Third Part of the Fifth Session (INC-5.3): Information Note to Participants

The third part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) will take place on 7 February 2026 at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG) in Geneva, Switzerland, located at the address: 17, rue de Varembé 1202 Geneva, Switzerland. 

All participants must be registered and approved prior to the meeting to be allowed access to the venue.  

Registered participants will be screened upon entry. Any form of weapons, ammunition, flammable items, or sharp objects is strictly forbidden.

All information regarding registration, including registration requirements and access to the registration portal, is detailed under the ‘Registration’ tab in the INC-5.3 web page.  

For Members of the Committee, there is no limitation on the number of representatives that can be registered. However, national delegations are strongly encouraged to consider the space constraints at the venue when determining the size of their delegations to attend INC-5.3. In addition, and considering the organizational and administrative focus of this short, resumed session, Members are encouraged to consider extending their delegates that are already attending the first session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (the ISP), or have delegates already based in Geneva at the Permanent Missions participate in INC-5.3 to ensure resources are used efficiently and in the most cost-effective and sustainable way possible. 

For Observer organizations, i.e. Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs), United Nations system entities, and non-governmental organizations, each can register up to ONE (1) representative per organization.  

For Media accreditation, see the below section: ‘Media arrangements and services’. 

Once the registration has been processed by the INC Secretariat, an automatic INDICO email will be sent to the email address provided upon registration. Registrants must therefore submit the correct e-mail address for correspondence when registering on INDICO. This email address will also be used to relay other important information regarding INC-5.3 preparations. 

Queries related to Member and Observer registration should be addressed to unep-incplastic.registration@un.org, and queries related to Media accreditation should be addressed to unep-incplastic.media@un.org.  

There are two options available to facilitate the participation of representatives from eligible Member States of the United Nations or Members of its specialized agencies to INC-5.3: 

Option 1: 

Due to the organizational and administrative focus of this short, resumed session, and to ensure resources are used efficiently and in the most cost-effective and sustainable way possible, Members are encouraged to consider extending their delegates that are already attending the first session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (the ISP-CWP P1) taking place from 2 to 6 February at the same venue, or have delegates already based in Geneva at the Permanent Missions participate in INC-5.3.  

Option 2: 

If the participation by the national delegates attending the ISP or by delegates based at Permanent Missions in Geneva is not feasible, travel support is available from the voluntary contributions by donors to support the participation of a maximum of ONE (1) delegate per developing country or country with economy in transition, with priority given to Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing State. 

In case of Option 2, the deadline for travel support registration is strictly 28 November 2025. 

Please note that INC-5.3 registration and travel support application are two separate processes. Application for travel support should only be submitted, and will only be processed, once INC-5.3 registration has been approved. 

Therefore, delegates designated to receive travel support are kindly requested to submit an additional online form through the INDICO link provided in the invitation letter from the Executive Secretary, dated 5 November 2025. The link was sent directly to Members of the Committee and is not publicly available on the website. The INC Secretariat cannot accommodate last minute changes or cancellations after a ticket has been issued as this results in financial loss. 

The travel support covers economy-class round-trip air tickets, as well as Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) and terminal expenses in accordance with the United Nations rules and regulations:  

• The economy-class round-trip air tickets will be processed and issued directly by the INC Secretariat. The normal route for all official travel shall be the most economical route available for the travel dates.  

• The Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) comprises the total contribution of the INC Secretariat towards such charges as lodging, meals and other such payments made for services rendered during official travel. Funded delegates are thus responsible for making their own hotel bookings.  

Delegates who received travel support at INC 5.1 or INC 5.2. will have received a DSA card which should be brought to Geneva. In case you still encounter challenges using the DSA card, please write to unep-incplastic.adminfinance@un.org indicating your card token number. The card token number is located at the back of your card, in the top middle with the series 4xxxxxxxx.  

Sponsored participants are required to present their passports, boarding passes and any original receipts to the designated staff at the venue. 

Due to the organizational and administrative focus of this short, resumed session, no travel support will be provided for participants from Observer organizations

Access to the INC-5.3 venue is subject to the presentation of a valid badge. Once registration is approved, participants will receive a UN EVENT PASS via the email address with which they registered. This pass will be used to finalize the registration on-site and to collect the badges at the registration desk on the designated days/times. 

The hours for paper badge issuance are: 

• Friday, 6 February                 14:00 - 18:00 

• Saturday, 7 February             7:30 - 12:00

Delegates are strongly encouraged to carry their own lanyards from previous INC sessions to promote reuse, in the spirit of the UNEA resolution 5/14. 

The display of physical badges is always mandatory to access meeting rooms.  

Loss of a badge should be reported immediately to the badging centre.

Representatives of Committee Members must submit a dated Note Verbale or official letter issued by the relevant Ministry, Embassy, or Permanent Mission. The document should be addressed to the INC Secretariat and uploaded in soft copy through the designated registration platform. The Note Verbal or official letter should clearly indicate the session name and date, the Head of Delegation and any alternate representatives and advisers, as per Rule 6 of the draft rules of procedure provisionally applicable to the work of the INC and detail all delegation members with functional titles. The note should also indicate the delegate designated for travel support, if applicable.  

The presentation of credentials by representatives from Member States of the United Nations, members of United Nations specialized agencies and regional economic integration organizations is not required.  

To facilitate the compilation of the List of Participants, participants are requested to submit a comprehensive list of the members of their respective delegations to the INC Secretariat, with the functional titles and designations of all the representatives.  

As per general practice, the provisional List of Participants will be circulated to participants at the opening of the session. The final List of Participants will be made available on the INC-5.3 meeting web page after the closing of the session and will reflect those participants who attended INC-5.3.  

The List of Participants will include the information provided in INDICO during registration by Members of the Committee and Observer organizations. 

Delegations of Member States of the United Nations or Members of its specialized agencies, and regional economic integration organizations will be seated in English alphabetical order.  

No system of a secondary access card is expected to be used to access the plenary room. However, the delegation of each Member of the Committee will be allocated two seats: one at the table with a microphone, and one seat directly behind.  

Remaining participants can follow proceedings from the limited remaining plenary room seats or the designated overflow room. The overflow room will have video live stream in English, and participants should note that this overflow room will also have a maximum seating capacity. 

Seats for duly registered Observers from Intergovernmental Organizations, United Nations system entities, and non-governmental organisations will be available on a first come first served basis.  

The INC Secretariat will reserve rooms for the meetings of the regional groups.  

Rooms for regional consultations will be available on Saturday 7 February 2026 from 8:00 am onwards.  

The regional consultations are to be convened and organized by the groups themselves. The groups are encouraged to inform the INC Secretariat on the planned time for their meeting at the latest two (2) weeks before INC-5.3.  

Allocation of meeting rooms will be announced upon arrival at the venue.  

Due to the nature of the session and the framework of logistic arrangements, rooms will be allocated for the plenary, regional groups’ consultations, and an overflow room.  

No delegation rooms or bilateral meeting rooms will be provided. 

No dedicated space will be allocated for additional stakeholder activities, including Observer coordination, media activities or other purposes. 

The working documents for INC-5.3, including the agenda and other working documents will be made available under the ‘Official Documents’ tab on the INC-5.3 web page. 

Official documentation of INC-5.3 is issued in all six official languages of the United Nations – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.  

To minimize the negative environmental impact, the meeting will be held paperless and there will be no hard copies of documents available at the venue. 

During the plenary meeting of INC-5.3, interpretation will be provided in the plenary room only in the six official languages of the United Nations – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. 

Please note that overflow room will have a video live stream of the plenary meeting in English only.

The INC Secretariat will provide live webcast coverage of the plenary meeting, and can be watched on the INC webcast page in all six official languages of the United Nations – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Official documents, in-session documents, statements, and all other session information and resources for participants will be made available on the INC-5.3 web page.

IISD: Earth Negotiations Bulletin reporting service will be covering the session including with photography.

Media accreditation is strictly reserved for members of the press: print, photo, radio, television, film, news agencies, and online media who represent a bona fide media organization. 

Due to the organizational and administrative nature of this resumed session, and the resulting operational and logistical limitations of the venue, registration for media representatives is restricted to ONE (1) representative per media organization.

Furthermore, due to reduced room allocations for this short session, there will be no dedicated Press Centre or Media Working Space. Please also note that, given limited seating in the plenary room, priority will be given to Members of the Committee and Observers.

Members of the press as defined above can find out more information including how to register for media accreditation under the ‘Registration’ and ‘Media’ tabs on the INC-5.3 web page.

There will be strictly no on-site media registration at the INC-5.3 CICG venue.

Questions on media accreditation should be referred to the INC media team via email: unep-incplastic.media@un.org.

The CICG bar and restaurant are located on the ground and first floors of the conference centre. Several cafes, restaurants and shops are also within walking distance of the CICG. 

Access to the venue premises will be strictly limited to persons whose registration to INC-5.3 has been approved. 

Individual physical conference badges for all Member delegates and Observers, required for access to the rooms, will be issued at the badge collection centre. The physical badges must always be worn and visible while in the venue.  

Geneva is generally a safe city, and violent crime is rare. However, incidents of pickpocketing and petty theft have increased in recent years. Participants are advised to remain vigilant, particularly at the airport, around the Cornavin railway station, and in the Paquis district, and to avoid leaving luggage or personal belongings unattended at any time.  

This meeting is striving to be single use plastics free. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring their own water bottle and cup to the meeting.  

The tap water in Switzerland is safe to drink and poses no health risks. 

Participants are also encouraged to bring their own lanyards for the meeting’s paper badges to promote multiple use. 

Participants attending INC-5.3 are not covered by insurance for any illness or injury. Medical costs incurred in Switzerland will be directly borne by the participant.  

Travel Insurance is not provided by the United Nations. It is therefore strongly recommended that participants arrange for their own travel medical insurance that covers both health and accident for their full stay in Switzerland, prior to departure from the country of residence.  

The INC Secretariat will not be responsible for travel or health insurance coverage. 

Free Wi-Fi will be available at the CICG and all meeting rooms. However, participants are strongly recommended to limit the number of personal devices that require constant connection to the internet, to allow for efficient and accessible internet for all participants. 

Geneva airport is well connected by public transport. Regular trains run between the airport and Gare Cornavin (main train station). Bus routes 5 and 10 also serve the airport. For additional bus routes, consult the Geneva Airport website. 

If using public transport upon arrival, all passengers should collect a free public transport ticket valid for 80 minutes. The free ticket machine is in the baggage claim area, just before the exit to the main arrival hall.  

Geneva Airport is largely accessible to persons with disabilities. For wheelchair user, buses are generally more accessible than trains. To use the train, participants are required to book special assistance at least one hour in advance for assistance with boarding and getting off the train. However, no special notice is needed to use the bus.  

The bus stop is located at level E (Enregistrement, in French, departure level). From the arrival lounge take the lift to level E, exit out of the terminal and go toward the left for about 15 meters. Cross the road over the pedestrian crossing and reach the bus stop. 

At the time of departure, participants may take bus Route 5 to the airport from the Gare Cornavin bus stop. 

Public transport in Geneva is frequent, safe and reliable. Travellers staying in hotels in Geneva can obtain a « Geneva Transport Card » from their accommodation, which allows free use of public transport within the city (zone 10) for the duration of their stay.  

From the main railway station, the CICG can be reached by: 

• Bus number 5 (alight at Vermont or Varembé), 

• Bus number 8 (alight at International Telecommunications Union), or  

• Tram number 13 or 15 in the direction of Nations (alight at Sismondi). 

Taxis are readily available and reliable, though comparatively expensive. To order a taxi, please call +41 (0)22 320 22 02 or +41 (0)22 331 41 33. 

Participants, including sponsored participants, are responsible for making their own hotel reservations for their stay in Geneva.  

A list of recommended hotels and accommodations can be found here.

INC-5.3 registered participants are kindly reminded that it is the responsibility of each participant to apply for their entry visa to Switzerland, as applicable.  

Therefore, participants are strongly advised to get acquainted with the entry requirements and processes to obtain an entry visa and are encouraged to submit applications to the competent authorities as early as possible. 

Please note that a visa must be obtained prior to arrival. A participant can consult the official Switzerland Online Visa System website to assess their options, by entering their legal residence (not nationality) under section “Where to apply for a visa?”.  

The list of required documents for a visa application varies and depends on the applicant’s legal place of residence. It is therefore the applicant’s responsibility to consult the Swiss Embassy/Consulate website here for details regarding the application procedure and required documents. Please note that a Schengen visa may also be required for transiting through European countries in the Schengen zone. 

The processing time for a visa application varies and depends on local circumstances. Participants requiring an entry visa to Switzerland are advised to book their appointment as soon as possible. The processing of an application takes at least 15 days and can only begin once the complete file is registered. An incomplete file may cause delays and could be rejected. 

In February, Geneva will be in the Central European time zone (UTC +1).  

MétéoSuisse provides regular weather updates through its mobile phone applications and through its website at the following addresses: https://www.meteosuisse.admin.ch/home.html?tab=overview  

Voltage: 230 volts Frequency: 50 Hz Plugs/sockets: C (CEE 7/16) and J 

The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (CHF, SFr.). The Euro is also accepted at most businesses but expect to pay a premium rate. Average exchange rates: 1 United States dollar ≈ 0.90 CHF; 1 euro ≈ 1.0 CHF. 

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