Information for participants

Thank you for your agreement to be a participant in the upcoming African Development Forum scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 16 - 18 November 2006. The venue of the meeting will be the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC-AA).

In addition to the material you have already received on the meeting it is important to take note of the following information which will further assist you in the planning and logistics of your travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS

Visas are required for all visitors/delegates traveling to Ethiopia, except for nationals of Djibouti and Kenya. Visitors from countries that have Ethiopian diplomatic missions are required by the Ethiopian immigration authorities to secure their visas from those missions before departure. These include holders of diplomatic and service passports as well as United Nations Laissez-Passer.

If your country does not have an Ethiopian diplomatic mission, UNECA will assist you in obtaining a visa upon arrival, provided we receive the following particulars three weeks in advance.

•  Full name

•  Nationality

•  Passport details - (number, date of issue and expiry)

•  Flight details (arrival and departure)

It is important to note that business visas can be obtained on arrival for all participants attending meetings/seminars/workshops at the UNECA, Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian Immigration Authority requires that you present an official letter of invitation for securing your business visa on arrival. It is imperative to bring with you the letter of invitation and present it to the Immigration Authority at the airport for securing your visa .

Please note that an Ethiopian visa costs between (US$20-60) per person depending on your nationality and payment must be made in (US Dollars)* at the time of issue. Holders of diplomatic and service passports as well as United Nations Laissez-Passer will receive visas gratis.

* 1 US $ = 8.70 Ethiopian Birr ( September 2006)

Bank receipts for money changed at the airport must be kept securely as they may be asked for on departure.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

Visitors to Ethiopia should be in possession of a valid health certificate for yellow fever. Vaccination against cholera is also required for any person who has visited or transited a cholera-infected area within six days prior to arrival in the country. As Addis Ababa is situated at an altitude of 2,400 meters, it is advisable to take precautionary measures for avoiding some health problems that might occur because of high altitude.

The United Nations Health Centre, situated on the ground floor of the Conference Centre, provides emergency medical services to participants/delegates attending meetings during working hours. On your registration form kindly provide us details of any special ailments you may be suffering from or details of allergies so that we can provide emergency medical attention should this be required.

In case of a medical or dental emergency, please contact the following:

Dr. Matthias Lademann
Chief - United Nations Health Care Centre
Telephone: + 251 - 115 - 51 58 28 or 51 72 00 ext. 88888 or 448888
ECA Ambulance Telephone: + 251 - 115 - 51 42 02 or 51 58 28.

AIRLINE RESERVATIONS

A number of International Airlines operate to and from Addis Ababa. It is required that participants secure their return/onward air passage prior to their arrival in Addis Ababa. There are travel agencies on site at ECA to assist with re-confirmation of tickets and to provide participants with travel and tour related information. Travel Agencies at ECA are reachable at the following telephone numbers:

•  Safeway Travel Tel: +251 115 44 31 57/0911 - 20 37 07 or 251 0911 20 00 77 (mobile)

•  Gashem Travel Tel: +251 115 44 30 51/44 30 52/46 84 85 or 251 0911 25 04 68 (mobile)

•  Airlink Travel Tel: +251 115 44 36 09/50 39 13 or 251 0911 65 07 54 (mobile)

Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways have offices in the ECA compound and they will have travel desks at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa during the Conference.

Please have your ticket available when visiting the travel agency to re-confirm flights.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION

At your request accommodation can be reserved for at the following hotels on a first come first serve basis provided we receive your request by 14 October 2006 . All hotels will be expecting a final rooming list from ECA by 17 October 2006 after which ECA will be subject to a cancellation penalty for rooms reserved and not utilized. Please indicate your choice of hotel in the registration form.

In addition to accommodation costs, all participants will be responsible for all other additional costs: i.e. breakfast (where not included) telephone, Internet/fax, room service, mini-bar and laundry, additional meals (i.e. lunch and dinner) - and must pay these directly to the hotel at checkout. The following hotels have been reserved for participants during the conference:

* Rates are inclusive of breakfast, service charge and VAT unless where indicated

RECEPTION ON ARRIVAL

Participants will be met on arrival at Bole International Airport and will be assisted with the formalities regarding immigration and customs etc. Date and time of arrival in Addis Ababa with flight details should be clearly shown in the registration form. Subsequent changes should also be similarly transmitted.

TEMPORARY IMPORT OF LAPTOPS AND OTHER CONFERENCE EQUIPMENT

To comply with the import customs regulations of the Government of Ethiopia conference participants should declare laptops and conference equipment they may carry with them when entering the country. In order to be able to assist with the temporary import of the above items ECA should receive latest by 31 October 2006 detailed specification of the items to be brought in, together with the arrival/departure details of the participant. The items will be registered for temporary import by the customs office and they should be taken out of the country after the conference.

REGISTRATION AND IDENTIFICATION BADGES

Participants will be required to register and obtain Identification Badges prior to the opening of the meeting. The venue of registration will be communicated to you through the conference website in due course.

Kindly also carry your invitation letter and personal identification for on site accreditation. For identification and security reasons, Identification Badges should be worn by all participants at all times during the Conference and at official social functions.

TRANSPORT

You will arrive at Bole International Airport, which is located just 5 kilometres from the centre of Addis Ababa. The ECA will provide courtesy transport that will pick you from the Airport.

ECA buses will ferry participants back and forth from hotels to the conference venue in the mornings and at the end of the daily sessions. ECA will not provide transport during lunch breaks.

If you would like transportation in Addis Ababa outside of conference and to take you to the airport at the end of the Conference, you can book a taxi from the National Tourism Organization (NTO) by calling + 251- 115 - 51 18 22 or + 251-115 - 51 84 00.

ICT SERVICES

A Cyber Café will be available for participant in the UN Conference Centre. As well, the UN Conference Centre and the ECA Campus are setup to provide Internet Connectivity to WIFI enabled laptops and personal computers. Participants are free to take advantage of this service.

IT training and technical support are available through the ECA Help Desk (Phone: + 251 - 115 - 44 31 23: email: ihelpdesk@uneca.org ). Technical support for presentations must be arranged in advance.

Please be advised that Blackberry Services are not available in Ethiopia.

MOBILE PHONES

Participants are encouraged to come to Addis Ababa with their dual band mobile handsets (900/1800 MHZ). Ethiopian Telecommunication Company offers SIM Cards with pre-charged airtime. The total package which costs US$ 50 includes US$ 12 airtime.

For participants coming from the United States of America kindly note that they can only use triband mobile handsets i.e. (900/1800/1900 MHZ)

* Kindly note that the roaming facilities may not work should you come with pre-paid cards from the above providers.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia is as large as France and Spain combined and has an area of 1,112,000 square metres . Addis Ababa is situated at an altitude of 2,400 metres . Agriculture is the backbone of the national economy, and the principal exports from this sector include coffee, oil seeds, pulses, flowers, vegetables, sugar and animal feed. About 90% of the population earn its living from the land. There is also a thriving livestock sector, and exports include cattle, hides and skins.

The population of Ethiopia is estimated at 77 million, and over 50% of the population is under 20 years of age. The average number of inhabitants per square kilometre is 69. Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state with a great variety of spoken languages. There are eighty-three languages with 200 dialects, and the three main languages are Amharic, Tigrigna and Oromigna. English, French, Italian and Arabic are also spoken, mainly in Addis Ababa. Additional information on Ethiopia and ECA can be found on the http://www.uneca.org , http://www.telecom.net.et , http://www.ethio.com and http://tour.ethiopianonline.net .

CLIMATE

Ethiopia has two main seasons. The dry season lasts from October through May, and the rainy season starts in late June and ends in September. Temperatures depend on season and altitude.

ELECTRIC SUPPLY

Electric supply in Ethiopia is 220-240 volts, 50 cycles AC accessible via 13-amp, two-pin (Italian) socket.

CURRENCY: Birr

Ethiopian currency is denominated in "Birr" and "centimes". The exchange rate fluctuates. The UN official exchange rate as of 31 July 2006 was $ US1.00 = Birr 8.70.

There is a branch of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in the ECA compound - located in the Rotunda. This Bank is open Monday - Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m. There is also an authorized exchange centre (Forex) at the Sheraton Hotel and ATM machines for Visa/Mastercard users at both the Sheraton and Hilton which will give you money in Birr.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For additional information please contact ADF-V Secretariat:

Mr. Kwabia Boateng
Coordinator, ADF-V
United Nations Economic Commission For Africa
P.O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251 - 115 - 44 35 71, Fax: +251 - 115 - 51 22 33
E-mail: kboateng@uneca.org

With copy to:

Ms. Veronica Eyong Agbor
ADF-V Secretariat
United Nations Economic Commission For Africa
P.O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251- 115- 44 38 12, Fax: +251 - 115 - 51 22 33
E-mail: OAgbor@uneca.org

You may also consult the Conference Website: http://www.uneca.org/uncc/