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    2. Meetings: practical information

Optimizing the use of simultaneous interpretation

Make sure your mobile phone is switched off.

Each seat in the Assembly Hall and in committee rooms is equipped for simultaneous interpretation with earphones, volume control and a language selection switch. Channel “0” transmits the speeches in the original language; the other numbered channels give access to interpretation.

Except where special interpretation services are supplied by delegations, all statements are made in one of the official or working languages of the Conference – English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, German and Russian – and are interpreted into the other six. In certain cases, Japanese interpretation is provided; interpretation from Portuguese will also operate in tripartite meetings.

Upon taking the floor: before pressing the button to activate the microphone, remove the earphone and place it in your lap, to prevent potentially harmful feedback.

Avoid touching the microphone, shuffling papers, drumming fingers or making other noises close to an open microphone.

When speaking in a meeting: if you are reading from a written text or have notes, please provide a copy in advance to the secretariat for immediate delivery to interpreters, so they can prepare the interpretation of the statement and render it as accurately as possible.

Speak clearly and at a moderate pace, pausing for punctuation: other languages may require more words to convey the meaning. This is particularly important for the delivery of written statements.

Cite figures slowly.

When referring to a passage in a document or quoting from a text, give the chapter and/or paragraph number concerned, not the page number, which may vary with the language versions. Leave time for the other participants, and especially the interpreters, to find the passage to which reference is made. Special conditions apply to speeches delivered in plenary (see section entitled Speaking in plenary).

 

 
Last update: 25 May 2012 ^ top