Information Note

The Sixth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-VI), which will take place in Addis Ababa, from 18-20 October 2016.

The Conference will be held in the United Nations Conference Centre, at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

Please read the following information carefully, as it will help you to plan your travel to Addis Ababa.

Immigration requirements

All participants will receive a visa on arrival at Bole International Airport, where they will be required to produce and present their Conference invitation letter to the immigration authorities. Thus, kindly ensure you print and bring with you this letter.
 
In order to assist participants in obtaining visas upon arrival, the African Climate Policy Centre needs to receive your online registration and a copy of the photo page of the passport at least five working days before your arrival at the Bole International Airport. The online registration form is available at www.climdev-africa.org/ccda6/registration for participants sponsored by ECA, and www.climdev-africa.org/ccda6/registration-ns for non-sponsored participants.
 
Please note that an Ethiopian visa costs US$ 30 or the equivalent in euros per person. Payment must be made in either US dollars or in euros at the time of issue. For media personnel, the cost of a visa is US$ 40 or the equivalent in euros. Holders of diplomatic and service passports and United Nations Laissez-Passer will receive visas gratis. Bank receipts for money changed at the airport must be kept securely as customs officials may ask you to present them on your departure.

Health requirements

Visitors to Ethiopia should be in possession of a valid health certificate for yellow fever. Vaccination against cholera is also required for anyone who has visited or transited a cholera-infected area in the six days prior to their arrival in Ethiopia. As Addis Ababa is situated at an altitude of 2,400 metres above sea level, it is advisable to take precautionary measures to avoid any health problems that might be triggered by the high altitude.
 
The United Nations Health Care Centre, situated on the ground floor of the Conference Centre, can provide emergency medical services to participants and delegates attending the Conference.
 
In case of a medical or dental emergency, please contact:
  • Dr. Grace Fombad
  • Chief, United Nations Health Care Centre
  • Telephone: + 251 (0) 115 51 58 28 or 51 72 00; ext. 88888 or 448888
  • ECA Ambulance: + 251 (0) 115 51 42 02 or 51 58 28

Guidelines on personal security and safety of participants

The United Nations Security and Safety Service is always ready to serve its clients. In this regard, the Service requires the full cooperation of all participants to ensure the safety of your valuables and your personal security.
 
While you are on ECA premises, please ensure that you:
  • Wear your conference badge visibly and show it to any authorized person who asks to see it.
  • Do not leave bags and parcels unattended, as they may be confiscated or destroyed.
  • Do not bring unauthorized persons and children into the Conference Centre.
  • Look after your valuable property.
  • Check that you have all your documents and personal items before you leave conference halls and meeting rooms.
  • Inform the Security and Safety Service or the nearest Security Officer if you lose anything valuable.
When you are in your hotel, please follow the safety advice below:
  • Upon entering or leaving your room, make it a habit to lock the door.
  • Before leaving, inspect your room to make sure that no money, jewellery, cameras or other valuables are visible.
  • Deposit valuables or portable items at the reception desk and obtain a receipt.
  • Should you observe anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, please contact the Security and Safety Service.
Any travel outside Addis Ababa requires separate Security Clearance to be approved by the receiving Area Security Coordinator. Please consult with your organization on the process of acquiring Security Clearance for in-country travel. Always consult with local counterparts on the ground before field missions.
 

Useful telephone numbers

Emergency numbers

  • UN Control Room – Addis Ababa (24 hrs)    +251 – 115 445135 / 516537/512945
  • Security Chief   +251 – 0911 201802
  • Deputy Chief    +251 – 0911 508578                                                        

Emergencies outside of Addis

  • United Nations Operations Centre (24 hrs)     +251 – 115-511726
  • Satellite phone   +87162546835
  • Police Emergency Numbers (24 hrs)     991
  • City Police   +251 – 115 572100 / 572121
  • Federal Police  +251 – 115 524077 / 526302/526303

Airline reservations

A number of international airlines operate to and from Addis Ababa. Participants must secure their return/onward air passage prior to their arrival in Addis Ababa. There are two official travel agencies in the ECA compound – Gashem Travel and Airlink Travel – that can assist with the re-confirmation of tickets and provide participants with travel and tour-related information.
 
Gashem Travel-      Tel: +251 115 44 30 51 / 44 30 52 / 46 84 85 or +251 0911 25 04 68 (mobile)
 
Airlink Travel -         Tel: +251 115 44 43 33/ 44 43 34/ 44 43 65 or 44 43 37
 
Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways also have offices in the ECA compound, in the Rotunda.
 
Please have your ticket with you when visiting the travel agencies and the airlines to re-confirm your flights.

Hotel accommodation

The African Climate Policy Centre will make hotel reservations for all sponsored participants.
 

Block bookings of hotel rooms at special United Nations rates have been made for non-sponsored participants in the hotels listed in Annex III. Participants are advised to ensure they reserve a room in only these recommended hotels, which are all close to the ECA.

Sponsored and non-sponsored participants must contact the hotels directly to arrange, confirm and guarantee their bookings. Kindly note that block booked rooms may be released if they are not reserved by the 16 October 2016.

We kindly request all non-sponsored participants to note that ECA will not be in position to provide hotel accommodation to those who fail to arrange their hotel accommodation directly with the listed hotels.

ECA will provide transportation to and from the hotels listed below only.

In addition to accommodation costs, all participants will be responsible for all other additional costs – such as breakfast (where not included), telephone, Internet/fax, room service, mini-bar, laundry, other meals (lunch and dinner) – and must pay for these directly when checking out.

Hotels identified for Conference participants will be shared on the event website at:  www.climdev-africa.org/ccda6.

Arrival at Bole International Airport

All participants will be met upon arrival at the Bole International Airport. The organizers will provide transport from the airport to designated hotels and vice versa. 

Temporary importation of laptops and other conference equipment

To comply with the import customs regulations of the Government of Ethiopia, participants should declare laptops and any conference equipment they may be bringing with them into the country. The customs office will register the items for temporary import and they will be taken out of the country at the end of the Conference.

Journalists entering the country with professional cameras will need to bring two passport-sized photos with them and pay a fee of 1,000 Ethiopian birr upon arrival.

Registration and identification badges

Participants will be required to register and obtain identification badges prior to the start of the session.

For security reasons, all participants are required to wear identification badges at all times, during the Conference as well as during official social functions.

Registration will start from Sunday, 16 October 2016 and go on until the morning of 18 October 2016 at the Delegates’ Registration Building, located at the pedestrian entrance of the ECA compound.  

More up-to-date information about the accreditation arrangements for the Conference will be posted on the Conference website at: www.climdev-africa.org/ccda6.

Transport

Shuttle buses will be available to ferry participants back and forth from their hotels to the Conference venue in the mornings and at the end of the daily sessions. Transport will not be provided during lunch breaks, all of which will take place within the ECA compound.
If you wish to arrange for transportation in Addis Ababa outside of the time of the Conference or to take you to the airport at the end of the Conference, you can find all the information you need and the contact details of recommended taxi and car hire companies in Addis Ababa on the Conference website.

ICT services

The United Nations Conference Centre is equipped with Wi-Fi. Technical support is available through the ECA Help Desk (phone: +251 (0)115443123; ext.: 33123; ihelpdesk@uneca.org). Technical support for presentations must be arranged in advance with the Conference Centre support team.
 
Please be advised that Blackberry services are not available in Ethiopia.

Catering facilities

Catering facilities for refreshments and meals within the ECA compound include:
  • Sheraton Addis, located in the Conference Centre
  • Harambe Restaurant, located in the Nile Building
  • Kaldis Coffee, located in the Rotunda
  • Tivoly Cafeteria located in the Green House, ECA compound

Restaurants in Addis Ababa

A list of selected restaurants in Addis Ababa is provided in Annex II.

Mobile phones

Participants are encouraged to bring with them a dual band mobile handset (900/1800 MHZ). The Ethiopian Telecommunication Company (ETC) sells SIM cards with pre-charged airtime. The total package costs 40 Ethiopian birr and includes 15 birr-worth of airtime.

Participants will require their passport and a passport photo when purchasing a SIM card. It takes approximately two days to have an ETC mobile phone connected.

General information about Ethiopia

Ethiopia is as large as France and Spain combined and has a surface area of 1,112,000 square kilometres. Addis Ababa is situated at an altitude of 2,400 metres above sea level. Agriculture is the backbone of the national economy, and the principal exports from this sector include coffee, oil seeds, pulses, flowers, vegetables, sugar and animal feed. About 90 per cent of the population earns its living from the land. There is also a vibrant livestock sector, and exports include cattle, hides and skins.

The population of Ethiopia is estimated at 80 million, with over 50 per cent being under 20 years of age. The average number of inhabitants per square kilometre is 69. Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic State with a great variety of spoken languages. There are 83 languages – the three main ones being Amharic, Tigrigna and Oromigna – with 200 dialects. English, French, Italian and Arabic are also spoken, mainly in Addis Ababa. Additional information on Ethiopia and ECA can be found online at:

Climate

Ethiopia has two main seasons. The dry season lasts from October to May, and the rainy season starts in late June and ends in September. The high elevation moderates temperatures year-round, and the city's position near the equator means that temperatures are very constant from month to month.

Although it does not rain often in October, participants are encouraged to bring warm clothing as average temperatures range between 9°C and 23°C.

Electricity

Electric supply in Ethiopia is 220-240 volts, 50 cycles AC accessible via 13-amp, two-pin (European) socket shown below.

Currency (Ethiopian birr)

Ethiopian currency is denominated in “birr” and “centimes”. The exchange rate fluctuates. The official exchange rate of the United Nations was US$ 1.00 = ETB 21.46 as of December 2015.

There is a branch of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in the ECA compound, in the Rotunda. The bank is open Monday–Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. There is also an authorized exchange centre (Forex) at the Sheraton Hotel, and ATM machines for Visa/MasterCard users in the Conference Centre and at the Sheraton, Hilton, Radisson Blu, Intercontinental Hotel, Ethiopia Hotel and Wabe Shebelle Hotels, which will give you money in birr.

For further information about the meeting, please contact:
 
Thierry Amoussougbo
African Climate Policy Centre
Email:  tamoussougbo@uneca.org
Mobile phone: +251911 68 41 97

Things to do Around Addis Ababa

Annex I: Attractions

Meskel Square

This is Ethiopia’s parade ground. There are always displays, festivals or at least some kids playing football (soccer) here. It’s worth a look to see what’s going on in Addis Ababa. The Addis Ababa museum is up on the hill to the left. Also along the square are banks, the Post Office, Tourist Information offices, restaurants and a grocery store.

Holy Trinity Cathedral

Off Niger St, the massive, ornate Holy Trinity cathedral is Ethiopia's second-most important place of worship. It's also the final resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie and his wife. Their massive Aksumite-style granite tombs, complete with lions' feet, are a sight indeed.

National Museum

Although less visually stimulating than the Ethnological Museum, the National Museum is no less thought provoking. Its collection ranks among the most important in sub-Saharan Africa. The paleontology exhibit contains two remarkable casts of 3.2-million-year-old Lucy, a famously fossilized upright hominid discovered in 1974. Upstairs are some celebrated Ethiopian artworks.

Ethnological Museum

The Ethnological Museum is located in Emperor Haile Selassie's former palace. On the first floor you can find an exhibition on Ethiopia’s traditions from birth to death, including childhood, games, rites, culture, traditional medicine and burial customs. On the second floor, you will find a thematic exhibition of traditional musical instruments and can listen to music too.

St George Cathedral

Commissioned by Emperor Menelik to commemorate his stunning 1896 defeat of the Italians in Adwa, the Piazza St George Cathedral was completed in 1911. Paintings and mosaics by renowned artists, such as Afewerk Tekle, adorn the outer walls of the Holy of Holies. There is also a museum that contains Ethiopia's best collection of ecclesiastical paraphernalia outside St Mary of Zion in Aksum.

Mount Entoto

Mount Entoto is the highest peak overlooking the city of Addis Ababa, and is part of the Entoto mountain chain that rises 3,200 metres above sea level.

Annex II: Restaurants

Serenade

Tucked up a dark cobblestone alley in eastern Piazza is this magnificent Mediterranean eatery. Peruse the creative menu, laden with succulent treats like braised lamb with caramelized onions, lentils, lemon, raisin and orange couscous. There are vegetarian delights and divine desserts.

Top View

Located up the hill from the Megenagna roundabout, Top View restaurant offers a great view of Addis Ababa while you dine. A variety of food is available including Ethiopian dishes.

Yod Abyssinia Cultural Restaurants

The two restaurants serve traditional Ethiopian dishes accompanied by cultural dance and music. The restaurant nearer town is at Bole Medhaniyalem Area, next to Brass Hospital.
 
For hotels information please follow the link : Click here

Latest News

More news

Recent Documents

WP27 Impact on Household Welfare | English
WP26 Synthesis Climate Change and Agriculture Production | English
WP25 Scoping Study Uganda | English
Read more

In The News

Remarks by Anthony Nyong, Director, Africa Development Bank

CCDA-XI - Remarks by Anthony Nyong, Director, Africa Development Bank

Remarks by Antonio Pedro, Acting Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa

(Video) #CCDA2023: Remarks by Antonio Pedro, Acting Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa

Pages