WORLD BANK GROUP AND INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

 2003 Spring Meetings

 APRIL 12–13, 2003    WASHINGTON, D.C.
2003 Spring Meetings Home
Upcoming Meetings
Previous Meetings
Bank Home
Fund Home


Information for Journalists
All working press must obtain Meetings accreditation. Journalists can register on-line, or fax the registration form to [1] 202-623-4100. The registration deadline is April 9, 2003.

To be accredited, you must hold valid press credentials, or provide substantive evidence of professional bona fides:
  • Journalists in the Washington area must have press credentials issued by either the White House, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the House and Senate Press Gallery, the U.S. Department of Defense, or USIA Foreign Press Center.
  • Journalists based outside Washington must have 1) press credentials issued by national or local authorities; or 2) must submit an assignment letter from their Editor, along with a copy of the publication. Submissions should be sent by mail to:

    Press Registration
    Executive Board and Member Services Section (12-100)
    International Monetary Fund
    Washington, DC 20431
  • Broadcast networks and organizations seeking accreditation for large numbers of staff are asked to submit a single request listing staff by name and job description via email to press@imf.org, or by fax to [1] 202-623-4100.
  • Freelance journalists, including photographers, must provide clear evidence they are on assignment from a specific news organization or publication. A valid assignment letter from that news organization, or publication, is required. Photographic agencies must provide clear evidence from a client news organization, or publication.
  • Non-governmental organizations can secure one, non-transferable NGO Press badge per organization provided the person securing the accreditation is a bona fide staff member of a publication produced by that organization. The publication must have a circulation beyond the NGO's internal staff and membership. Evidence to support verification of the publication's circulation is required when the application is submitted.
Requests for accreditation will be denied if applicants cannot establish they are professional journalists, or the applications are incomplete. Applicants can check the status of their requests on-line by utilizing the URL received when an application is submitted electronically. If you have any questions about accreditation, please send inquiries to media@imf.org.

PRESS CREDENTIALS PICK-UP
Journalists who have been approved for accreditation can pick up credentials starting at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, April 7, at the World Bank's H Building Auditorium, G Street entrance, between 19th and 20th Streets, NW, Washington, DC. You are required to present press credentials bearing a photograph.

The Spring Meetings credential grants access to the Press Room, press conferences, and briefings in IMF Headquarters.

PRESS ROOM ARRANGEMENTS
The Press Room at IMF Headquarters, 700 19th St. NW, Red and Blue Levels, will open at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 9, and close on Sunday evening, April 13.

Technicians for financial news wires and other accredited news organizations may access the IMF Headquarters press room starting at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 8, through special arrangements with the IMF's Media Relations Division (
media@imf.org).

The IMF Headquarters press room has limited space, and operates on a first come, first-served basis. Each desk will be equipped with power outlets and a telephone that enables only free local calls. Long-distance calls may be placed collect, or through telephone credit cards. Journalists will be able to purchase telephone cards on site for direct-dial long-distance calls. Press Room telephones can be used for data transmission via personal laptops. Self-service fax machines will be available in the Press Room, although use will require a major credit card. Computers are not provided to journalists.

Internet kiosks will be available in the Press Rooms. The Internet kiosks allow easy access to the IMF web site and World Bank Group web site. The web sites will have links to a joint Spring Meetings' site containing the schedule of press events, as well as transcripts, news releases, and other information as it becomes available.

INTERVIEW REQUESTS
The  IMF and World Bank media relations divisions handle requests for interviews with IMF and World Bank officials during the Meetings. However, the press officers do not service interview requests for official delegations to the Meetings. Those requests must be made directly to the delegations.

TV AND STILL PHOTO POOLS
The photo opportunities at the start of ministerial committee meetings (Group of 24, Group of 10, International Monetary and Financial Committee and Development Committee) will be pooled. A selection of still photos in high resolution will be available after each event on the Spring Meetings web site.

TELEVISION TRANSMISSION AND FACILITIES
To inquire about the limited video and audio transmission arrangements from IMF Headquarters, please send an email to media@imf.org, or a fax to [1] 202-623-6772. Inquiries should be submitted no later than Friday, April 4.

HOTELS
Journalists planning to cover the Spring Meetings are responsible for making their own hotel arrangements. The District of Columbia's official tourism web site offers some hotel booking services, and guidance. The web site is located at www.washington.org.

OFFICIAL EVENTS
Except  for brief photo-opportunities at the start of the meetings, press cannot attend the meetings of
  • The International Monetary and Financial Committee of the Board of Governors, Saturday, April 12.


  • The Development Committee, known officially as the Joint Ministerial Committee of the Boards of Governors of the Bank and the Fund on the Transfer of Real Resources to Developing Countries, Sunday, April 13.


  • The Group of 24 Ministers, which is known officially as the Intergovernmental Group of 24 on International Monetary Affairs, Friday, April 11.


  • The Group of 10 Ministers, Saturday, April 12.


  • The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the Group of Seven major industrial countries generally hold a meeting in Washington, D.C., at the time of the Spring Meetings. Arrangements for this meeting are made by the U.S. Treasury (www.treas.gov).
PRESS CONFERENCES
All press briefings are transcribed and posted on the external web sites of the IMF and World Bank Group as soon as possible.

Wednesday, April 9, 9:00 a.m., Main Press Briefing Room, IMF Headquarters, Room B-702: World Economic Outlook (WEO); IMF Economic Counsellor and Research Department Director Kenneth Rogoff (embargoed until 11:00 a.m.)

(Copies of the IMF's WEO will be available on a strict embargo basis to the press 24 hours before the report's scheduled release. Embargoed copies can be secured electronically by sending a formal e-mail request to media@imf.org. The WEO documents, together with the contents of the press conference, will be under strict embargo until 11:00 a.m. Washington time on April 9.)

Thursday, April 10, 9:00 a.m., Main Press Briefing Room, IMF Headquarters, Room B-702:
World Bank Group President James D. Wolfensohn

Thursday, April 10, 10:30 a.m., Main Press Briefing Room, IMF Headquarters, Room B-702:
IMF Managing Director Horst Köhler

Friday, April 11, 11:00 a.m., Main Press Briefing Room, IMF Headquarters, Room B-702:
African Finance Ministers

Friday, April 11, approx. 4:00 p.m., Main Press Briefing Room, IMF Headquarters, Room B-702:
Chair of the Group of 24 Ministers, Mr. Fuad Siniora, Ministry of Finance of Lebanon

Saturday, April 12, (late afternoon), Main Press Briefing Room, IMF Headquarters, Room B-702: IMFC Chairman Gordon Brown and IMF Managing Director Horst Köhler

Sunday, April 13, 10:00 a.m., Main Press Briefing Room, IMF Headquarters, Room B-702:
World Development Indicators (WDI); World Bank Chief Economist Nick Stern

(The WDI 2003 will be available to the press on the World Bank's Online Media Briefing Center at http://media.worldbank.org approximately one week before the April 13 launch. The OMBC is a password-protected web site for journalists only.)

Sunday, April 13, (afternoon), Main Press Briefing Room, IMF Headquarters, Room B-702:
DC Chairman Trevor Manuel and World Bank Group President James D. Wolfensohn

CONTACT INFORMATION
 
World Bank Press Office

Telephone Fax E-mail
Ana Luna Barros (202) 473-2907 (202) 522-2632 alunabarros@worldbank.org
Marianne Stigset ((202) 458-4897 (202) 522-2616 mstigset@worldbank.org
Cynthia McMahon (Photo Pools) (202) 473-2243 (202) 522-2632 ccase@worldbank.org

International Monetary Fund Press Office

Telephone Fax E-mail
David Hawley (202) 623-7074 (202) 623-6772 dhawley@imf.org
William Murray (202) 623-7064 (202) 623-6772 wmurray@imf.org
Frances Hardin (Photo Pools) (202) 623-4123 (202) 623-6772 fhardin@imf.org
All telephone and facsimile numbers are country code 1.
Tentative Schedule of Events 

 2003 Spring Meetings Home    Upcoming Meetings     Previous Meetings     Bank Home    Fund Home