LARC/02/INF/1  |
| LARC/02/INF/1 |
TWENTY-SEVENTH FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE |
Havana, Cuba, 22 to 26 April 2002 |
INFORMATION NOTE |
1. The 27th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean will be held in the Palacio de las Convenciones, Havana, Cuba, from 22 to 26 April 2002. The Technical Committee of the Conference will meet from 22 to 24 April 2002. The Inaugural Ceremony of the Plenary Session will take place at 12.00 hours on 24 April 2002 in the Palacio de las Convenciones.
2. The normal working hours of the Conference will be from 09.00 to 13.00 hours and from 14.30 to 18.00 hours, unless otherwise decided by the Conference.
3. An Order of the Day will be issued daily with detailed information on Conference business, timetable, items for discussion and other information of general interest.
4. The Provisional Annotated Agenda (LARC/02/1) is circulated with the letter of invitation, as is the Provisional Agenda. This will continue to be provisional until the Conference has begun and the final Agenda has been approved.
5. FAO has appointed the Secretary of the Conference (para. 12) who will be assisted by 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 English, French and Spanish. The documentation will also be issued in English, French and Spanish.
7. During the Conference, the Information Officer of the FAO Regional Office, assisted by the Information Officer appointed by the Government of Cuba, will take care of relations with the press and other public information matters.
8. Journalists will be accredited at the press office set up in the Palacio de las Convenciones, on presentation of two passport-size photographs and a letter of assignment from their editor or employer.
9. The working documents will be sent before the beginning of the Conference to all invited governments and organizations and will be available on the Internet at http://www.rlc.fao.org/larc. Documents drafted during the Conference will be available to participants at the Documents Distribution Desk located in the Conference Hall, where mail and messages will also be delivered and general information provided.
10. Delegates who wish to submit draft recommendations or other documents requiring a decision by the Conference are requested to deliver their text in Spanish or English to the Conference Secretariat, if possible in three typed copies. Delegates wishing to circulate other written material relating to the Conference agenda are requested to provide the Secretariat with 100 copies in Spanish, 50 in English and 10 in French.
11. Delegates are kindly requested to provide the Secretary of the Conference with three typed copies of statement texts in advance, as this will facilitate the work of the Secretariat and the interpreters.
12. All correspondence concerning the Regional Conference should be addressed to the Conference Secretary at the following address:
Mr Roberto Samanez
Conference Secretary
27th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean
FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean
PO Box 10095
Santiago, Chile
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: (56-2) 337 2178
Tel: (56-2) 337 2313
During the Conference, the address will be:
27th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean
Hotel Palco - Palacio de Convenciones de La Habana
Avenida 146 e/ 11 y 13, Playa
Apartado Postal 16046, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
Tel: (537) 33 7250
Fax: (537) 33 7250 and 33 7236
E-mail: [email protected]
Mr Pedro Morales, Director, International Economic Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation (MINVEC) has been appointed by the Government of Cuba as focal point for this Regional Conference.
13. Postal and communications services, as well as travel and tourism information, will be available to delegates and observers on the Conference premises.
14. During the Conference, an area adjacent to the meeting rooms will be equipped with telephones at the disposal of delegates and observers for incoming international calls. The relevant numbers are:
(537) 208 0450
(537) 208 7558
There is an extensive telephone network for outgoing international calls using prepaid phone cards. Internet connection facilities will also be available at different points and, subject to prior request, in rooms in the Hotel Palco.
15. Delegations attending the Conference should contact the Cuban Embassy or Consulate in their country. The Cuban Government will inform all its representations of this event and will request their assistance with visa formalities should these be required. Where there is no diplomatic mission, travellers should communicate this to the Secretary of the Conference, at the addresses given in paragraph 12, and provide him with full name as on the passport; date and place of birth; nationality; passport number, date and place of issue, and validity; and duration of stay in Cuba, in order to ensure that they will be issued a visa.
16. Cuba has no vaccination requirements for international travellers.
17. Participants are requested to provide advance notice of their arrival (at least four weeks prior to their journey). They should indicate the date and time of arrival, the carrier and flight number and all related information. This will ensure better service in assisting with customs formalities and hotel transfer. Participants are also advised to mark their luggage clearly in order to facilitate identification and avoid problems on arrival at the airport.
18. The authorities of Cuba will make special arrangements for participants to be met on their arrival, assisting them with formalities regarding immigration, customs and collection of luggage and transfer to their hotel. Similar arrangements will be made for their departure.
19. Participants are advised to contact the travel desk at the Conference site immediately on arrival in Havana to confirm their return flights and receive information on the programme of visits organized for their companions.
20. The Cuban currency is the peso. In addition to the Cuban peso, which can be used for all commitments contracted in this currency within the national territory, tourist installations and other commercial and public service establishments set their prices in US dollars, so it is recommended that payment be made in cash in this currency. Any dollar convertible currency can be exchanged. Mastercard, Visa and Cabal credit cards are accepted on condition that they have not been issued by North American banks. Most banks and exchange bureaus accept Thomas Cook, Visa and Eurotravel traveller's cheques.
21. Medical and first aid services will be available 24 hours a day throughout the Palacio de las Convenciones, which includes the Conference meeting rooms and the Hotel Palco.
22. Registration will take place from Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 April in the Hall of the Palco Hotel between 09.00 and 16.00 hours and on Monday 22 April from 08.00 hours. All participants are requested to register as soon as possible at the registration desk in the Palacio de las Convenciones, where they will receive an identification badge. A provisional list of participants will be distributed during the first day of the Conference and subsequently amended as necessary. Any correction or addition to this list should be notified to the Conference Secretariat. Only registered participants will receive identification badges giving them access to the Conference meeting rooms.
23. Delegates are reminded that they will have to present duly authorized credentials to certify their status as delegate of their country or institution to the Conference.
24. Delegates wishing to host receptions are requested to inform the Conference Secretariat as soon as possible after their arrival so that a programme of receptions can be drawn up.
25. The city of Havana lies approximately 23º17' north latitude and 82º28' west longitude, at sea level. The average temperature in April is 26º centigrade with probable fluctuations between 23º and 28ºC. The "guayabera" commonly worn in tropical countries is not considered formal wear but can be used throughout the Conference, except at the inaugural ceremony.
26. The voltage in Cuba is 110 volts/60 cycles.
27. Requests for hotel reservations using the printed form in Appendix A should be sent as soon as possible to the Conference Secretariat. Reservation requests will be held until 1 March 2002.
28. The average cost of a meal in Havana is approximately US$ 20 - 30.
29. The Secretariat of the Conference and the Cuban Government have made special arrangements to accommodate all the participants within the Complex of the Palacio de Las Convenciones, in the Hotel Palco. The Complex of 62 000 square metres has all the infrastructure and facilities needed for conferences and events: public and private communications, hotel connected internally with meeting rooms, restaurants and bars, shopping mall, swimming pools, business centre, access to Internet, rooms for meetings and events, transportation and tourism services, cable television in rooms, etc. The hotel details are as follows:
Hotel Palco, Palacio de Convenciones de La Habana
Avenida 146 e/ 11 y 13, Playa
Apartado Postal 16046
Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
Tel: (537) 33 7250
Fax: (537) 33 7250 and 33 7236
Further information on the Hotel is available on its Web page: http://www.cubaweb/cu/palco.
The following special room prices will apply to participants, buffet breakfast included:
Type of room |
Single with breakfast US$ |
Double with breakfast US$ |
Dinner or lunch included |
Standard Room |
68.00 |
98.00 |
+14.00 p/p |
Junior Standard Suite |
107.00 |
123.00 |
+14.00 p/p |
Junior Superior Suite |
121.00 |
137.00 |
+14.00 p/p |
The hotel also has 24 junior standard and 11 junior superior rooms.
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1. Name .............................. .......................................................................................... Family Name................................................................................................................... 2. Title & Position: .......................................................................................................... 3. Institution ................................................................................................................... 4. Address (postal , fax, e-mail) ...................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Attending as: Delegate ! Observer ! Secretariat ! 6. Accompanied: Yes ! No ! Name of companion: .................................................................................................... 7. Dates of anticipated stay in Havana: from: . ...................... to: .................................. 8. Arrival: Date/Time ................................... Airline # flight ......................................... Arriving from ......................................... 9. Departure: Date/Time ................................... Airline # flight .................................... 10. Preferred accommodation:
11. Special needs .....................................................................................................
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NOTE: Each delegate or observer is kindly requested to fill this form and send a copy by e-mail or fax to the Secretariat of the Conference as soon as possible and no later than 1 March 2002, even if the flight information is not complete. This information can be sent later.