Information Note for Participants
Thank you for your agreement to be a participant in the First Joint Annual Meeting of the AU Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance and ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 26 March - 2 April 2008. The venue of the meeting will be the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC-AA). UNCC-AA is a fully integrated and secure complex with excellent conference facilities, exhibition space, advanced audio-visual equipment, videoconference facilities, high-speed wireless internet connections, printing facilities and catering services, located within the UNECA premises just minutes away from the airport and major hotels.
It is important to take note of the following information which will further assist you in the planning 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, i.e. by 5 March, 2008.
1) Full name
2) Nationality
3) Passport details - (number, date of issue and expiry)
4) Flight details (arrival and departure)
Please 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 $ = 9.22 Ethiopian Birr (February 2008)
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.
Please be aware of the geographical location of Addis Ababa at an altitude of about 2450m. Acclimatization to this elevation is normally no problem, but sometimes it might take a few days. Symptoms include headache, increased breathing (hyperventilation), fatigue, nausea, dizziness and sleep disturbances.
For prevention you should drink extra water (increased breathing leads to water loss), avoid additional salt and heavy meals. Alcohol could worsen sleep disturbances.
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. Service will be provided on a pay per cash basis and invoices for individual reimbursement claims will be given to the participants. 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 is a travel agency on site at ECA to assist with re-confirmation of tickets and to provide participants with travel and tour related information. The Travel Agency at ECA is reachable at the following telephone numbers:
Gashem Travel Tel: +251 115 44 30 51/44 30 52/46 84 85 or 251 0911 25 04 68 (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. Moreover, for ticket confirmation or any other travel related queries you may also call the Ethiopian Airlines Reservation office by Tel No: +251 116 656666.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATION
At your request accommodation can be reserved on your behalf at the following hotels on first come first serve basis, provided your arrival and departure flight details are received by 18 March 2008 with the exception of the Sheraton and Hilton Hotel. All hotels will be expecting a final rooming list from ECA by 18 March after which ECA will be subject to a cancellation penalty for rooms reserved and not utilized. For participants wishing to stay at the Sheraton or the Hilton, bookings need to be made directly by the participant and details of his/her credit cards must be given to get confirmation.
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 identified for participants to the conference:
List of Selected Hotels
No. | Hotel | No. of rooms Available | UN Rate |
1 | ATLAS HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 70.00 |
2 | AXUM HOTEL | New Building |
|
3 | ARARAT HOTEL | Single room | US$ 60.00 |
4 | AWRARIS HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 35.00 |
5 | AIRPORT MOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 35.00 |
6 | ADOT-TINA HOTEL | Single rooms | US$55.00 |
7 | BEER GARDEN INN | Single rooms | US$ 65.00 |
8 | BOLE INTERNATIONAL HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 35.00 |
9 | CENTRAL SHOA HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 35.00 |
10 | CLASSIC HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 22/32 |
11 | CONCORDE HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 22.00 |
12 | CROWN HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 87.75 |
13 | DAMU HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 60.00 |
14 | DESSALEGNE HOTEL | Standard rooms | US$75.00 |
15 | ETHIOPIA HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 45.00 |
16 | FRATELLI | ||
17 | GG ROYAL HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 40.00 |
18 | GEDERA HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 21.00 |
19 | GLOBAL HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 75.00 |
20 | GHION HOTEL | Standard single rooms | US$ 68 .00 |
21 | HOTEL De France | Standard rooms | US$ 56.00 |
22 | HILTON HOTEL | Single | US$ 103.00 |
23 | HOLIDAY HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 21.00 |
24 | HOTEL de LEOPOL | Studio single Occupancy | US$ 62.00 |
25 | IBEX HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 61.00 |
26 | IMPERIAL HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 66.00 |
27 | ILRI HOSTEL | Single rooms | US$ 55.00 |
28 | JERUSALEM HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 30.00 |
29 | KING'S HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 50.00 |
30 | LALIBELA HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 55.00 |
31 | MARIOT HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 48.00 |
32 | MERIDIAN HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 48.00 |
33 | NATIONAL HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 45.00 |
34 | PLAZA HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 35.00 |
35 | QUEEN OF SHEBA HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 89.00 |
36 | RAS AMBA HOTEL | Single occupancy | US$ 52.00 |
37 | RAS HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 24.00 |
38 | SHERATON HOTEL | Club room | US$ 165.00 |
39 | SIEMEN HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 52 .00 |
40 | WABESHEBELE HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 68.00 |
41 | YORDANOS HOTEL | Single rooms | US$ 44.00 |
Kindly send your hotel preference by 18 March 2008 to:
Publication and Conference Management Section (PCMS)
Telephone Nos.: +251-11 551 4945 or +251-11 544 3556
Fax Nos.: +251-11 551 3155 or +251-11 551 0105
e-mail : uncc-aa@uneca.org
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 sent to the above Fax or email address. Subsequent changes should also be communicated.
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 18 March 2008. A 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
Registration will take place on 23 - 25 March 2008 (full day) and 26 March 2008 (8:00-9:00 am) at the ECA Delegates Registration Building, opposite the main entrance gate to the Conference Center. A full list of confirmed participants will be made available to the ECA Security and participants will have to carry identification to be allowed entry into the UN compound.
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, for sight-seeing or 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
The United Nations Conference Centre is equipped with WAN and WIFI, and a Cyber café shall be made available during the Conference. Kindly contact the conference services information desk should you have problems accessing the Internet.
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$ 41 includes US$ 2 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)
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.
Currently the weather is warm during the daytime and very chilly in the night, so kindly carry a warm jacket/sweater for the evenings.
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 February 2008 was $ US1.00 = Birr 9.22.
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. to 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.