The 5th IISS Regional Security Summit: The Manama Dialogue Press Policy
Welcome to the 5th IISS Regional Security Summit: The Manama Dialogue. The IISS Manama Dialogue is the primary security forum for the Persian Gulf. Convened annually, it brings together all elements of the national security establishments from the countries of the region – Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the UAE and Yemen – with the key external powers – Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Manama Dialogue provides a forum where the most senior authorities responsible for defence, foreign policy and security issues from the participating states can exchange views on the security challenges of the region.
The 2008 Manama Dialogue will maintain its unique format as four events rolled into one. First, the plenary sessions offer a public platform for ministers and national security advisors to clarify and expand on government policy before an expert audience that includes parliamentarians, leading opinion-formers from all participating countries, former government officials and carefully selected media representatives. Secondly, the delegate-only break-out groups provide an opportunity for officials and experts to analyse pertinent strategic issues more deeply and to advance policy aims in a private and strictly off-the-record environment. Thirdly, participating ministers and security officials have unparalleled opportunities to gather privately for bilateral and multilateral meetings in order to advance immediate policy goals. Fourthly, the multilateral lunches and dinners help to cultivate the sense of a defence and security community where shared interests can be protected and advanced.
We greatly appreciate the role that the media play in helping to share the proceedings and ideas of the Manama Dialogue with the wider international community.
Guidelines for coverage of the Dialogue follow with instructions regarding registration and other logistical requirements.
Guests of the IISS
As guests of the IISS, media agencies are strongly encouraged to specifically reference the ‘IISS Regional Security Summit, The Manama Dialogue’ in their reporting. Your help in reporting on the Manama Dialogue will go a long way in ensuring future events of this kind are a success. We greatly appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Media Representatives
The limited capacity and security requirements for the Manama Dialogue mean that the IISS is only able to grant a small group of individually-invited media representatives access to the secured area where the plenary sessions and the opening address take place. These sessions will be on the record. Invited media will be offered the opportunity to participate under one of the following two categories:
1. Keynote and Plenary Session Access: access to the Keynote Address and Plenary sessions in the secured area from 12-14 December, as well as the Press Room outside the secured area. Agencies with more than one individual registered will be asked to rotate access so that only one person from each agency is in the Keynote Address or Plenary Sessions at any one time. Other representatives may view via the live feed in the Press Room.
2. Press Room Access Only: access to the Press Room outside the secured area.
The IISS recommends news and media representatives take advantage of the live feed in the press room, which will be airing all sessions that are on the record.
Press Accompanying Government Delegations
Press accompanying government delegations will receive largely the same information as representatives from commercial outlets. Each government’s press secretary or press officer should contact the Manama Dialogue Press Officer at dialoguepress@iiss.org as soon as possible to facilitate government needs relating to interviews, press conferences and media coverage.
Should a member of a government delegation be asked to take pictures or film proceedings, s/he is bound by the rules and regulations of this press policy.
Press Room
Given the strict security and capacity restrictions in place for the Manama Dialogue, the IISS will establish a press room in the public area of the Ritz-Carlton in order to provide journalists with as much information as possible. A real-time video link will show the keynote address on the evening of Friday 12 December and the plenary and Q&A sessions on the mornings of Saturday 13 December and Sunday 14 December. Media can plug in to the live feed in the press room for broadcasting. Official speeches and information regarding press conferences, interviews, and photo opportunities will be made available in the press room as they are received from the delegations. There will be wireless internet and broadband connections for laptop computers in the press room. There will be several desktop computers and printers available for media use, but laptops are strongly encouraged. A limited amount of space will be available in the press room for additional journalists without access to the secured area: credentials must be presented in order to gain access.
While the IISS will not guarantee interviews with delegates, the Press Officer will try her best to facilitate requests. Journalists who are able to obtain interviews with summit participants are free to report statements provided. Please do not quote people without their permission - particularly if they are under the impression that their remarks are private or off the record.
Press Conferences, Opening Briefing, Keynote Address and Plenary Sessions
Press conferences
Details of official press conferences will be posted in the press room as the information is made available by the delegations.
Opening Briefing: Friday 12 December
On Friday evening, there will be a press briefing in the press room for all press. Details of how the Summit will work will be provided in English and Arabic. The time for this will be posted in the press room on the morning of Friday 12 December. All media are requested to attend and the Press Officer will be on hand to answer any questions.
Keynote Address: Friday 12 December
Media Representatives will be escorted into and out of the ballroom before and after the opening address on Friday evening.
Plenary Sessions: Saturday 13 December and Sunday 14 December
Media agencies may be asked to designate one individual at a time to be in the plenary sessions if space is an issue. Agencies may rotate their representatives who may come and go as they please, provided not more than one person per agency is in the room at a given time.
There is the possibility of additional press events after the formal closing of the Summit on Sunday afternoon. These will be advertised as information becomes available.
Al-Arabiya Debate: Saturday 13 December 17:15 – 18:45
As part of the official program of the Manama Dialogue, we are featuring a panel debate on the theme of ‘The Future of Regional Security: Reflections from the Manama Dialogue.’ Panel participants will be announced in advance of the event.
Logistics
Venue
The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain
PO Box 55577
Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Telephone: (973) 1758 0000
Facsimile: (973) 1758 0333
Online Registration
This will take place online from 3 November 2008, with a cut-off date of 9 December. Those wishing to participate should email dialoguepress@iiss.org and registration details will be sent to them from 3 November. It is necessary to register in order to receive an ID badge, without which access to the secured area will be denied.
TV Crews
There is limited space on platforms at the rear of the ballroom for coverage of the opening address and the plenary sessions. Space on these platforms must be booked in advance by contacting IISS at dialoguepress@iiss.org, stating clearly which sessions you wish to cover. Every effort will be made to accommodate your requests, although the IISS reserves the right to manage access. The IISS requests that all TV Stations notify the Press Officer when and on what channels pieces on the Manama Dialogue aired. Since all press representatives covering the opening address on 12 December will be escorted into and out of the ballroom, TV crews must let the IISS know in advance who will need access beforehand in order to set up their equipment.
TV crews are not permitted to move around the ballroom. Moving cameras is grounds for immediate removal.
Tripods and Shoulder Cameras
For safety reasons, no tripods will be allowed on the floor of the ballroom. Space permitting, tripods may be set up on the raised platform at the rear of the ballroom, but any photographer/videographer wishing to set up a tripod must apply to do so in advance via the email address given above. Cameras may not move or break down during the sessions. However, agencies may request to have multiple cameras in the room at one time or may take the IISS video feed.
Photo opportunities
During the proceedings photographers must keep to the rear and sides of the ballroom. However, we will endeavour to provide brief photo opportunities for the opening address and at the beginning of each plenary. Photographers will be required to return to the perimeter of the ballroom when instructed to do so by a member of the IISS staff. Given the limited space, photographers will be asked to pool their photos. The IISS would be grateful if photographers would submit copies of their images to enable the Institute to quickly assess imagery. Photographers can be assured that the Institute (which holds charitable/non-profit status in all countries in which it has offices) will treat such imagery with due care and will only use it for Institute’s purposes. The IISS Press Officer will help facilitate this pooling process. In addition, details of official photo opportunities will be posted in the press room as the information is made available by the delegations.
Rights and Intellectual Property
Coverage of The Manama Dialogue by the media must be carried out with the understanding that the IISS will be afforded the right to reproduce articles submitted as a result of attendance at the Dialogue both in its publications and on its website, and will also have the right to use images taken at the event, in generally but not exclusively the same formats, free of charge. The IISS, based in London, is both a limited company in UK law and a registered charity. It has offices in the US and in Singapore with charitable status in each jurisdiction.
Please submit queries to dialoguepress@iiss.org
We look forward to welcoming you to the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain this December.
