Media Information

1. Media Accreditation
2. Draft Schedule, Briefings, News Conferences and Photo Opportunities
3. Practical Information

1. Media Accreditation

Journalists can register to cover the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting using our online registration form.

For further information about the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, journalists should contact the OECD Media Division (tel. [33] 1 45 24 97 00].

2. Draft Schedule, Briefings, News Conferences and Photo Opportunities

The news conference schedule will be updated regularly. The items in italics are not open to the media.
Last update 24 May 2006

MONDAY 22 MAY

20:00: Ministerial Bureau Consultations with BIAC and TUAC

TUESDAY 23 MAY

09:00: PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

09:00 - 09:30: Opening Remarks

9:30 - 11:00: the short-term economic outlook

11:00: NEWS CONFERENCE to launch the OECD's Economic Outlook No. 79 with OECD Chief Economist Jean-Philippe Cotis (Quai d'Orsay, salon du Congrès). The news conference will be broadcast live on the OECD's website.

11:30 - 13.30: how to ensure economic stability and improve economic performance

13:00 - 14:45: Working Lunch

13:15: PRESS BRIEFING by Pedro Solbes, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy (Spain).

14:45:  PRESS BRIEFING with French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, OECD Secretary General Donald J. Johnston and OECD Secretary-General Designate Angel Gurría (Salon du Congrès)

15:00 - 17.00: how to implement economic reforms for growth and employment

16:30: PRESS BRIEFING by Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, Minister of Economy (the Netherlands)

17:15 - 18:00: the future strategic direction of the OECD

17:15: PRESS BRIEFING on the day’s discussions, with Greek Minister of Economy and Finance George Alogoskoufis (Quai d'Orsay, salon du Congrès). See the statement

WEDNESDAY 24 MAY

9:00 - 10:00: the future strategic direction of the OECD (continued)

10.00 - 12:45: the follow-up to last December's WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong

12:45 - 13:00: Chair's Summary

13:00 - PRESS BRIEFING by Humayun Akhtar Khan, Minister for Commerce (Pakistan)

13:45 (approx.): Handover Ceremony to mark the departure of outgoing OECD Secretary-General Donald Johnston and the assumption of the post of Secretary-General by Angel Gurría (Quai d'Orsay, Grande Salle à manger).

14:30 (approx.): CLOSING NEWS CONFERENCE with the Chair of the Ministerial Council Meeting, Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, and Donald J. Johnston, outgoing OECD Secretary-General (Quai d'Orsay, Grande Salle à manger).
15:30 (approx.) - Rob Portman, US Trade Representative, and Susan Schwab, US Deputy Trade Representative, will give a media briefing following the final news conference (Grande Salle à manger).

3. Practical Information

• Please note: Internet access in the press tent will be via wi-fi only. There will be no fixed telephone lines. Journalists needing Internet access should ensure their equipment is wi-fi enabled.
• For security reasons, journalists will be required to show their press card, national identity card or passport.
• Journalists will be informed of national media briefings as they are organised.
• Interviews with ministers can be arranged on an individual basis through their national delegations or OECD Media staff.
• Photos of the meeting will be put on the website as they become available and can be directly downloaded in high resolution. We invite journalists to use these images. Please include the OECD copyright and credit the photographer. For further information and additional photo requests: news.contact@oecd.org.