Asia Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum (APTFF) 2011 Trade Facilitation beyond Borders: International Supply Chain Efficiency

Transcription

1 ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK FOR PARTICIPANTS ONLY 17 August 2011 Asia Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum (APTFF) 2011 Trade Facilitation beyond Borders: International Supply Chain Efficiency 4-5 October 2011 Seoul, Republic of Korea Venue and dates INFORMATION NOTE FOR PARTICIPANTS 1. The Asia Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum (APTFF) 2011 will be convened at Grand Ballroom, COEX, Seoul, Republic of Korea on 4-5 October Registration will begin at 0845 hours. The opening of the Forum will be at 0920 hours on Tuesday, 4 October 2011 by representatives from ESCAP, ADB and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy of the Republic of Korea. Please refer to the programme for the full schedule of remaining sessions. Organizing secretariats 3. The Forum is jointly organized by the secretariats of the ESCAP, ADB and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy of the Republic of Korea. For further information concerning substantive preparations and organizational aspects of the Forum, please contact: Mr. Sang Won Lim Economic Affairs Officer Trade Facilitation Section Trade and Investment Division Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific The United Nations Building, 4 th Floor A Rajadamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand Tel: (66) Fax: (66) , lim6@un.org For further information concerning organizational and logistical aspects of the Forum, please contact: Ms. Juraporn Sinlapharojanapanich Tel: (66) Project Assistant Fax: (66) , Trade Facilitation Section sinlapharojanapanich@un.org Trade and Investment Division Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific The United Nations Building, 4 th Floor A Rajadamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

2 2 Registration and identification badges 4. Participants are requested to register and obtain meeting badges at the registration desk, located at the foyer in front of the Grand Ballroom, between 0845 to 0920 hours on the opening day. Participants who do not register on the opening day are requested to do so on subsequent day, to ensure that their names appear on the list of participants. Without registration, names of participants will not be included in the list. Working language of the Forum and documents 5. The Forum will be conducted in English, and all documentation will be issued only in English. Russian-English-Russian interpretation is expected to be provided during the Forum. No interpretation will be provided during side events to the Forum (Study tour). Meeting documents 6. The Forum will be held as a paperless meeting. All the relevant meeting documents and presentations will be available in soft copies only. All the participants of the Forum will be provided with an USB memory stick containing all the meeting documents during registration. Final version of all the presentations will be uploaded at the Forum webpage ( for download as soon as they are available. Visa requirements 7. Any foreign visitors wishing to enter the Republic of Korea must have a valid passport and obtain a Korean visa before coming. However, people of 93 countries who want to visit Korea temporarily are permitted to enter without a visa according to visa-exemption agreements Visitors from countries not under Visa Exemption Agreements must apply for a visa extension if planning to stay for more than 30 days. Depending on the situation of the consulate, the visa extension will be issued 1 to 3 days from the day of application. Applicants require a completed application form, a recent passport-sized colour photo and the application fee. Visitors do not require the outbound flight ticket. Visa extensions are usually for 90 days. Please visit the website below for more information (Please see page 6 and 7 for list of countries under Visa Exemption Agreements) 8. All participants are also advised to obtain, where necessary, a transit visa for places en route to Republic of Korea before the commencement of their journey. 9. Letters of invitation sent by ESCAP/ADB for the event should in principle be sufficient for applying for and securing a visa. However, should the Korean Embassy in your country explicitly asks for an invitation letter from the Korean Government to obtain a visa, you may contact ESCAP [ sinlapharojanapanich@un.org], who will arrange for an invitation letter from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE)/Korean International Trade Association.

3 3 Hotel accommodation 10. For convenience, accommodation has been arranged for sponsored participants at the Hotel Ibis Seoul and for self-financed participants, special room rate have been arranged for you. Please see the list below. There will be a shuttle bus service to the Forum provided by hotel (please check with your hotel for shuttle bus schedule). For more information about the hotel, please visit the hotel website (see page 10). Ramada Standard KRW 175,450 USD166 * Ramada Executive Riviera (Superior Double) Riviera (Superior Twin) Prima COEX Intercontinental KRW 217,800 USD206 KRW185,130 USD175 KRW 206,910 USD195 KRW 140,000 USD133 KRW 274,725 USD For self-financed participants who wish to stay at hotel listed above, please forward requests for room reservation with flight details and need of the airport pick-up facility at the earliest in accordance with the attached hotel reservation request form (page 9), preferably before 16 September Participants are required to send their completed form directly to the hotel with copy to the ESCAP Secretariat for follow-up. Upon receipt of the hotel request form, confirmation on hotel reservation will be advised by your selected hotel accordingly. Hotel bills will be settled individually by participants. 12. Participants are advised to remind the hotel front desk assistant and cashier of their participation in the Forum when checking in and out, in order to enjoy special rates. The above room rates are gross rate, inclusive of service charge and government tax, and buffet breakfast. 13. All Participants will be individually responsible for settling their own bills (personal expenses such as the use of telephone, internet cards, business center, etc.). Transportation on arrival and departure 14. Participants are advised to arrange transport at their own expenses. On request, your selected hotel should be able to provide a one-way airport transfer from the Incheon International Airport or Gimpo Airport to the hotel at the rate of around KRW 100, ,000 net (US$ ) per transfer by car. If participants wish to avail of this facility, they are requested to send their confirmation and flight details to the hotel as indicated in the attached hotel request reservation form before 16 September Limousine, airport-taxi, bus services and trains are readily available at the airport. More information on the airport is available at * Based on the UN exchange rate as of 3 August 2011 (USD 1 = KRW 1,056)

4 4 Time and weather 15. Korean time is nine hours ahead of GMT. Seoul lies in the border region between a humid subtropical and humid continental climate depending on the definition. Summers are generally hot and humid, with the East Asian monsoon taking place from June until July. August, the warmest month, has an average temperature of 22.4 to 29.6 C (72 to 85 F) with higher temperatures possible. Winters are often relatively cold with an average January temperature of -5.9 to 1.5 C (21.4 to 34.7 F) and are generally much drier than summers, with an average of 28 days of snow annually. Average temperature is 21 C with average maximum of 26 C and average minimum of 9 C in October. (source: and Electricity supply 16. Voltage is 220 volts AC (60 Hz). European 2- pin plugs type. Postal and telecommunication services 17. Opening hours for postal service is Monday to Friday from 0900 to 1800 hour (1600 hour for financial services). 18. Korea s public telephones are separated into two main types: those that accept coins and those that accept only cards. The public coin telephone booths can generally take both credit cards and coins. Telephone cards can usually be purchased at convenience stands or stores near the telephone booths, and cannot be exchanged for cash. The cards are valid for a period of three years and can be purchased at 3000, 5000, or 10,000 won denominations. Mobile rental services are available at the Incheon International Airport. Online reservations are accepted through each service provider s website or visit the following website for phone rental service: Foreign exchange 19. Participants can exchange convertible currency to Korean Won at the airport or the hotel. The average exchange rate is USD 1 = KRW 1,100, however, for your own benefit, please check the rate at the time of departure. Financial and administrative arrangements (Only if applicable) 20. In those cases where the participation costs are borne by ESCAP/ADB, the financial responsibilities will be limited to air tickets and accommodation expenses as indicated in paragraphs 20, 21 and 22 below. Any other expenses will be the sole responsibilities of the participants themselves, for example: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) All expenses in the home country incidental to travel abroad, including expenditure for visa, medical examination, inoculations and other such miscellaneous items and internal travel to and from the airport of arrival and departure in the home country; Salary and related allowances for the participants during the period of the Forum; Cost incurred by participants in respect of insurance, accident insurance, medical bills or hospitalization fees in connection with attending the Forum; Compensation in the event of death or disability of participants in connection with attending

5 5 the Forum; (v) (vi) Any loss of or damage to personal property of participants while attending the Forum or losses or damages claimed by third parties as a result of any negligence on the part of the participants; and Any other expenses of a personal nature, not directly related to the purpose of the Forum. 21. For participants whose travel are sponsored by ESCAP/ADB offices in their respective countries will be authorized to issue them the most direct economy round-trip air ticket (home country/seoul/home country) to arrive at Seoul on 2 or 3 October and depart on 8 or 9 October. A Standard Single room accommodation at the Hotel listed on page 3 paragraph 9 will be provided (room only; see para 12.). Participants will be provided during the Forum with a daily subsistence allowance (DSA) to cover miscellaneous expenses, which will be disbursed in Seoul on Tuesday, 4 October DSA in connection with transit expenses for places en route to and from Seoul (according to the authorized travel route) will be reimbursed upon participants submission of their completed UN voucher for reimbursement of expenses (F.10 form) to the ESCAP secretariat, within two weeks after the return to their respective countries. Delay in submission of F.10 claim form by participants may not be accommodated after the closure of project accounts. The duly completed F.10 forms must be sent along with the used air ticket stubs, boarding passes for departure, hotel receipt on your transit night and the completed payment instruction forms which will be provided, on request, at the Forum. For participants whose countries do not have UNDP offices, ESCAP will send travel advice to respective airlines in their countries for ticket collection. 22. To facilitate the payment of subsistence allowance and confirm return flights, eligible participants are requested to submit the attached arrival/departure forms together with their air tickets, inbound boarding passes and passports to the ESCAP secretariat staff on duty in the conference room before the opening of the Forum (see Arrival/Departure Form, page 8). 23. Sponsored participants are expected to stay for the full duration of the Forum, including the side event of the week covered by the sponsored. However, if for any unexpected reason, they are unable to stay for the full duration of the Forum, they are requested to inform the secretariat as soon as possible so that their daily subsistence allowance can be adjusted accordingly.

6 6 Countries under visa exemption agreement 93 Contries Passport Type Diplomatic (3 Diplomatic & Official (27 Diplomatic & Official & Ordinary (63 Countries Turkmenistan (30 days), Ukraine (90 days), Uzbekistan (60 days) Algeria (90 days), Argentina (90 days), Azerbaijan (30 days), Bangladesh (90 days), Belarus (90 days), Belize (90 days), Benin (90 days), Cambodia (60 days), Cyprus (90 days), Croatia (90 days), Ecuador (Diplomatic: as needed for work performance, Official: 3 months), Egypt (90 days), India (90 days), Iran (3 months), Japan (3 months), Kazakhstan (90 days), Laos (90 days), Mongolia (30 days), Pakistan (3 months), Paraguay (90 days), Philippines (Unlimited), Russia (90 days), Uruguay (90 days), Vietnam (90 days), Myanmar (90 days), Bolivia (90 days), Kyrgyz (30 days) 30 days (1 country) 60 days (2 90 days (60 Tunisia Lesotho, Portugal Asia (4 America (24 Europe (29 Africa & Middle East (3 Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Commonwealth of Dominica, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela (Diplomatic/Official: 30 days, Ordinary: 90 days) [Schengen countries (except for Slovenia out of the 25 Schengen ], Austria (Diplomatic/Official: 180 days), Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden (180 days within 90 days. To renew, need to wait 6 months),portugal (60days) Israel, Liberia, Morocco Italy: Despite visa exemption for a stay of up to 60 days under agreement, the reciprocity principle allows a stay of up to 90 days from June 15, 2003.

7 7 Japan: Visa exemption for a stay of up to 90 days for ordinary-passport holders based on exchange of note verbale. (Visa exemption agreement concluded for diplomatic and official-passport holders) Nationals of countries or regions allowed for visa-free entry Continents Countries Asia (6 America (8 Europe (11 Oceania (13 Middle East and Africa (13 Brunei(30 days), Hong Kong (90 days), Indonesia (diplomatic and official, 14 days), Japan (90 days), Macau (90 days), Taiwan (30 days) Argentina (30 days), Canada (6 months), Ecuador (30 days), Guyana (30 days), Honduras (30 days), Paraguay (30 days), United States (90 days), Uruguay (30 days) Albania (30 days), Andora (30 days), Bosnia-Herzegovina (30 days), Croatia (30 days), Cyprus (30 days), Monaco (30 days), Montenegro (30 days), San Marino (30 days), Serbia (30 days), Slovenia (90 days), Vatican (30 days) Australia (90 days), Fiji (30 days), Guam (30 days), Kiribati (30 days), Marshall Islands (30 days), Micronesia (30 days), Nauru (30 days), New Caledonia (30 days), Palau (30 days), Samoa (30 days), Solomon Islands (30 days), Tonga (30 days), Tuvalu (30 days) Bahrain (30 days), Egypt (30 days), Kuwait (30 days), Lebanon (diplomatic and official 30 days), Mauritius (30 days), Oman (30 days), Qatar (30 days), Saudi Arabia (30 days), Seychelles (30 days), South Africa (30 days), Swaziland (30 days), United Arab Emirates (30 days), Yemen (30 days) Nationals of the above countries or regions are allowed up to 30 days of visa-free sojourn for tourism or visit. - Exceptions: Nationals of Canada are allowed up to 6 months, and nationals of Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Slovenia, and the United States are allowed up to 90 days.

8 8 ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE FORM 1. ESCAP/ADB sponsored participants are requested to fill in and return this form to the ESCAP staff present in the conference room on 4 October 2011 (morning) for disbursement of daily subsistence allowance. 2. In addition to item 1 above, supporting documents indicated below are also requested to be provided the ESCAP secretariat along with the completed form. a. copy of air ticket(s) b. inbound boarding pass(es) from your country, transit country (if any) to Seoul c. original passport and a copy NAME: COUNTRY: AIR TICKET NUMBER: ARRIVAL AT SEOUL: DATE: FLIGHT NUMBER: TIME: DEPARTURE FROM SEOUL: DATE: FLIGHT NUMBER: TIME: HOTEL IBIS Others (Please specify) ROOM NUMBER: SIGNATURE:

9 9 DATE: HOTEL RESERVATION REQUEST FORM Asia Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum (APTFF) 2011, Seoul, Republic of Korea 3-8 October 2011 KINDLY FAX / THIS FORM TO YOUR SELECTED HOTEL BEFORE 16 SEPTEMBER 2011 AND A COPY WITH YOUR PASSPORT COPY FOR FOLLOW UP TO: Fax: Attn: Juraporn, sinlapharojanapanich@un.org Please select a hotel of your choice (Note: the rate is for a Standard Room/night, inclusive of Taxes and Breakfast) Ramada Hotel Fax. + (82) jhkang@ramadaseoul.co.kr Ramada Executive** ** Fax. + (82) jhkang@ramadaseoul.co.kr Riviera (Superior Double) Fax. + (82) kwonts@hotelriviera.co.kr Riviera (Superior Twin) Fax. + (82) kwonts@hotelriviera.co.kr Prima Fax. + (82) drlim@prima.co.kr COEX Intercontinental Fax. + (82) hj_chang@interconti.com From: Company: Date: Tel: Fax: Name of Guest(s) : (1) (2) Arrival Date : Departure Date : Flight Details / ETA Flight Details / ETD Room Category Special Room Rate per room per night No of room (s) No of guest (s) Superior Double Bed Deluxe Twin Bed Suite King Bed Billing Instruction ** Executive Floor Benefits offer by Ramada Hotel - Free use of high speed Internet at the room. - Evening happy hour ( hour) - 2 hours free use of meeting room on the executive lounge. : Reservations are necessary and should be made well in advance. - Various periodicals and newspapers. - Free use of Spa, Sauna and Fitness Club. - Complimentary Tea, Coffee and Soft drink at Executive Lounge. - Extension of check out till 1500 hour upon room availability.

10 10 Guaranteed By [ ] Mastercard [ ] VISA [ ] Amex [ ] Diners [ ] Others - Expriy Date : Credit Card No : For AMEX cardholders, please provide the 4-Digit Security Code No : [ ] Cash / Bank Draft / Cheque (Full Prepayment) If mode of payment is by cash / bank draft / cheque, the Hotel will forward a Proforma Invoice with complete bank details. (Please provide a photocopy of your credit card front & back) Special Request (subject to availability) Remark COEX and hotels nearby [ ] Smoking Guest will be responsible for any claims made by the Hotel for loss on exchange arising from accounts settled by foreign currencies. Map Hotel website Hotel IBIS Seoul Hotel Riviera COEX Intercontinental Seoul Prima Hotel Ramada Seoul Hotel

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