Conference and Information Services Branch

The Conference and Information Services Branch (CISB) is responsible for the provision of conference services, information technology, knowledge management, public awareness and outreach and media relations.

This includes all logistical and technical support services to ensure flawless running of the meetings of conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, subsidiary body meetings, expert group meetings, as well as Bureau meetings of each Conference of the Parties. It may extend to other types of meetings as required. Functions include overall management of participants’ invitations, nominations, funding requests, registration and accreditation, travel and other entitlements as well as the production of lists of participants and associated participation statistics, venue reservation and booking, translation services and overall contractual arrangements and logistics.

The Branch also provides overall information technology services to the Secretariat and to all its meetings, including standard office IT equipment and software, e-mail, Internet connectivity, cybersecurity and the design and provision of a system of paper-less services during meetings.

Ensuring access to information and facilitating information exchange amongst stakeholders is also the responsibility of the branch. This is accomplished by collecting, processing and repackaging information and producing information products for dissemination to different target audiences. As a cross cutting activity, it is done jointly with other branches of the Secretariat and includes the development and maintenance of the Joint Clearing House Mechanism, the conventions’ websites and associated information systems and databases as well as establishing information exchange partnerships and collaboration programmes with Parties, regional centres and other UN bodies and relevant institutions.

Finally the branch provides strategic and planned communications, public awareness and outreach services for the conventions and the Secretariat by organising public campaigns, maintaining media relations, organising and presenting BRS at special events and through diverse outreach activities. Together with other branches, CISB is responsible for managing the design, production and dissemination of the Secretariat’s publications, including convention texts, together with corporate social media accounts, visual identities and brand management, production of public awareness and media materials including, press releases, and multimedia resources for the three conventions.