Venue

The meetings will be held at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) Conference Center, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi. Tel.: (254-20) 621234, Fax.: (254-20) 226886/622624.

Registration of delegates

Delegates are invited to pre-register. All delegates are requested to register on arrival at the registration desk, which is located at the Visitor’s Pavilion at the entrance to the UN. Registration will be open Sunday, 3 April 2005 and will continue until Thursday, 8 April 2005 from 8 am until 12 noon. Delegates are reminded that the list of participants is based on the information provided by them at the time of registration and that inclusion in the list of participants is conditional upon official registration. United Nations Sponsored delegates are requested to obtain from the registration desk at the time of registration, information and procedures related to payment of their allowance.

NGO Registration and other facilities

NGOs should register at the NGO desk at the Visitor’s Pavilion. Registration will start on Sunday, 4 April 2005 from 8 am and continue daily until Thursday, 8 April 2005 12 noon. All NGO queries should be directed to the Civil Society desk at the lobby ext. number Only accredited NGOs can attend the Governing Council (see attached documents on accreditation).

NGO Accreditation

Letter to the Habitat Agenda Partners
Resolution 19-8: Arrangements regarding the accreditation of local authorities and other Habitat Agenda partners

Media registration and other facilities

Media representatives are requested to register online at www.unicnairobi.org (click on media accreditation) and at the Media Desk at the Visitor’s Pavilion. Please have a valid press card and letter from your editor to facilitate the accreditation process. The Media Centre will be open during meeting hours. Nairobi-based journalists will be given badges upon presentation of their current UN security passes. For more information please contact Mr. Sharad Shankardass (254-20-623153) email address Sharad.Shankardass@unhabitat.org or Zahra Hassan (254-20-623151), email address Zahra.Hassan@unhabitat.org

Badges

Badges will be issued to participants upon registration. For security reasons, all delegates are requested to wear the badges at all times.

List of delegates

A print out of the relevant entries for each delegation will be available in the registration area as soon as possible. Delegates are requested to check the entries carefully and hand in any corrections to the registration desk.

Meeting Rooms

The following meeting rooms have been allocated to Regional Groups

Reservation of Meeting Rooms and Office Space

Meeting rooms are available for Regional Groups every day before the regular scheduled meetings. Due to various drafting groups and networking events, availability during lunch hours and after the regular meetings needs to be confirmed on a daily basis with Ms. Speciosa Mutarabayire, Tel.: (254-20) 623397. Alternative meeting rooms may have to be provided. Requests for office space, including exact equipment requirements can also be directed to Ms. Mutarabayire. Equipment will be provided at cost. Due to the very limited availability of office space, not all requests may be honored (first come, first served).

Interpretation

Simultaneous interpretation will be available for the official meetings in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Documentation

The main pre-session documents for the meetings are dispatched to the national focal points. Documents are also available on the UN-HABITAT web site at www.unhabitat.org/gc/gc20 and will be provided as part of the delegate information kit. Official documents will be available at the document distribution center behind the registration desk. Non-official documents are available from a specially dedicated area in the corridor next to the Delegates’ Lounge.

Internet Café

Free Internet access is available from the Internet Café, located behind the Delegates’ Lounge at the lower concourse and in the Library where a special area will be put aside for the media.

Business Center

The Business Center located behind the Delegates’ Lounge, next to the Internet Café at the lower concourse will provide services at cost to delegates. Services available include: photocopying, word-processing, telephone and fax, mobile phones, rental of office and meeting room equipment, incl. Projectors, PC's, copiers, fax machines etc.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions are on display in the upper and lower lobby. Exhibitors are requested to inform UN-HABITAT, as soon as possible about the exact requirements for their exhibition space (Ms. Irene Juma, Tel +254 20 624505). UN contracted clearing agents for exhibition materials and equipment: Urgent Cargo Handling Limited (254-20) 624347 and Markfirst (254-20) 624379.

Video-conferencing Facility

Video-conferencing facilities are available from the special dedicated room behind Training Section on the lower concourse. For bookings please contact Mr. Francis Gichomo (254-20) 623081.

Commissary

Access to the UN Commissary will be extended for the duration of the session to all heads and deputy heads of governments, United Nations and inter-governmental organizations delegations after they have officially registered their participation. Commissary passes will be provided at the Registration Desk. The Commissary is situated on the lower concourse and will be open from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 4 pm on Saturdays.

The UN-HABITAT shop, located next to the Commissary and opposite Kenya Commercial Bank will be open from 8.30 am to 5 pm on weekdays. It will stock the agency’s publications, free and for sale, as well as other souvenirs such as watches, mugs, T-shirts, and key rings.

UNICEF GREETING CARD SHOP

The UNICEF Greeting Card Shop, also situated next to the Commissary and opposite Kenya Commercial Bank will be open from 8.30 am to 5 pm on weekdays. It has a large and varied list of items available, including greeting cards, T-shirts, wall plates, UNICEF pens, puzzles, ceramic sets, stationery, teddy bears, games, UNICEF hats and many more items.

Hotel reservations, airport transfers and transport for delegates

Participants are kindly requested to make their own hotel reservations (see list of recommended hotels in Nairobi). Transfers from the Airport to the hotels are available at cost through Bunson Travel, who have an office at the arrival hall at the airport. Delegates can book, at cost, transport from their hotel to the UN conference center in Gigiri from a special transport desk located in the lobby of the conference center. Please note that some hotels provide transfers from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the UN conference center free of charge to their guests.

Travel Agencies

The two UN travel agents at the UN complex (Bunson and Acharya) will be open from 9 am to 5 pm for return bookings, re-routings, etc. Booking of tours and safaris may be also made through the travel agents. Bunson (Tel.: 254-20-624980/5) is located at the upper concourse adjacent to the staff lounge, whereas Acharya (Tel.: 254-20-622438/9) can be found at the lower concourse, next to the Kenya Commercial Bank.

First Aid

Emergency first aid will be available throughout the duration of the meetings. The services of a doctor will be obtainable if required. A nurse will be on duty during meeting hours, and can be contacted in Block F, room 117, Tel.: 254-20-622267/8. An ambulance is available 24 hours a day.

Postal Services

The post office with telegram, telex, fax and international telephone facilities, will be opened from 8.30 am to 5 pm every day of the week except for Saturday and Sunday. During office hours, public phones are available inside the Post Office for which cash payments may be made at the counter. Pay phones, for use with phone-cards, which may be purchased from the Post Office, are available on a 24-hour basis outside the Post Office.

Telephone Calls

Delegates are kindly requested to refrain from using the telephones at the Registration Desk as they are for internal use of by Secretariat staff only. Calls to the city can be made from the telephone facility near the post office and from the business center.

Banking Services

Branches of the Kenya Commercial Bank will be open on weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm every day.

Catering Services

There are three caterers on the UN Complex contracted to provide food and beverages for breakfast, lunch as well as snacks during coffee breaks for staff and visiting delegates participating in conferences. These caterers can also organize food and drinks for private functions, dinners and receptions:


Hotel Intercontinental

Café Royale