A/HRC/9/18 page 9 B. Webcasting requirements 22. To highlight the newly created Human Rights Council during its inaugural high-level segment, the webcasting of Council proceedings, including live broadcasts as well as archived video by date and speaker, was initiated in consultation with OHCHR and the Host Government. It quickly became apparent that this service met a crucial need for a higher level of transparency and openness in the Council’s work. 23. Provision of webcasting service to the Human Rights Council comprises the following elements: (a) Filming of individual speakers and television coverage of that work; (b) Encoding and live transmission coverage via the Internet; (c) Logging and timing of the individual speakers and archiving of that information; (d) Online publishing of webcast video and development and maintenance of the Human Rights Council Webcast website. 24. Since webcasting was an innovation in Geneva and no provision had been made in the programme budget 2006-2007, the costs of webcasting the Council’s sessions were originally met through a combination of the existing resources of the Department of Public Information, OHCHR, the Division of Administration of the United Nations Office at Geneva and a voluntary contribution from the Host Government. Providing this service involved the recruitment of temporary staff and rental of equipment in Geneva, as well as the travel of United Nations webcast staff of the Department of Public Information from New York. This arrangement created a number of challenges. 25. A particular difficulty is presented when the Council decides to convene special sessions to address emergency human rights situations, one of the new prerogatives of that reformed body of which it has already made extensive use; it has held seven special sessions to date. In the absence of permanent staff and webcasting facilities in Geneva, it is often difficult and extremely expensive to provide staff and equipment on short notice for the webcasting of the special sessions. Moreover, the Council’s first two years have been characterized by frequent scheduling changes. This has created difficulties relating to recruitment and procurement procedures, travel arrangements and staff assignments in New York, commitments vis-à-vis temporary staff and credibility with local suppliers. It has also added to the cost of the service itself. 26. As was the case with additional information costs, a more stable situation had been expected for 2008-2009. Proposals for financing webcasting in Geneva were submitted in the overall report (A/62/125) to the General Assembly on Human Rights Council financing. A phased approach was suggested, involving the provision of resources for temporary staff and equipment through the end of 2009 and a technical study during that period resulting in the establishment of a permanent Webcast Section with the staff posts, permanent equipment and the operating budget needed to service the Human Rights Council and other entities in Geneva. However, the General Assembly allocated no additional funds.