Information note

Introduction

The Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) meetings provides guidance with respect to key regional policies and initiatives related to the environment. Pursuant to this, and in response to the kind offer by the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the second session of ARFSD will be held at the Dusit Thani LakeView Hotel from 17 to 19 May 2016 in Cairo, Egypt.

The 2016 ARFSD is being held in preparation for the 2016 HLPF and will take place against the backdrop of the adoption of The 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and when the African countries are transitioning to Agenda 2063. Also the ARFSD will be convened following the adoption of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda which has a bearing on the achievement of both The 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 to which the African countries are committed to their full implementation. Moreover, the Forum will be held in period post- the ninth joint ECA and AUC Conference of Ministers, whose outcomes provide a good direction for Africa to optimally benefit from the three Agenda.

In this respect and against the above background, ECA in collaboration with the AUC, AfDB, UNEP and UNDP are organizing the 2016 ARFSD with the objective to: deliberate and agree on Africa’s collective input in form of key messages, to the 2016 High-level political Forum on sustainable development.

The 2016 session of the ARFSD will be held under the theme “Ensuring inclusive and integrated implementation and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063”.  This theme is well aligned with that of the 2016 HLPF, which is “Ensuring that no one is left behind”. The theme of the ARFSD will allow African countries to consider inclusion as the principle that should overarch integrated approaches to the implementation, follow-up and review of The 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 in order to ensure that no one is left behind.

Given the multi-stakeholder nature of the regional forum, the theme of the 2016 ARFSD which is also closely aligned with that of the 2016 ECA and AUC Conference of Ministers will allow wider-stakeholders to engage with, uptake and build on the key decisions and messages of the of the Conference. This augurs well for coherence in Africa’s voice with regard to the implementation and follow-up and review of the two mutually beneficial agendas.

The 17^th of May 2016 is reserved for pre-events involving SDGs pilot countries and major groups.

Venue

The second session of the ARFSD will be held at Dusit Thani LakeView in Cairo city, Arab Republic of Egypt. Ministers, heads of delegations and high level guests are strongly encouraged to stay at this hotel.

Dusit Thani LakeView Cairo is an oasis of greenery and lakes in the heart of New Cairo, a newly developed satellite city in the Egyptian capital. Infused with traditional Thai design and offering genuine Thai hospitality, Dusit Thani brings a taste of Thailand to the centre of Egypt.

This 5-star hotel is strategically located in New Cairo’s Fifth Settlement, only 20 minutes from Cairo International Airport and in close proximity to the main roads that lead to Cairo’s major attractions, including the Pyramids, Sphinx, Citadel and Egyptian Museum. Major credit cards are accepted.

Registration

As requested on the invitation letter, all participants should register online on the event website at http://www.uneca.org/arfsd2016. This will enable ECA to make travel and accommodation arrangements for the sponsored participants.

On arrival, participants are requested to register at Dusit Thani LakeView Hotel Cairo. Participants will be able to register on Tuesday, 17 May 2016, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Wednesday, 18 May 2016, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Badges will be issued to participants upon registration. For identification and security reasons, participants are reminded that they should wear their badges at all times during the meeting.

Documents

The documents for the meeting will be posted online on the event website at http://www.uneca.org/arfsd2016.

ARFSD is the main regional sustainable development forum in Africa and will therefore lead by example in all its activities/interventions, by reducing its carbon footprint. Ideally, the second session of ARFSD will endeavour to service delegates with varied methods of accessing documentation through efficient use of resources and avoiding waste.

The information and documentation will be made available in digital platforms and formats. In addition to the distribution of information and background documents on the ARFSD website, in-session documents and statements will be shared by email. Limited on-demand hard copy of official documents will be made available upon request in meeting rooms.

Hotel reservations, airport transfers and transport for delegates

Participants are kindly requested to select a hotel among those identified by ECA. In addition to the main event venue at Dusit Thani LakeView Hotel, a list of other recommended hotels is provided in Appendix I and on the ARFSD website: http://www.uneca.org/arfsd2016.

The Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt will set up a desk at the arrivals section of Cairo International Airport. Transfers from Cairo International Airport to hotels and from the recommended hotels to the meeting venue and back to the hotels will be provided by the organizers. Please note that there will be no transport to the meeting venue for participants who opt to stay outside the recommended hotels.

General information on the Arab Republic of Egypt

Visas

Participants from countries that are not exempted from visas to the Arab Republic of Egypt must acquire valid visas before leaving their home countries. Participants are requested to take special care to check which category their country falls under. Visas can be obtained at the airport of the Arab Republic of Egypt at a cost of $25, but prior clearance from security agencies is always required. Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of intended entry into Egypt. Details on all visa requirements, are available at the following website: http://www.mfa.gov.eg/english/ConsularServices/Pages/ConsularServiceDeta...

A Yellow fever certificate is required if the journey starts or entails passing through the designated yellow fever belt. Yellow fever vaccination is required for all persons arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission.

Some facts and figures

The Arab Republic of Egypt is located in Northern Africa. It is bordered on the west by Libya and on the south by Sudan. On the east is the Red Sea and Israel. The Arab Republic of Egypt, home of the world famous Pyramids, has a surface area of 1.002 million square kilometres. It has a population of about 82 million people (United Nations, 2011). The official language is Arabic, although English is widely used. The major cities are Cairo (capital city) and others include Alexandria, Giza, Port Saeed, Luxour and Aswan. Cairo city

Cairo is the capital of Egypt. Cairo is associated with Ancient Egypt as it is close to the ancient cities of Memphis, Giza and Fustat which are near the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza. Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab world, as well as the world's second oldest institution of higher learning, al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city.

Cairo has an arid, desert climate which means that the day time temperatures are always warm and the nights are cool. There are two distinct seasons, a long hot summer from May until October and a mild winter from November to April. However there is very little differences in the weather between the seasons save for a change in the day time temperature and a directional change in the prevailing winds. During March and April there are periods of time when the hot ‘khamsin’ wind blows and brings dust and sandstorms to the city.

Currency

The currency is the Egyptian Pound (EGP) (US$1 is worth approximately EGP 7.15). The United States dollar is widely accepted. 5,000 Egyptian pounds is the maximum amount of local currency one is allowed to bring in or take out of Egypt. There is a limit to the amount of hard currency that one may bring in and should not exceed US$ 10,000.

Electricity

The voltage in the Arab Republic of Egypt is 220 volts and plugs are two prong rounded, European style. Travellers are advised that adapters are needed for three-pin square plugs.

Contacts and further information

For further information on the second session of ARFSD, kindly contact:

Special Initiatives Division of ECA: Thierry Amoussougbo on Tel: +251 9 11 684197 or Charles Akol on +251 115443349 e-mail: arfsd@uneca.org 

Appendix I: Hotels

Hotels with special arrangements with ECA (and special rate for participants):