ARC/02/INF/3

Conference Arrangements

1. The 22^nd FAO Regional Conference for Africa will be held at Sheraton Cairo Hotel from o4 to 08 February 2002. The inaugural ceremony of the plenary session will take place at Sheraton Cairo Hotel at 10.00 hours on 07 February 2002.

2. The normal working hours of the conference will be 9.00 hours to 12.00 hours and 14.30 hours to 17.30 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 ARC/02/1 has been circulated with the invitation letter.

5. FAO will provide the Secretary of the Conference, 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.

Working Languages

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

Press Liaison and Information

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

8. Journalists will be provided with accreditation by the Ministry of Information. An accreditation desk will be in place at the conference venue and journalists are requested to bring two passport size photographs and a letter of assignment from their editor or employer.

Documentation

9. The working documents will be sent to all governments and organisations invited, 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, English, French or Spanish to the Conference Secretary, if possible in three typewritten copies. Delegates wishing to circulate other written material related to the Agenda of the Conference are requested to deliver 15 copies in Arabic, 30 copies in English and French, and 5 copies in Spanish 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 the typed copies of the texts were handed to the Secretariat of the Conference beforehand.

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

The Conference Secretary

Mr T.B. Tshibaka
Conference Secretary at the FAO Regional Office for Africa,
P.O. Box 1628, Accra, Ghana
Cable: FOODAGRI, Accra, Ghana
Telex: 2139 FOODAGRI, Accra, Ghana
Fax: (233-21) 7010943/7010944
Tel: (233-21) 7010930/675000
E-mail: [email protected]

and

The Liaison Officer

Dr Fadia Nosseir
Supervisor

Foreign Agricultural Relations Department

Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation
Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.
Tel: (202) 3373616
Fax: (202) 3374195
E-mail:[email protected]

During the conference the address is:

Mr. T. B. Tshibaka
Conference Secretary
22^nd FAO Regional Conference for Africa

Sheraton Cairo Hotel

Tel: (202) 3369700/800
Fax: (202) 3378563
E-mail: [email protected]

or

Mr. N. Doumandji
FAO Representative
Tel: (202) 7602324/3316019/3375029
Fax: (202) 3378563
Cairo, Egypt
Email: [email protected]

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

Formalities for entry into the Arab Republic of Egypt (ARE)

14. Travellers to ARE requiring an entry visa are advised to obtain one from a diplomatic mission or consulate of the Arab Republic of Egypt (ARE) 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, providing full name as in the travel document, date and place of birth, nationality, passport number, date and place of issue, validity and expected duration of stay in ARE in order to ensure that a visa will be granted on arrival.

15. Travellers arriving in ARE coming from infected areas would require a valid international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever. Cholera immunization is required only from travellers from infected areas.

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 Liaison Officer in Cairo, Egypt with copy to FAO Representative in Cairo, to ensure that they are properly met on arrival at the Cairo International Airport. Participants are advised to mark their luggage clearly in order to facilitate identification.

17. The authorities of ARE will make special arrangements for participants on their arrival, assist them with formalities regarding immigration, visas, customs, 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 finalise, at an early date, return travel arrangements and immediately on arrival in ARE 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, communication facilities, and travel/tourist office

19. There is no restriction on the amount or kind of foreign currency or travellers cheques which may be imported to the ARE. The foreign exchange desk and banks will provide the necessary information and measures of exchange rates and transfer. A bank/foreign exchange desk will be available on the conference premises. The monetary unit is the Egyptian Pound (EGP). At the time of going to press the exchange rate is approximately EGP 4.25 to 1 United States Dollar.

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 Government Liaison Officer in Cairo, Egypt and a copy to the Conference Secretary in Accra (see paragraph 12 above), not later than 22 December 2001. Attention is drawn to the fact that due to nice weather, early bookings are needed to ensure accommodation at affordable prices.

22. Participants are strongly advised to lodge at the Sheraton Cairo Hotel, the venue of the Regional Conference, in order to avoid heavy traffic delays in the Cairo Metropolitan area".

Registration

23. All delegates and observers are requested to register, soon after arrival, at the Conference Site (Sheraton Cairo, Hotel) so that they can be provided with identification tags. The registration desk will be open on Sunday, 03 February 2002 from 15.00 hours to 19.00 hours and on Monday, 04 February 2002 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 venues.

Altitude

24. Cairo is located between latitude 30 and 31 degrees north of the equator and is 200 to 250 metres above sea level.

Weather

25. During the month of February the weather in Cairo is nice and cool (nights are cold). It is advisable to bring appropriate warm clothing.

Time Zone

26. The country is on GMT + 2 Time Zone.

Voltage

27. The voltage in Cairo is 220 volts, 50 cycles AC.

Customs

28. Limited amounts of duty free items are allowed to visitors, but they must be declared. Professional articles and samples, including those imported by businessmen and commercial travellers, items like cameras (film) photographic equipment, radio equipment and sound recording apparatus, and equipment imported by foreign correspondents or any other specialized materials imported for professional use or sporting fire arms are subject to special permit which is to be obtained from the Customs Authority, Cairo Airport, Tel: (202) 2653760, Cairo, Egypt.

APPENDIX A

HOTEL RESERVATION AND NOTIFICATION OF ARRIVAL FORM

1.	Name:_______________________________________________________                         Family name                                       Given name
2.	Country/Organization: ___________________________________________
3.	Title and position: _______________________________________________
4.	Address (postal, telephone, fax and e-mail):  ___________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
5.	Attending as:     Delegate     Observer       Secretariat
6.	Accompanied by spouse:      Yes        No
	Name of spouse:  ______________________________________________
7.	Dates of anticipated stay in Cairo: _______________  to  _______________
8.	Arrival information: Date:  _______________   Hour:  ______________
	Airline and flight No:  _____________   From (city):  _______________
9.	Hotel accommodation desired:        Single        Double
10.	Please indicate hotel names by order of preference: A________ B:______

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.