITION-AREA will be located in a building at the Sharm el-Sheikh International Congress Center (SHICC).

To book your space, please contact Ms. Grace PETRIN, email: [email protected]

For additional information please visit the Host Country Conference Venue website -
https://wrc19egypt.eg/index.php/venue/

• Detailed information relating to configuration, prices and other specific requirements, please contact:

Mohamed Montaser - Head of Sales Department

Tel: +20 1143444342
email: [email protected]

Nadine Kotry - Marketing Manager

Tel: +20 1017070090
email: [email protected]

Shipping and Importation Instructions

If you are sending any equipment or material for your booth that will require Customs clearance, it is recommended
that you use the services of DHL Egypt – Freight Agency + 202 259 432 00 (for international calls), (16345 (for local
calls). For further details, please contact:

Mr. Malek El-Kady, Tel: +20 2 163455, Mobile: +20 1011130983 Email: [email protected]

Other Inquiries

For other inquiries related to travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt (weather, vaccination, currency, etc.), please visit
the host country website at https://wrc19egypt.eg/index.php/information/

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