NERC/02/INF/1

Twenty-Sixth FAO Regional Conference for the Near East

Conference Arrangements

1. The Twenty-sixth FAO Regional Conference for the Near East will be held at the Conference Hall of Azadi Grand Hotel in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, from 9 to 13 March 2002. The Conference will start with a three-day meeting from 9 to 11 March for Senior Officers to be designated by Member Nations of the Region, followed by a Ministerial Meeting on 12 and 13 March. The Opening Session of the Senior Officers Meeting will take place at 08:00 hours on Saturday, 9 March. The Inaugural Ceremony of the Ministerial Meeting will take place at 09:00 hours on Tuesday, 12 March, 2002.

2. The normal working hours of the Conference will be 09:00 to 13:00 hours and 15:00 to 18:00 hours, unless otherwise decided by the Conference.

3. An "Order of the Day" will be issued daily, giving detailed information of the Conference business, the timetable of meetings, items to be discussed and other information of general interest.

4. The Provisional Agenda (Doc. NERC/02/1) has been circulated with the invitation letter.

5. The Secretary of the Conference is Mr. Zohair Mubarak Abdalla, who will be assisted by a number of FAO staff whose names and functions will be included in a list to be issued on the first day of the Conference.

6. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Arabic, English and French. The documentation will be issued in Arabic, English and French.

Press Liaison and Information

7. For the duration of the Conference, an FAO Information Officer, assisted by a Press Officer from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, will provide contacts with the press and be responsible for matters concerning information to the public.

8. Journalists will be provided accreditation upon presenting two passport-size photographs and a letter of assignment from their editor or employer to the accreditation desk at the Conference venue.

Documentation

9. The working documents will be sent to all governments and invited organizations, before the holding of the Conference. Documents drafted during the Conference will be available at the documents distribution desk, outside the Conference hall. The desk will also deliver mail and messages and deal with general inquiries.

Draft Recommendations and Amendments

10. Delegates who wish to submit draft recommendations or other documents requiring a decision by the Conference are requested to hand their texts in Arabic or English to the Conference Secretary, if possible in four typewritten copies. Delegates wishing to circulate other written material related to the Agenda of the Conference are requested to deliver 40 copies in Arabic and 20 copies in English to the Secretariat for distribution.

Advance Communications of Text of Speeches and Statements

11. When prepared speeches or statements are to be made, it would help the Secretariat and ensure accuracy in interpretation, if three typed copies of the texts were handed to the Secretariat of the Conference in advance.

Correspondence

12. All correspondence concerning the Regional Conference should be addressed to the Conference Secretary as follows:

Mr. Zohair Mubarak Abdalla
Secretary of the Twenty-sixth FAO Regional Conference for the Near East
FAO Regional Office for the Near East
P.O. Box 2223, Cairo, Egypt
Tel.: (202) 331-6000 - 3316131
Fax: (202) 749-5981 - 337-3419
E-mail: [email protected]

and copied to the government Liaison Officer, Mr. Majid Dehghan-Shoar

Director-General
International and Regional Organizations Dept.,
Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture, 17^th Floor, Keshavarz Blv.
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Tel.: (0098-21) 6123733
Fax: (0098-21) 8964590 - 8964104
Cellular Phone: 0098-911-2302908
E-mail: [email protected]

During the Conference the addresses of the Conference Secretary are:

13. Postal, telephone, telex and facsimile services will be provided at the Conference premises as well as a travel and tourist information desk.

Formalities for Entry into Islamic Republic of Iran

14. Travellers to Islamic Republic of Iran requiring an entry visa are advised to obtain one from a diplomatic mission or Iran Consulate prior to the date of travel. In the event that no diplomatic mission or consulate exists in a particular country, travellers should inform the Liaison Officer and the Conference Secretary, at the addresses indicated in paragraph 12 above. To facilitate speedy issuance of entry visa, all participants are kindly requested to fill in the enclosed personal data form (Appendix C), send a copy of the first pages of their valid passports and fax them to the Liaison Officer in Tehran at least one month before the Conference with a copy to Conference Secretary in Cairo.

15. Travellers arriving in Iran and coming from infected areas would require a valid international certificate of vaccination against Cholera and Yellow Fever.

16. Participants are advised to provide advance notice, at least three weeks prior to arrival of the name of carrier, flight number, time of arrival and other related information to the Government Liaison Officer in Tehran, Iran. This will ensure that they are properly met on arrival at Tehran international airport. Participants are advised to mark their luggage clearly in order to facilitate identification.

17. The Iranian authorities will make special arrangements for participants upon their arrival, assist them with formalities regarding immigration, visas, customs, and collection of luggage and provide them with transport to their respective hotels. Similar arrangements will be made at the end of the Conference.

18. All participants to the Conference are advised to finalize, at an early date, return travel arrangements. Immediately upon arrival to Tehran, participants are advised to contact the travel desk at the Conference premises for special internal visits for spouses and for the reconfirmation of their departure date and time.

Foreign Exchange and Banking

19. The national currency is the Iranian Rial. In daily dealings, Iranians also use an old terminology called Tuman. One Tuman is worth 10 Rials. Foreign currency can be exchanged at the official rate at selected branches of banks. As of November 2001, the bank rate was US$1=8000 Rials approximately. Money can also be changed at lower rates at exchange offices found at airports and hotels. Traveller's checks of any denomination or currency are not easily exchanged unless at the Bank Melli branches in central Tehran or at the International Airport (Tehran Mehrabad Airport). MasterCard is accepted only at some top-level hotels, travel agencies and exclusive shops. No other credit card is accepted.^_

Medical Services and First Aid

20. Medical and first aid services will be available at the Conference premises. Medical services could also be provided by hotels.

Hotel Accommodation

21. Requests for hotel reservations should be made on the printed form appearing in Appendix-A, as soon as possible, by sending the original to the Conference Liaison Officer in Tehran and a copy to the Conference Secretary in Cairo (see paragraph 12 above), not later than 15 February 2002.

22. Accommodation will be available for participants and their families at the hotels listed in Appendix-B.

Registration

23. All delegates and observers are requested to register, soon after arrival, at the Conference site, so that they can be provided with identification tags. The registration desk will be open on 8 March from 10:00 to18:00 hours and on 9 March from 08:00 hours. The Conference Secretariat will issue a Provisional List of Participants on the first day of the Conference. The Secretariat should be notified of any corrections or additions to this list. Only registered participants will be issued special badges, which will permit them to enter the Conference meeting venue.

Weather

24. During the month of March the temperature varies from 10-20 ^oC, with a possibility of rain and remote possibility of snow. It is advisable to bring normal winter clothing.

Dress Code

25. Women are required to cover their hair with a scarf and to wear a manteau or long-sleeved, loose fitting coats that extend to the ankles.

Electricity

26. The voltage in Tehran is 220 volts AC.

APPENDIX A

HOTEL RESERVATION AND NOTIFICATION OF ARRIVAL FORM

NOTE: Each participant is required to complete the above form in duplicate and send one copy to each of the addresses below as soon as possible, preferably one month before the Conference, even if complete flight information is unavailable. You may cable, fax or e-mail flight information details at a later date.

APPENDIX B

LIST OF HOTELS

*Inclusive of taxes.

APPENDIX C

Passport Specifications as required by Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Issue Visas to Visitors to the Islamic Republic of Iran*

*To be sent to the Liaison Officer, Mr. Majid Dehghan-Shoar, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, with a copy to FAO Secretariat, Cairo, Egypt.