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20th Session Of the African Commission on Agricultural Statistics (AFCAS)
Algiers, Algeria, 10 – 13 December 2007
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Introduction
The objective of this General Information is to provide participants at the session with all the necessary information so as to guide them during their stay in Algiers ( Algeria ).
2. Venue and date
The 20th Session of the African Commission on Agricultural Statistics (CASA/AFCAS) will be held at the «HILTON» Hotel from the 10th to 13th December 2007. The Session will be preceded by the workshop of FAO/PARIS 21 on the Development of Agricultural Statistics in Africa, scheduled for the same venue, from the 8th to 9th December 2007.
3. Registration
Registration of participants will take place at the Front Desk of the «HILTON » Hotel:
Workshop: Saturday 8th December 2007, between 8h00am and 9h00am. The opening ceremony begins at 9h 00am.
AFCAS: Monday 10th December 2007, between 8h00am and 9h00am. The opening ceremony begins at 9h 00.
4. Technical documents for the meetings
The technical documents related to this session are available at the following Website:
http://www.fao.org/statistics/meetings/afcas2007/
5. Organisation of the meetings
The Government of Algeria, through the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, is committed to provide the required equipment for the holding of these meetings and ensure the transport for participants through a shuttle system between the Airport and the Hotel. You will find the list of Hotels where bookings have been made for participants at the Annex. Transportation will also be provided from these Hotels to the Venue for the Conference. A field trip (tourism) to Tipaza (about 70 kms from Algiers ) is scheduled for 9th December in the afternoon at the end of the activities of the preliminary workshop of the Commission's Meeting.
6. Delegations
A form must be filled by each participant to the meetings and returned to the organisers latest by November 15th 2007 . The form contains all the details required for appropriate arrangements to be made to welcome and lodge delegates (Flight numbers and schedule).
7. Entry Requirements
It is necessary to have a passport and a valid entry visa before travelling to Algeria . Participants are therefore kindly requested to contact the Algerian Diplomatic Mission as soon as possible to obtain a visa.
Countries where the Algerian Diplomatic Mission does not exist can apply for the visa in any of the following neighbouring countries where the Missions exist, with details on the countries they cover.
List of Algerian Embassies covering many countries:
- Abuja covers Benin and Togo
- A. Abebba covers Djibouti and Somalia
- Antananarivo covers the Comoros Islands (exonerated from visa), Mauritius and Seychelles Islands
- Congo Brazzaville covers the Central African Republic
- Conakry covers Liberia Sierra Leone
- Dakar covers Cap Verde and the Gambia
- Maputo covers Malawi Swaziland
- Harare covers Zambia
- Kampala covers Burundi and Rwanda
- Luanda covers Sao Tome and Principe
- Pretoria covers Lesotho and Botswana
Exceptionally, for participants who could not transit through a neighbouring country situated far away or which is off their itinerary, an exemption has been made for them to be given their visa on arrival in Algiers. An invitation letter from the National Coordination of the 20th Session of AFCAS/CASA (whose address is at paragraph 15), will be sent to them by e-mail, indicating that their Entry Visa will be delivered to them in Algiers.
For countries where the Algeria Diplomatic Mission does not exist, it is requested that the Representative of FAO assists their participants to acquire the Visa.
Citizens of the following countries are exempted from the Algerian Visa: Morocco , Tunisia , Libya , Mauritania , Mali , the Comoro s Islands .
8. Welcoming delegates
Delegates who have earlier on communicated as expected their Flight itinerary (Flight number, Arrival time) will be welcomed at Houari Boumediene International Airport in Algiers on arrival. Transport will be provided from the Airport to their Hotel.
Unfortunately, participants who will not communicate any information on their arrival would not be welcomed at the Airport and would have to find their own way to their Hotel.
9. Badges
Special badges will be designed for this Conference and will be given to each participant. They will serve as identification for access to the venue of the meetings. Delegates are therefore required to wear them to facilitate the work for the Organisers.
10. Vaccin
No vaccination is required before travelling to Algeria .
11. Local currency and foreign exchange
Money can be changed at the Airport, in banks, as well as in Hotels where there are Forex bureaux. The local currency is the Algerian Dinar (DA).
The exchange rate, for information only:
1 Dollar US = about 70 DA
1 Euro = about 95 DA
12. Tax at the Airport
There is no tax, neither for arrival nor departure to be paid at the Airport.
13. Introduction of the host country
Algeria which is situated between Morocco and Tunisia is the second largest country in Africa . It covers a total area of 2.381.741 km2. Its Northern part is lined up with ranges of mountains that extend the Atlas (Kabylie Hills, Aurès Hills,…). The Southern part is largely covered by the Sahara Desert .
The Constitution defines « Islam, Arabic and Amazigh identities » as « fundamental components » of the identity of t h e Algerian people and the country as the « land of Islam , an integral part of the Greater Maghreb, Arabic, Mediterranean and African country. »
The Northern part enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate with muggy summer periods with average temperatures of 30°C; rainy winter periods with average temperatures situated around 10 °C.
The participants should bring winter cloths
Les participants devraient se munir d'habit d'hiver
- The Algerian official language is Arabic but other languages such as Berber and French are also spoken.
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The religion is Islam.
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Capital: Algiers (about 3 millions inhabitants).
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Other major urban centres: Oran , Constantine , Annaba .
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Country Code: 213
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Time Zone: GMT + 1
14. Hotel reservations
The workshop and the AFCAS Secretariats will be situated at the Hilton Hotel. Unless otherwise, arrangements will be made for reservations to be made for participants at the Hilton Hotel. For participants who would like to lodge elsewhere, it will be advisable that they choose from the list of Hotels that are proposed in Annex.
For your information, please find below the address of the Hilton Hotel, venue for the AFCAS and the Workshop:
HOTEL HILTON
Pins Maritimes-Parc des Expositions
El Mohammadia, Alger, Algérie
Tel.: (213) 21 21 96 96
Fax: (213) 21 21 05 06
Email: sales.algiers@hilton.com
15. Useful Contacts
Alger AFCAS/Workshop Secretariat,
FAO Regional Office for Africa ,
PO Box 1628, Accra, Ghana
Tel +233-21-675000 ext 3147, ou +233-21-7010930
Fax: +233-21-7010943
Email: Vincent.Ngendakumana@fao.org
With copy to:
Représentation de la FAO en Algérie,
30 Rue Asselah Hocine (Ben M'hidi), Alger (Centre), Algérie
Tel : +213-21-730304 ou +213-21-730308
Fax: +213-21-736976
E-mail: FAO-DZ@fao.org
and
Coordination nationale de la 20ème Session de l'AFCAS/ CASA ,
Ministère de l'agriculture et du développement rural
12, boulevard Colonel Amirouche 16001 Alger ( Centre), Algérie
Tel directe: +213-21-718836
Tel/Fax: +213-21-74-99-42
E-mail: idirbais@yahoo.fr
Naman KEITA
Senior Statistician
National Statistical Systems Group
Country Statistics Service
FAO Statistics Division Room C 426
Rome, Italy
Tel: +390657053827 Fax: +390657055615
E-mail: Naman.Keita@fao.org
16. Speeches:
17. Preparatory documents and reports:
18. Supplementary and non presented documents:
19. Presentations (working papers):
20. Presentations (Power Point):
21. Declaration of Observers
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