Section for information and press relations
Tel: 22 24 31 41/49
Fax: 22 24 27 90

The Nobel Peace Prize 1999

Press programme for the visit of representatives from ‘’Medécins Sans Frontières’’ (MSF)

General information:

Accreditation badges are issued by the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Press Office. The badges can be picked up from Thursday 9 December at 1000 hours at the Press Centre at Grand Hotel, 7th floor.

Press conference will be held by the Laureates on Wednesday 9 December at 1300-1345 hours at the Norwegian Nobel Institute, Drammensveien 19.

Accreditation badges together with personal press cards must be presented in order to take part in the press conferences as well as all other arrangements.

A strict security control of all media representatives and equipment will be carried out by the Police prior to all arrangements. The Press is therefore adviced to arrive at least 30 minutes before each event.

The Press Centre:

Address: Grand Hotel, 7th floor
Karl Johans gate 31
Telephones: 22 33 52 75
22 33 52 76
22 33 52 77
22 33 52 78
22 33 52 79
ISDN 22 33 23 35
22 33 23 37
22 33 23 39

Press contacts:
Benedicte Tresselt Koren tel. 908 42 356
Mette S. Øwre tel. 916 91 581

Opening hours: Thursday 9 December from 1000 hours
Friday 10 December from 0900 hours
Saturday 11 December closed

The ceremony in the City Hall:

Representatives from the Press Office together with the Police will check badges of all media for entry into the City Hall from 1130 hours. (Western Tower entrance)

Journalists:

Journalists will be given approximately 30 seats in the City Hall, (main hall) during the ceremony. Entry through the main entrance before 1230 hours.

POLICE WILL CLOSE ALL ENTRANCES TO THE CITY HALL AT 1245 HOURS

Photographers:

A photopool together with a photographer from the Norwegian Nobel Institute, will cover the ceremony from the ground-floor of the Main Hall. All other photographers (together with radioreporters) will be taken to the Eastern Gallery of the Hall.

Photographers who wish to cover the arrival of the Laureates and the guests to the City Hall, will be assigned to an area outside the main entrance. After the arrival of Their Majesties the King and Queen and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon the photographers will be shown to the Eastern Gallery through the entrance of the Western Tower. The same photographer will thus not be able to cover both the arrivals and the opening processions inside the City Hall.

TV:

According to an agreement between the Norwegian Nobel Institute and the Norwegian Broadcasting Cooperation (NRK), the latter has certain rights to the television recording of the Peace Prize Ceremony 1999. Trans World International (TWI) in London, has distribution rights for the entire programme outside the EBU-area. NRK may, however, on request provide footage not exceeding five minutes for use in regular news broadcasts by television companies that are members of EBU.

Requests for technical assistance by foreign television companies may also be directed to NRK.

Contact person at NRK is: Mr. Gaute Ljøstad, Eurovision Office, NRK-TV, tel. 23 04 72 52, fax. 23 04 72 52.

TWI London : tel. 44 181 846 8070, fax. 44 181 233 5301

TV-companies and radio reporters will be admitted to the gallery.

EVENTS PRECEDING THE CEREMONY:

Wednesday 8 December:

Arrival of President James Orbinski and other MFS dignitaries by SK1596. They will be met by the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Dr. Francis Sejersted and the Secretary of the Committee, Mr.Geir Lundestad

Thursday 9 December

1300-1345 hours PRESS CONFERENCE at the Norwegian Nobel Institute.

(The Press should meet no later than 1230 hours)

1345 hours Meeting with members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and employees/scholars of the Norwegian Nobel Institute. Signing of copyright assignment. (Photopool 1: NRK/TV, Scanpix)

1430 hours Rehearsal for Nobel Ceremony in Oslo City Hall. No Press

1930 hours The Norwegian Nobel Committee´s "Little Dinner" at the Grand Hotel for the Laureates with their spouses. (Christian Radich Suite)

Opening shots by photo pool No. 2: (TV2, Scanpix) together with the photographers of the Institute and the Laureate.

The pool must be present at the Grand Hotel not later than 1845 hours.

Friday 10 December:

0830 hours Meeting with Foreign Minister Knut Vollebæk, Foreign Minister’s Office. (President James Orbinski, Dr. Marie-Eve Raguenaud og Morten Rostrup). Photo opportunity

MSF representatives meet briefly with 5000 children at Rådhusplassen, Sea Side.

PROGRAMME FOR THE CEREMONY IN THE CITY HALL:

The City Hall is located at Fridtjof Nansens Place in the centre of Oslo. The speeches at the ceremony will be translated into Norwegian. The texts will be available at the Press Centre.

1130 hours Doors open

(Photopool No. 3: NRK/TV, Scanpix) Inside the Town Hall, ground floor, together with the photographers of the Institute and MSF

1130-1230 hours Photographers and cameramen enter through the Western Tower

1210-1230 hours Journalists enter through the main gate

1200-1300 hours Photo opportunity at the arrival of guests (outside from designated area or inside from Eastern Gallery)

1258 hours Processions enter City Hall (Laureates, the Norwegian Nobel Committee)

1259 hours Their Majesties the King and the Queen and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince arrive

1300 hours Ceremony starts:
‘’Nocturne op. 19, No. 4’’ by Peter Tsaikovskij
Truls Mørch, cello
Sveinung Bjelland, piano

1305 hours Speech by the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Professor Francis Sejersted

1325 hours Presentation of the Diploma and the Medal to Dr. Marie-Eve Raguenaud

1328 hours ‘’Ouvre ton coeur’’ by Georges Bizet
‘’Danse Macabre’’ by Camille Saint-Saëns
Denyce Graves, Mezzozopran
Sveinung Bjelland, piano

1335 hours Speech by President James Orbinski, Médecins Sans Frontières

1410 hours ‘’Reguibros’’ by Gaspar Cassadó
Truls Mørch, Cello
Sveinung Bjelland, Piano

1415 hours The Laureates are greeted by Their Majesties the King and the Queen and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince
Their Majesties and His Royal Highness leave the City Hall first, then processions.

NB! Mobile phones must be switched off during the ceremony

1530 hours Meeting with Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, Prime Minister’s Office (Orbinski and Rostrup). Photo opportunity.

1555 hours Meeting with Foreign Affairs Committee of the Storting, Stortinget

1700-1800 hours After the ceremony in the City Hall, CNN will broadcast alive an interview with the Laureates. Reporters are invited as audience. If still photographers are interested in taking pictures during the programme, kindly leave a request at the Press Centre Friday morning.

1845 hours MSF representatives light the Peace Star, Løvebakken. Torchlight procession to Løvebakken.

1900 hours The Norwegian Nobel Committee´s Banquet at the Grand Hotel

Opening shots by Photo pool No. 4 (NRK/TV, Scanpix) together with photographers of the Institute and Medécins Sans Frontiéres

Saturday 11 December

1930 hours Concert in Oslo Spektrum

Sunday 12 December

1250 hours Departure by SK454 for Stockholm, James Orbinski

Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Press Office, 7 December 1999