Information Note
Ministerial Meeting of Asia-Pacific LDCs on graduation and post 2015
Kathmandu, 16-18 December 2014
1. Introduction
The Ministerial Meeting of Asia-Pacific LDCs on graduation and post 2015 will be held in
Kathmandu, Nepal on 16-18 December 2014. The meeting aims at contributing to the graduation
process in LDCs, exploring how this process can be backed up by strong national strategies,
while mainstreaming graduation into development cooperation strategies and linking effectively
with the IPoA midterm review and post-2015 development framework.
2. Venue
The venue for the Meeting will be at:
Crown Plaza Kathmandu – Soaltee,
Tahachal, Kathmandu, Nepal,
Front Desk: 977-1-4273999
Fax: 977-1-4272205
Email: reservation@scp.com.np
Website: www.crowneplaza.com/kathmandu
3. Visa arrangements
Participants are requested to obtain visa from the nearest Nepalese Embassy or Consulate.
However, Diplomatic and Official Passport holder with official invitation letter from countries
with no Nepalese Embassy or Consulate are allowed to avail “on arrival visa” facility at the port
of entry of Nepal.
This provision does not apply to participants holding national passports of Afghanistan, Iraq,
Ghana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Palestine, Nigeria, Liberia, Ethiopia, Cameroon and Somalia who
will have to obtain prior clearance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of
Nepal. The process may take two to three weeks. After Ministry’s clearance, the nearest
Nepalese Embassy or Consulate will issue the visa.
4. Hotel accommodation
Given the venue of the Conference, participants are recommended to stay at Crown Plaza
Kathmandu –Soaltee Hotel at a negotiated rate.
5. Travel arrangements
Participation of officials (experts and Ministers) from Asia-Pacific LDCs will be funded by UNOHRLLS. Accordingly, travel arrangements for these officials from LDCs will be made through
UN-OHRLLS, which will provide them with a round trip economy class air ticket and daily
subsistence allowance (DSA). In order to initiate travel requests, please confirm participation at
the earliest to UN-OHRLLS, latest by 14 November. All other participants of the conference are
requested to make their own travel arrangements.
Participants are advised to arrive in Kathmandu a day prior to the Conference.
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6. Arrival at the Airport
All delegations will be received at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, by Protocol
Officers of the Government of Nepal. They will also assist heads of delegation on customs,
immigration and baggage clearance at the airport.
Transportation between the airport, hotels and the Conference venue, will be provided by the
Government of Nepal.
7. Currency and Banking Services
Local currency in use in Nepal is Nepalese Rupee (NR). Paper money is mostly used in bank
notes of Rs. 5, Rs. 10, Rs. 20, Rs. 50, Rs. 100, Rs 500 and Rs 1000. The biggest denomination is
Rs. 1,000. Exchange rates, as of 16 October 2014, are 1 Euro = 123.90 NRs and 1 US dollar =
97.96 NRs
Currency exchange service is available at the airport as well as at hotels.
Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) are conveniently located at different places including at the
shopping centers and malls in the city and operate with widely accepted international credit and
debit cards affiliated with SCT, Visa and Master Card.
8. Telecommunication Services
Internet services within the meeting room are provided free-of-charge. However, internet usage at
the hotel lobby and hotel rooms will be charged. Also, all star hotels in Kathmandu provide local
and international telephone services, fax, telex and internet services. At the venue computers with
internet connectivity will be at the disposal of participants.
9. Medical facilities
Arrangements will be made at the Crown Plaza Kathmandu - Soaltee to attend to the common and
minor ailments during the Meeting. In case of emergency, the participants are advised to contact
the designated protocol officers or the hotel staff.
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travelers arriving from countries with risk of
yellow fever transmission. Detailed information on health concerns can be obtained from the
World Health Organization Website: http://www.who.int/ith/en/.
10. Working language
The working language of the conference is English.
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11. Additional information
a. Language commonly used in Kathmandu is Nepali.
b. The electric supply is 22O Volt AC (50 cycles) throughout the country. The plugs have two round
prongs or three prongs. It is recommended that delegates bring their own adaptors to comply with
the electric current and plugs.
c. The time zone in Kathmandu is GMT+5:45.
d. The weather in Kathmandu during December will be cold. The average high temperatures are
around 15°C reaching highs on average of 21°C and dropping to an average minimum
temperature of 8°C. Warm woolen clothes are, therefore, advisable during this period. While
foggy mornings and sunny afternoons are expected, likelihood of a few showers cannot be ruled
out.
e. Kathmandu has a very wide variety of food and beverages to offer. The meat is mostly from
lamb, chicken, pork or fish and is grilled or cooked with Nepali spices.
f.
It is recommended that delegates do not drink direct tap water. Mineral water is available in
bottles of different sizes and in different brands at reasonable rates.
12. Focal Points
For further information or clarification, participants may wish to contact:
Government of Nepal
•
Mr. Rabi Shanker Sainju
Programme Director
National
Planning
Commission
Secretariat, Singh Durbar, Kathmandu
email: rssainju@gmail.com
Tel. No. :
+977-1- 4211052
Cell no. :
+977-9849-143651
Fax no. :
+977-1-4211700
•
Ms. Rita Dhital
Under Secretary
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Singh Durbar, Kathmandu
Email: rita.dhital@mofa.gov.np
Tel. No. :
+977-1- 4200182
Cell no. :
+977-9841 281290
Fax no. :
+977-1-4200061
•
Email
Mr. Shatrudhwan P S Pokharel
Tel. No.
Second Secretary
Permanent Mission of Nepal to the Cell no.
Fax no.
United Nations, New York
: shatru31@yahoo.com
:
+1-212 370 3988
:
+1-646 641 8712
:
+1 212 953 2038
`
UN-OHRLLS
•
Ms. Rita Ruohonen
Associate Expert, New York
Email:
Tel no:
ruohonen@un.org
+1 212 963 1804
•
Ms. Mar Mar Aung
Administrative Focal Point, New York
Email:
Tel no:
aung1@un.org
+1 212 963 0746
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