1. The FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific will be held at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 13 – 17 May 2002. The inaugural ceremony of the plenary session will take place at 0930 hours on 16 May 2002.
2. The normal working hours of the Conference will be 0930 to 1230 hours and 1430 to 1730 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 Annotated Agenda (APRC/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 Chinese, English and French. The documentation will be issued in Chinese, English and French.

Press liaison and information

7. For the duration of the Conference, an FAO Information Officer together with a Press Officer of the Government of Nepal will provide contacts with the press and be responsible for matters concerning information to the public.
8. Journalists will be accredited on 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 organizations invited before the holding of the Conference. Documents drafted during the Conference will be available at the document 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 French or English 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 25 copies in French, 15 copies in Chinese and 100 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 helps the Secretariat and ensures accuracy in interpretation if three typed copies of the texts are handed to the Secretariat of the Conference beforehand.

Correspondence

12. All correspondence concerning the Regional Conference should be addressed to the Conference Secretary at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Maliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand, Tel: 662-6974195, Fax: 662-6974445, E-mail: [email protected] and copied to the Government Liaison Officer at the addresses below:

Mr. Ganesh K.C.
Joint Secretary
Planning Division
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
Singh Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977-1-226465
Fax: 977-1-225825
E-mail: [email protected]

During the Conference the address of the Conference Secretary is:

Mr. Ti Teow Choo
Conference Secretary
26^th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific
E-mail: [email protected]

13. Telephone and facsimile services as well as a travel and tourist information desk will be provided at the Conference premises. Postal services are available at the hotel concierge.

Formalities for entry into Nepal

14. An entry visa to Nepal should be obtained from the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Nepal. Visas can also be obtained upon arrival. But this privilege is not accorded to all countries and delegates should ascertain their eligibility prior to the date of travel.
15. 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 Kathmandu, to ensure that they are properly met on arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. Participants are advised to mark their luggage clearly in order to facilitate identification.
16. On arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, participants will be met and transported to their respective hotels. Entrance formalities (customs and immigration) will be facilitated. Transport from hotels to the airport will be arranged at the end of the Conference.
17. All participants to the Conference are advised to finalise, at an early date, return travel arrangements. Immediately upon arrival in Nepal, 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.
18. In accordance with UN rules, UN personnel should obtain security clearance if necessary, from the Designated Official in Nepal prior to travel. Reference may be made to the "Monthly Advisory on Field Security Status and Security-Related Travel Restrictions" published by the Office of the United Nations Security Coordinator (UNSECOORD). Additional information may be obtained from UNSECOORD: Tel (212) 9637584 and 9631914, and Fax (212) 9634104 and 9632521.

Foreign exchange and banking

19. The monetary unit is Rupees (Rs.). At the conference premises, a bank/foreign exchange desk will be available to convert foreign currency. All major credit cards such as American Express, Visa, and Master Card are accepted for payment of hotel bills. The exchange rate is approximately Rs.76/US$.

Medical services and first aid

20. First aid services and medical personnel will be available at the conference premises.

Hotel accommodation

21. Requests for hotel reservations should be made on the printed form appearing in Annex A, as soon as possible, but not later than 17 April 2002, by sending the original to the Government Liaison Officer in Kathmandu and a copy to the Conference Secretary in Bangkok, Thailand (see para 12 above).
22. Accommodation will be available for participants and their families in the hotels listed in Annex B.

Registration

23. All delegates and observers are requested to register, soon after arrival, at the Hotel Soaltee Conference Hall so that they can be provided with identification tags. The registration desk will be open from 0930 hours to 1800 hours starting Saturday, 11 May. 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 permitting access to the Conference venue.

Weather and time

24. Kathmandu is situated at an elevation of about 4500 ft. During the month of May through October the average temperature in Kathmandu ranges from 16 to 30^oC. Nepal is 4.45 hours ahead of GMT.

Electricity

25. The voltage in Nepal is 220 volts AC.

ANNEX A

HOTEL RESERVATION AND NOTIFICATION OF ARRIVAL FORM

1. Name:______________________________________________________________________

Family name Given names

2. Country/organisation:__________________________________________________________
3. Title and position:_____________________________________________________________
4. Address (postal):_____________________________________________________________

Telephone: ______________ Fax:_______________ E-mail:______________________

5. Attending as: ٱ Delegate ڤ Observer ٱ Secretariat
6. Accompanied by spouse: ٱ Yes, If so, name of spouse: __________________________

ٱ No

7. Dates of anticipated stay in Nepal: ________________ to ___________________
8. Arrival information: Date:__________________ hour: ___________________

Airline and flight No.: ______________________ from (city):_______________

9. Departure information: Date:__________________ hour: ___________________

Airline and flight No.: ______________________ from Kathmandu:__________

10. Hotel accommodation desired: ٱ Single ٱ Twin [# of persons/occupants ٱ one ٱ two] ٱ Suite

Check in date: ____________________ Check out date: _________________________

11. Please indicate hotel names and room codes (see Annex B column 5) by order of preference:

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Mr. Ganesh K.C. Mr. Ti Teow Choo
Joint Secretary Conference Secretary
Planning Division FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Singh Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 662-6974195
Tel: 977-1-226465 Fax: 662-6974445
Fax: 977-1-225825 E-mail: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]

ANNEX B

* Above rates include breakfast but exclude tax and service charge.

** Please indicate room codes on the hotel reservation and notification of arrival form (Annex A).