Distr.: For participants only 26 March 2013 English only Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Expert Group Meeting on Progress in Road Safety Improvements in Asia and the Pacific 8-10 May 2013 Seoul, Republic of Korea A. General Information for participants 1. The Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on Progress in Road Safety Improvements in Asia and the Pacific is scheduled to be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 8 to 10 May 2013. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in collaboration with Korea Transportation Safety Authority (KoTSA) is organizing the EGM. B. Meeting venue 2. The EGM will be held at Imperial Palace Seoul Hotel. Address: 640 Eonju-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea Tel: (+ 822) 3440-8000 Website: www.imperialpalace.co.kr 1
C. Meeting schedule 3. The opening of the EGM is tentatively scheduled at 09:00 hours on Wednesday, 8 May 2013 at Selena Hall, Imperial Palace Seoul Hotel. 4. Except for the third day (i.e. 10 May 2013), the meeting hours for the EGM are from 0900 to 1200 hours and from 1330 to 1800 hours. The third day will only have a morning session. The lunch and coffee breaks may differ slightly on a daily basis. D. Visa requirements 5. Meeting participants are responsible for checking visa requirements and making all related arrangements by themselves. Information related to current visa requirements can be obtained at all embassies/diplomatic missions of the Republic of Korea or via: http://www.hikorea.go.kr/pt/infodetailr_en.pt?categoryid=2&parentid=385&catseq=401&showm enuid=375. All participants are advised to consult with the diplomatic mission/embassy of Republic of Korea in their respective country regarding the latest applicable immigration requirement prior to their departure. E. Local transportation 6. Participants are to arrange their own transportation from the airport to their respective hotels. Limousines, taxis and buses are readily available at the airport. 7. Participants who have confirmed reservations at the EGM venue hotel (Imperial Palace Seoul Hotel) are advised to take Airport Limousine 6704 to the hotel. a) Ticket Booths: Exits 4 and 9 (indoors), and Exits 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13 and 9C (outdoors) b) Bus stop: 4B or 11A on1st Floor c) Fare: 15,000 KRW (approximately 14 USD, as of 14 March 2013) d) Bus stop to get off the bus: in front of the Imperial Palace Seoul Hotel e) Intervals: 30 min. f) Travelling Time: Generally 1 ~ 1.5 hour g) The first Bus : 05:00 / The last Bus : 22:30 (from the Airport to the Hotel) The arrival area plan of the Incheon airport is shown below: 2
Further detailed information about the airport and bus services can be found at: http://www.airport.kr/airport/traffic/bus/buslist.iia?flag=e&fake=1306823313914 8. Participants who have confirmed reservations at the other designated hotels are also advised to take Airport Limousine to the hotel. (a) Best Western Gangnam: Airport Limousine 6703 (Ticket Booths, Bus stop to get on the bus and Fare are the same as for Airport Limousine 6704 explained above) (b) The Seoul Stars Hotel: No Airport Limousine bus directly stops at this hotel. You may take Airport Limousine 6704 and get off the bus in front of the EGM Venue Hotel (Imperial Palace Seoul Hotel). From there, you can walk to the hotel a few blocks. (870m from the Hotel, 10~15 min on foot) or take a taxi. F. Accommodation 3
9. Reservations for the participants have been made at the following hotels. Name of the Hotel: Address: Tel: Website: Distance (from Venue) : Name of the Hotel: Address: Tel: Website: Distance (from Venue) : Name of the Hotel: Address: Tel: Website: Distance (from Venue) : Imperial Palace Seoul Hotel. 640 Eonju-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea (+ 822) 3440-8000 www.imperialpalace.co.kr EGM venue Best Western Gangnam 205-9 Nonhyun-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (822) 6474-2000 http://www.bestwesterngangnam.com/ 20~25 min. on foot; 15min. by Bus 3412 The Seoul Stars Hotel 236-8, Nonhyun-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (822) 550-9700 http://www.seoulstarshotel.com/eng/index.html 10~15 min. on foot (870m) 10. Participants who have confirmed reservations at Best Western Gangnam and The Seoul Stars Hotel can come to the EGM venue using local transportation. Taxis are readily available and can be picked up outside the hotels. The trip to the EGM venue from the hotels will take about 5-10 minutes. (Taxi fare: about 2,600~3,000 KRW) G. Registration 11. Participants are requested to register and obtain a visitor s badge on the following days during the hours indicated. This procedure is important for security reasons and will also ensure that all participants names appear on the List of Participants. Registration Counter Working Hours: 8 May 2013 (Wednesday) 08:00~09:00 Location of the Registration Counter: In front of the meeting room (Selena Hall, 7F) 12. For identification and security reasons, all participants are requested to wear their badges at all times during the meeting and at social functions. H. Conduct of the Meeting 13. The EGM will be inaugurated at 0900 hours on 8 May 2013 in Selena Hall where all subsequent sessions will also be held. 14. The Transport Division (TD) of ESCAP is associated with the organization of the EGM. The officials of the Division specifically in charge of the meeting are: 4
Mr. Abdul Quium, Tel: +662 288 1316, E-mail: quium@un.org; and Ms. Thanattaporn Rasamit, Tel: +662 288 1393, E-mail: rasamit@un.org Support staff will be in the meeting room at all times to help participants during the conduct of the EGM and assist them with all administrative procedures. 15. The working language of the meeting will be only English. 16. Individual microphones are provided at each seat in the meeting room. All the microphones are automatically operated. Before speaking, participants are requested to press the button on their microphones until the red light is on. At the end of each intervention, participants are requested to press the button again until the red light is off. 17. Participants wishing to circulate any papers or road safety related materials at the meeting are requested to consult staff from the secretariat servicing the EGM for the necessary arrangements. I. Site Visit 18. A visit to Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute (KATRI) has been arranged for all participants in the morning of 10 May 2013. KATRI was established in 1987 with the primary objective to ensure a high level of automobile safety in the Republic of Korea. The Institute verifies compliance with safety standards, assesses safety performance of new cars, investigates defects in vehicles, and promotes international cooperation on vehicle safety standards. It is equipped with excellent laboratories and testing facilities. KATRI conducts tests and undertakes research in various areas, such as crash, lighting system, noise, driving performance and future vehicles. More information about the Institute can be found at: http://eng.ts2020.kr. Further information on the visit to KATRI will be made available to participants during the meeting days. J. Arrangements for meals and coffee breaks 19. KoTSA will arrange lunch and refreshments during coffee breaks for all participants for the meeting days. It will also arrange a welcome dinner for all participants in the evening of 8 May 2013. K. Miscellaneous Other Useful Information Weather & Temperature 20. At the time of the Meeting, Seoul s daytime temperature is expected to range from 16~19 ; and the night time temperature, from 12~15. The conference room where the EGM will be held 5
will maintain a room temperature at about 22. Time 21. Seoul is nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+9). Foreign exchange 22. The currency of the Republic of Korea is the won, which comes in 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 50,000 won bills, and 10, 50, 100 and 500 won coins. The exchange rate is subject to market fluctuations and is trading at approximately 1,110 KRW per 1 USD as of 14 March 2013. 23. Foreign currency and traveler s cheques can be converted into Korean won at most banks and other authorized money changers. Generally, banks are open between 09:00 and 16:00 hours Monday through Friday. Automated teller machines are in operation 24 hours a day. 24. Foreign exchange services are available at Incheon International Airport, the designated hotels and local banks. The commission charged may vary. 25. Delegates entering the Republic of Korea in possession of foreign currency exceeding the equivalent of 10,000 United States dollars should declare that fact on the Customs declaration form and receive a foreign currency confirmation stamp from the Customs official. * The nearest bank from the Venue : Woori Bank (next door of the venue hotel ) Business hours and shopping tips 26. Government offices and organizations are open from 0900 to 1800 hours Monday through Friday. Foreign diplomatic missions are open on weekdays only. Opening hours vary. Department stores are open daily from 1030 to 2000 hours. 27. Tipping is not a custom in Korea. Generally, a 10 per cent service charge is added to the bill at hotels and tipping is not expected. It is not necessary to tip taxi drivers. 28. VAT (value added tax) is levied on most goods and services at a standard rate of 10% and is included in the retail price. In tourist hotels, this 10 per cent tax applies to rooms, meals and other services and is included in the bill. It is possible to obtain a refund of the VAT on any products labeled Tax Free Shopping. The purchaser must leave Republic of Korea within three months of the purchase for which a refund is claimed. * More information about the Republic of Korea can be found on website: www.korea.net L. Enquiries 29. For any enquiries, participants may contact the following officers: (a) Mr. Abdul Quium, Transport Division, ESCAP, Tel: +662 288 1316, Fax: +662 288 3050, E-mail: quium@un.org; 6
(b) Mr. Jeongeun LEE, Assistant Manager, Safety Research Office, KOTSA, Tel: +82-31- 362-3703, Fax: +82-31-481-0491, E-mail: roadsafety.egm@gmail.com. * * * 7