Information Note

Dear Participants,

We look forward to welcoming you to Addis Ababa and to the Africa Regional Consultative Meeting on the Sustainable Development Goals. The meeting will take place from 31 October to 5 November 2013 at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

Please find below useful information on the conference arrangements and on Addis Ababa. Should you have any questions or require any assistance, do not hesitate to contact the following staff of ECA:

Ms. Martha Messele

Green Economy and Natural Resources Section

Special Initiatives Division

Tel: +251-11-5445748

E-mail: mmessele@uneca.org

Ms. Yealemzer Yilma Asfaw

Renewal of Planning Section

Macroeconomic Policy Division

Tel: +251-11-544 38 06

E-mail: YealemzerYilma@uneca.org

1. 1.             Registration and identification badges

Participants are required to register and obtain identification badges prior to the opening of the meeting. The venue for registration will be the Delegates Registration Bureau. Kindly bring along your invitation letter and personal identification for registration purposes. For identification and security reasons, all participants should wear their badges at all times.

1. 2.             Documents

Participants will be sent the aide memoire, agenda and programme before the meeting. Other documents will be available on the meeting website http://www.uneca.org and will also be provided at the time of registration. Documents, which participants wish to circulate, should be handed to the Secretariat. Participants are also advised to consult with the Secretariat on any matters pertaining to the issuance or distribution of meeting documents.

1. 3.             Travel

A number of international airlines operate to and from Addis Ababa. Sponsored participants will be provided with round trip air-tickets and Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) for Addis Ababa based on UN rules for the duration of the meeting. Non-sponsored participants should secure their return/onward air passage prior to their arrival in Addis Ababa.  Travel Agencies at ECA will assist with re-confirmation of tickets and provide participants with travel and tour-related information. They can be reached at the following telephone numbers:

• Gashem Travel Tel: +251 115 44 30 51/ 44 30 52/ 44 40 38 or +251 911 25 04 68 (mobile)

• Airlink Travel Tel: +251 115 44 43 66/ 44 43 67/ 44 43 33/ 44 43 34 or +251 921 79 81 28 (mobile)

Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways also have offices at the ECA compound and can be reached at:

• Ethiopian Airlines: +251-11- 515 72 33 / +251-11-543310

• Kenya Airways: +251-11- 55130 18/ +251-11- 552 55 47 /+251-11-544301/+251-11-544176

Please have your ticket ready when visiting the travel agencies/airlines for flight-related assistance.

1. 4.             Immigration requirements

Visas are required for all participants travelling to Ethiopia, except for nationals of Djibouti and Kenya. This also applies to holders of diplomatic and service passports, as well as United Nations Laissez-Passer.

Following an agreement reached between the Ethiopian Government and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, all participants attending the meeting can obtain business visas on arrival at Bole International Airport. In order to assist participants in obtaining visas upon arrival, please fill in the nationality, passport details and, if appropriate, flight details in the registration form.

Please note that the Ethiopian Immigration Authority requires that participants carry with them and present to Immigration an official Letter of Invitation for the meeting.

Please note that an Ethiopian visa costs US$20 per person and payment must be made in US dollars at the time of issue. No other currency will be accepted. Holders of diplomatic and service passports, as well as United Nations Laissez-Passer, will receive visas free of charge.

1. 5.             Currency restrictions

Directives issued by the National Bank of Ethiopia for inward and outward movement of foreign currency notes and Ethiopian Birr require any traveller, who is a non-resident in Ethiopia, to declare any amount of cash exceeding $3000 or its equivalent in any other convertible foreign currency, and all foreign currency in their possession at the points of entry into Ethiopia by filling out the declaration form of the Ethiopian Customs and Revenue Authority.

Non-resident travellers are not allowed to carry more than US$3000 or its equivalent in any other convertible foreign currency in cash out of Ethiopia, unless he/she produces a bank advice certifying the purchase of foreign currency from within Ethiopia or a Customs Declaration paper issued at the time of entering the country provided the visa period has not expired.

Any traveller entering or leaving the country may carry up to only 200 Ethiopian Birr in cash.

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

There is a branch of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in the UNECA compound, located in the Rotunda. The Bank is open from Monday through Friday, from 8.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. There is also an authorized exchange centre (Forex) at the Sheraton, Hilton and Intercontinental hotels, as well as ATM machines for Visa/Mastercard users, which will provide you cash in Birr.

1. 6.             Hotel reservations

Hotel reservations will be made by ECA for all sponsored participants. Details of the arrangements will be communicated in due course. ECA can assist non-sponsored participants with hotel reservations upon timely request. Should assistance be required, kindly fill in the relevant section of the registration form and return to ECA by 15 October 2013 at the latest. A list of recommended hotels is annexed to this note. The following hotels are located within close proximity of ECA: Hilton Hotel, Hotel De Leopol, Sheraton Hotel, Jupiter International Hotel – Kasanches, Radisson Hotel, and Intercontinental Hotel.

1. 7.             Reception on arrival

Participants will be met on arrival at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and assisted with immigration formalities.  Flight details, including date and time of arrival in Addis Ababa should be sent to ECA no later than 15 October 2013. Any subsequent changes should be communicated on time.

1. 8.             Transport

ECA buses will transport participants from Bole International Airport, which is located 5 kilometres from the centre of Addis Ababa, to the recommended hotels (see annex 1). Shuttle buses will also transport participants to and from the following hotels and the conference venue in the mornings and at the end of daily sessions: Jupiter International Hotel (Kasanchis and Bole), Kaleb Hotel, Bole Ambassador Hotel, Harmony Hotel, Dreamliner Hotel and Churchill hotel. Regrettably, transport will not be provided during lunch breaks.

If you would like transportation in Addis Ababa outside of Conference time, or for 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, or use the yellow or blue taxis parked outside your hotel.

1. 9.             Health and healthcare requirements

Prior to entry, 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 through a cholera-infected area within six days prior to arrival in the country. As Addis Ababa is situated at an altitude of 2400 meters, it is advisable to take precautionary measures to avoid possible health problems that might occur due to high altitude.

The United Nations Health Care Centre (UNHCC), situated on the ground floor of the UN Conference Centre provides 24 hour medical services at a reasonable cost (payment in cash). In case of medical or dental emergency, please call the reception desk on telephone numbers (0115) 44 55 02/44 35 48/44 31 35, or 35502/ 33548/33135, when calling from an extension phone within ECA premises.

Participants on special medications should bring enough quantities to last for the period of stay as some of them may not be found in UNHCC or in town. 

Please note that ECA will not provide medical insurance coverage to participants. Participants are therefore advised to secure medical insurance that cover Ethiopia for the duration of the meeting taking into account travel time.

1. 10.         Mobile phone services

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 $ 2.5 includes $0.80 airtime. A copy of the national passport and two passport-size photos are required for processing and connection will be effected on the spot.

Participants coming from the United States of America should kindly note that they can only use tri-band mobile handsets i.e. (900/1800/1900 MHZ).

1. 11.         General information about Addis Ababa and Ethiopia

Addis Ababa is a high altitude city, 2 400 meters above sea level (higher than Mexico City). Safety standards are relatively good, but similar precautions as in other metropolitan cities should be followed. The predominant language spoken in Addis Ababa is Amharic, but English is widely understood as well. Communication in French is quite limited, and minimum in Italian and Arabic. Right-hand traffic rules apply.

Additional information on Ethiopia and ECA can be found on the following websites:

http://www.telecom.et, http://www.ethio.com, http://tour.ethiopianonline.net, http://www.uneca.org

1. 12.         Climate

October/November is the dry season in Ethiopia, but occasional rainfall is possible. The temperature in Addis Ababa during November can be between a minimum of 5 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 25 degrees Celsius.

1. 13.         Electricity supply

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

List of recommended hotels