MC12 will take place at WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland from 12 to 15 June 2022.  The conference was due to take place in late 2021 but was postponed due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Journalists and media representatives who were accredited last year and have confirmed their wish to keep their accreditation are not required to re-apply.  They will have already received an e-mail from the WTO confirming their accreditation status.

Accreditation

Members of the media who have not already been accredited and who wish to attend MC12 or follow online can now apply for accreditation. The deadline for receiving applications is 18 May 2022 at 18:00 Geneva time.

Before submitting the details for accreditation, media representatives are requested to make sure they fulfil the criteria specified on the WTO website. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) had a separate accreditation process. Delegations should apply through their designated channels.

Journalists and other media representatives are required to submit a scanned copy of the letter of assignment from their editor on an official letterhead and a passport photo. Once the application has been considered, a confirmation letter will be sent by e-mail.

A detailed explanation of the media accreditation procedure is available here.

Attendees may only be accredited as either journalists, NGO representatives or delegates. Attempts to gain accreditation as multiple categories will be detected by the system and declined.

Accreditation for attending MC12 does not automatically grant entry into Switzerland and a visa might be required. Information on visa requirements to enter Switzerland is available here.

In-person badge collection

Information on the times and location for picking up media badges will be provided at a later date.

Facilities for the media

The main Press Centre will be located on the gallery level of the new building of the WTO. Approximately 160 work stations will be available for members of the press,. Please note that the work stations cannot be reserved, and they will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of personal computers will be available for invited journalists from least-developed countries.

WIFI will be available throughout the conference venues.

Events open to the media

The following events will be open to accredited journalists.  These events will be webcasted on the WTO website:

• All press conferences
• Opening session
• Closing session

Please note that due to space restrictions, a limited number of places will be available to journalists who wish to attend the Opening and Closing sessions in person. Further information will be communicated at a later stage.

The WTO Secretariat may also organize briefings on key topics of interest.

Background information

The Ministerial Conference is the WTO's top decision-making body. The Marrakesh Agreement establishing the organization instructs members to hold one at least every two years. The event is attended by trade ministers and other senior officials from the 164 members of the organization.

Typically at these gatherings, ministers review the current work of the WTO, take decisions on issues which the WTO delegations have put before them and on occasion take action to bring new members into the WTO.

For more details, check on news about the Ministerial Conference.