1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 BOGOTÁ

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1 High Level Intersessional Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean and Regional Consultation for Third United Nations Environment Assembly (Bogota, Colombia, 11 to 13 October 2017) INFORMATION NOTE FOR PARTICIPANTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 BOGOTÁ Bogotá is the capital and largest city in Colombia with approximately 8 million people. A melting pot of people from around the country and also the political, economic, administrative and cultural center of Colombia. The city emerges diverse and multicultural, with a blend of modern and colonial architecture, where the old and the new collide and new scenarios and spaces are created, with a rich gastronomy and cultural activities. The predominant colors in Bogotá are the green of the city s many parks and the eastern mountains, The Andes, overlooking the sanctuaries of Monserrate and Guadalupe, and the rich red of its many brick buildings. Bogota is a vibrant city and, recently, a popular destination for domestic and foreign. Bogotá is well connected to other destinations in Colombia and provides an important range of activities in the within the City and its surroundings. 1.2 CURRENCY AND CREDIT CARDS The Colombian Peso (COP$) is the currency of Colombia. The COP has denominations in bills of 1.000, 2.000, 5.000, , , , and coins which bear the value of 50, 100, 200, 500, As of September, 2017 the exchange rate for the Colombian Peso is between $2,900 and 3,100 per US Dollar. Please check before leaving your country since the current exchange rate may vary regularly. All participants are strongly advised to avoid changing money outside the authorized sites. Due to internal regulations, the hotels are not allowed to change money. Major credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, American Express,) are accepted at hotels, major restaurants and most shops in Bogotá. 1

2 1.3 ELECTRICITY Voltage in Colombia is volts and frequency 60 Hz. The image below showss a Colombian power outlet (not to scale). N.B.: Participants are advised to bring their own adaptors should they wish to connect their laptops at the meeting venue and/or the hotels. 1.4 LANGUAGE The official language of Colombia is Spanish; however, English is spoken in hotels and main touristic places. 1.5 MOBILE NETWORK Colombia uses the international GSM (Global System for Mobile Telephony) standard. Foreign visitors can use mobile phones outside the nationall network under the international roaming system. The international dialing code for Colombia is 0057 and the city code for Bogota is 1. To place a call, dial as follows: - International calls: Dial (9) + country code + area code + number - National calls: Dial 00 + (9) + city code + number 1.6 TEMPERATURE Bogota has a subtropical highland climate. The average temperature on the "sabana"" is about 14 C (57 F), varying from 3 C to 25 C (37 F to 77 F). The rainiest months are April, May, September, October and November, in which typical days are mostly overcast, with low clouds and some winds, bringing maximum temperatures of 18 C (64 F) and lows of 7 C (45 F). Days are mild or cool and nights can get moderately cold due to the city having mild winds in the night all year round. While temperatures are relativelyy consistent throughout the year, weather conditions can change dramatically during a single day. Current weather conditions in the area can be found at the website off the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development: The standard time zone is GMT/UTC -5 hours and does not observe daylight saving time (no time change). 2

3 1.7 TIPPING Tipping is a common practice in Bogotá. In restaurants, the tip is usually included in the bill. If not, a 10% tip is customary in restaurants. 1.8 HEALTH Bogotá has no tropical diseases like malaria because of its altitude. Altitude sickness is, in fact, the largest health problem affecting foreigners. If you have heart disease or a respiratory condition, please talk to your doctor. Even if Bogotá's water is potable and of good quality, foreigners may want to mix bottled and tap water for the first few days. A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required from all delegates coming from or going to/through Yellow Fever endemic countries and for all travelers having transit through the airport of a country with risk of Yellow Fever transmission. It is recommended that the participants have the required inoculations four to six weeks before departure; a Yellow fever inoculation certificate only becomes valid 10 days after inoculation - after which it remains valid for 10 years. General information on international travel, health risks for travelers and vaccination requirements can be obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) website: When travelling to Colombia please check: For more information including vaccination requirements for your travel, please consult a medical professional. 3

4 2 BEFORE ARRIVING TO BOGOTÁ 2.1 ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS Participants are kindly reminded that they should make their own hotel reservations as soon as possible. Participants are kindly requested to book their own rooms by contacting the selected hotel directly or other one. For convenience, accommodation is encouraged for participants at Hotels provided below near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the meeting will take place: HOTEL HOTEL OPERA (In front of the meeting venue) HOTEL BH BICENTENARIO HOTEL CONTINENTAL BLUEDOORS DOWNTOWN (Near to the venue, walking distance) ADDRESS APPROXIMATELY RATE PER NIGHT (USD) WEBSITE CALLE 10 # 5-72 $ CARRERA 4 # $ 70 AV. JIMENEZ # 4-16 $ HOTEL REGINA CARRERA 5 # $ 50 HOTEL AUGUSTA AV. JIMENEZ # 4-77 $ 70 AVENIDA 26 HOTEL ADDRESS APPROXIMATELY RATE PER NIGHT WEBSITE (USD) HOTEL CAPITAL CALLE 25B # 69A-50 $ 90 HOTEL SHERATON CALLE 25B # 69C-80 $ property/overview/index.html?propertyid HOTEL HOLIDAY INN: BOGOTA AIRPORT CALLE 26 # 69D-91 $ 90 HOTEL MARRIOT AV EL DORADO # 69B-53 $ 300 HOTEL CITY EXPRESS PLUS DIAGONAL 25G # $ 90 =651&language=en_US es/reservation mc-bogota-marriott- hotel/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2 4

5 Please note that all reservations must be guaranteed with a valid credit. If you want to book a hotel in the 26 AV, you should take into account that is necessary to take a taxi in order to arrive to the meeting venue. Lunch at the Venue is included for all participants. For dinner, each participant is required to make their own arrangements ** Please take into account the days of arrival and departure of hotels. Any changes or additional nights should be covered by your government or organization. Consumption is under participant burden (mini bar and room services). 2.2 TRAVEL For sponsored participants, UN Environment will provide a round trip economy class air ticket from the country of origin to Bogota by the most direct route. 2.3 SPONSORSHIP Participants whose travel is sponsored by UN Environment will be provided with a daily subsistence allowance (DSA) on the first day of the consultations. The DSA will be paid in line with UN rules and regulations. UN Environment shall not be liable for any costs, including but not limited to: - Costs incurred by participants for travel insurance, accident insurance, medical expenses and hospital expenses in connection with their participation in the meeting; - Compensation for death, disability or illness of the participants through their participation in the meeting; - Expenses and costs of international travel, such as passport fees, visas, immunizations, port calls, travel to and from the airport; - Loss or damage to personal property of participants; - Purchase of property and compensation for damage caused by weather or other conditions; - Other unforeseen expenses. 2.4 VISA Delegates to the Intersessional Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment for Latin America and the Caribbean must obtain the permits necessary to travel, enter and stay in Colombia. For information regarding visa and/or travel documents to Colombia, please consult the nearest Colombian diplomatic or consular mission in your country by presenting the formal invitation letter. 5

6 For those countries, which required visa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Coordination of Visas and Immigration may facilitate the entry to the country. To that end, the application and process of a TP-1 (courtesy) visa must be presented by each interested delegate. Further information on visa application for Colombia is available on the web site of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at: or contact Ms. María del Rosario Lemos at: Maria.Lemos@cancilleria.gov.co. All participants are also advised to obtain, when necessary, a transit visa for places in route to Colombia before the beginning of their journey. 2.5 ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS To facilitate the payment of the daily subsistence allowance, eligible participants are requested to provide their passports and inbound boarding passes to the secretariat staff at the venue. 2.6 DOCUMENTS Documents for the Intersessional Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean will be available soon via electronic link: Trying to minimize negative environmental impacts to the greatest possible degree, we recommend all participants to bring their own copies of the working papers and information that will be needed during the meetings, since no additional copies will be available at the meeting venue. The meetings will be conducted with simultaneous interpretation in the official languages of the Forum (English - Spanish). 2.7 DRESS CODE We recommend to use formal casual clothes, but always have on hand a sweater or jacket and umbrella or raincoat. Please note that the temperature at the meeting venue will be around 17 C 6

7 3 UPON ARRIVAL 3.1 AIRPORT AND TRANSFER Upon your arrival to the International Airport El Dorado, please ask for authorized taxis. Participants can book transportation from the airport to the hotel (20min drive) and they can pay for the service at the hotel. The rate is USD$12 or approximately $34,000 COP approximately to the Historical Downtown of Bogotá. 3.2 MEETING VENUE The meeting venue will be at the main headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Palacio de San Carlos. This Palace it is a house-museum where the offices of the Ministry are housed, and the reception center for diplomatic activities and special events. Address: Calle 10 No ON-SITE REGISTRATION Registration for participants of the meeting will be held on Wednesday 11 October at 8:00 a.m. in front to Salón Bolívar in the meeting venue. 7

8 3.4 CONTACT Should you need any clarification or have further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact: Ms. Susana Sanchez l Office for Latin America and the Caribbean UN Environment Tel.: :susana.sanchez@unep.org Ms. Angela Patricia Rivera Galvis Ms. Kelly Moreno Fontalvo Adviser Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development Tel: kmoreno@minambiente.gov.co Ms. María Lemos González Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia Environmental Affairs Office Tel: Ext maria.lemos@cancilleria.gov.co 8